My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: Stallion Edition
by SPB
Summary: (Originally published on FiMFiction, still ongoing.) A fic where show canon stallions become the Elements of Harmony bearers. Shining Armor is sent to Ponyville per the request of Princess Celestia, and is tasked with making friends. This changes Shining Armor's life forever. Read on, as he and his friends embark on many adventures together.
1. Chapter 1: The Tale of Nightmare Moon

_Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria. There existed two royal sisters, princesses if you will, that ruled together in a state of peace and prosperity._

 _To do this, the elder sister used her magic to bring forth the sun each morning, and lower it every night. The younger did the same with the moon. In doing this the two sisters created a system of harmony and balance, between the forces of light and darkness._

 _But, as time went on things changed. Despite the many things she and her sister had done for the land the younger sister began to grow jealous. For she saw how, at least to her, most ponies laughed and played in the daytime her elder sister brought forth. But shunned and slept through her beautiful night._

 _Then, one fateful day, the younger sister refused to lower the moon to make way for the rising sun. The elder sister attempted to plead with her, but evil forces had worked their way into the younger sister's heart. Transforming her into a wicked mare of darkness, Nightmare Moon!_

 _Nightmare Moon vowed to plunge all of Equestria into eternal night time until her subjects appreciated the night, or until they were starved into submission. Reluctantly the elder sister was forced to turn to the very artifacts that she and her sister had used to defeat many great evils, the Elements of Harmony. Yet even as she wielded them the elder sister knew she could not defeat Nightmare Moon. Instead she channeled their magic and sealed Nightmare Moon, her sister, into the face of the moon._

 _She then took up the responsibility of raising both the sun and the moon, for all of eternity._

"That's quite a story Twily." a white unicorn stallion said. His name was Shining Armor and he was the youngest and newest member of Equestria's royal guard.

"It is quite fascinating." replied a lavender unicorn mare. Her name was Twilight Sparkle and she and Shining Armor were siblings. "But"

"But what Twily?" Shining Armor asked.

"It's just, I know I've read about the Elements of Harmony before somewhere. I just can't remember where." Twilight explained, racking her brain to see if she could find the answer.

"Perhaps I can help you." Shining Armor said.

"Well I don't even know where to start." Twilight said "I can't even remember what the name of the book is that mentioned the Elements of Harmony."

"I think I may have what you're looking for." a voice called out, it belonged to a small purple dragon with green scales. "The book is called _Pony Myths and Legends_."

"Really? Can you bring it here Spike?" Twilight asked.

"Sure thing." Spike said, ever since Twilight had hatched him he had been living with her. First as just her baby dragon, and then when he was old enough her assistant.

"Thanks for your help." Shining Armor said as Spike placed the book onto a nearby desk. He and Twilight then began to skim through the book.

"Ah ha! Here we go!" Twilight said, she proceeded to read outloud "'Elements of Harmony'! See 'Mare in The Moon'?"

"But that's just an old pony's tale." Spike said, somewhat confused, as he went about his usual duties as Twilight's assistant.

"Well let's see what the book has to say." Twilight said. Using her magic she flipped through the pages, stopping on the one that listed Nightmare Moon. Then she read aloud "'Mare in The Moon'. The story of an evil princess defeated by Celestia with the Elements of Harmony and banished in the moon. Legend has it on the longest day of the thousandth year the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime ever lasting." Twilight and Shining Armor gasped. "Do you know what this means B.B.B.F.F.?!" Twilight asked.

"If this book is right then we've got a big problem on our hooves!" Shining Armor said "We've got to do something!"

"Spike take a letter please!" Twilight called out "And be quick about it!"

"Just give me a minute." Spike said "I'm almost done stacking these books."

"There's no time for that Spike!" Twilight said "We have to warn Princess Celestia A.S.A.P.!"

"What does that mean?" Spike asked.

"That stands for as soon as possible." Twilight explained "And tomorrow's the 1000th Summer Sun Celebration! That's the longest day of the year!"

"So?" Spike asked, he didn't really see what the big deal was.

"If the legend is true then Nightmare Moon will escape and bring about unending night." Twilight explained "If that happens all of Equestria is done for!"

"Well I can try to send Princess Celestia a message." Spike said "But she's very busy preparing for the Summer Sun Celebration. She may not have time to read your letter."

"But I'm her faithful student." Twilight said "She has to listen to me."

Then Shining Armor got an idea. "You stay here Twily and focus on your studies. I'll deliver the message to Princess Celestia personally. After all as a member of the royal guard I tend to see her on a daily basis. I'll have a much better chance of making sure she receives the warning." He said.

"Are you sure about that?" Twilight asked "No offense but you're not exactly the highest ranking member of the royal guard. You're lucky to even hold the rank of lieutenant considering how long you've been with them."

"That doesn't matter!" Shining Armor said, he then pointed to his flank where a blue shield was surrounded by three lighter blue stars. The shield itself carried the same magenta six-point star as Twilight's cutie mark "Do you see this? I got this cutie mark and joined the royal guard because I believed in helping others no matter what. I'm not going to let something like rank keep me from doing just that. And if the message is really that important then rank shouldn't matter."

"I guess there's no convincing you otherwise is there?" Twilight asked. Shining Armor shook his head. "Well then, I wish you the best of luck."

"Thanks Twily." Shining Armor said "I'm sure this is nothing, but better safe than sorry." And with that he set off.

"Good luck bro." Spike said.


	2. Chapter 2: Change of Plans

Shining Armor wasted no time and left the tower where his sister resided. He raced quickly through the streets of Canterlot, attracting quite the odd looks from its residents. But Shining Armor didn't care what others thought of him right now, he had more important things on his mind.

" _I really hope Spike's right and Nightmare Moon is just a legend._ " Shining Armor thought to himself " _If that book is to believed no one could stand up to her, not even Princess Celestia._ "

After only a few minutes Shining Armor arrived at the barracks just outside the royal castle that housed the royal guards. The instant he set hoof on the property he was greeted by spears pointed directly at him.

"Halt!" a royal guard called out "Who goes there?! Identify yourself!"

Shining Armor gulped but shrugged off the spears in his face and said "It's me, Lieutenant Shining Armor."

"What brings you here Lieutenant Armor?!" another guard snapped "You're not suppose to be on duty today."

"I know that." Shining Armor said "But I have important news! I must speak with Princess Celestia! It is urgent!"

"Define urgent!" a guard said "It better be good!"

"It is!" Shining Armor said "It has come to my attention that Equestria is in danger."

"Danger?" the royal guards asked.

"Yes." Shining Armor said "For I have reason to believe that The Mare in The Moon is indeed fact Nightmare Moon. And that she is about to escape and bring about everlasting night. It is of the utmost importance that this information be passed on to Princess Celestia."

There was a long silence. No one said anything. Then one by one all the guards started bursting out laughing "You've been reading too many fairy tales!" one guard chuckled "Everypony knows Nightmare Moon is just a myth!"

"That's like saying Discord is going to break free!" another guard chimed in "It's absurd and it's never going to happen!"

"But I'm serious!" Shining Armor said "Nightmare Moon IS real!"

"Yeah right!" A third guard said "I knew Princess Celestia made a mistake when she recruited you! You're a disgrace to us all! You should just go back to being a night guard, it'll save you and it'll save us the embarrassment of having to listen to your silly stories!"

"They're not silly!" Shining Armor said.

"They ARE silly and so are you!" the first guard said "Just listen to yourself!" The royal guards then started teasing Shining Armor, calling him names, and laughing in his face until he couldn't stand it anymore. Shining Armor wanted nothing more than to hide his face, which was blushing bright red with embarrassment.

"Alright, that's it!" came a booming voice. Everyone gulped, they knew who that. "This has gone far enough! You're acting like a bunch of schoolyard colts! Well I've got news for you, you're all fully grown stallions and it's time you started acting like them!" A few moments later a unicorn with a light pink coat, white mane and tail, amber eyes, and a cutie mark consisting of a golden shield stepped into view. The unicorn's name was Gleaming Shield and she was Captain of the Royal Guard. She'd served in the post for several decades and had established a reputation for being a no nonsense mare.

"Captain Shield Ma-am!" a guard said "What are you doing here?!"

"I think the better question is what do you guys thing you're doing?!" Gleaming Shield snapped "I want answers!"

"Lieutenant Armor over here was just telling us that Nightmare Moon was real." Another guard explained. "And we were just taking the time to tell him how wrong he was."

"And since when did I give you permission to do that?" Gleaming Shield said "In case you've forgotten _I'm_ in charge here!"

The other guards knew it was no use arguing with Gleaming Shield. "We're sorry ma-am." they said.

"You should be!" Gleaming Shield said sternly "Now all of you get back to your posts right now! Except you Lieutenant Armor. You and I are going to have a little talk."

Shining Armor gulped. "Right now?" he asked.

"Yes." Gleaming Shield said "Follow me." A few moments later Shining Armor found himself sitting in Gleaming Shield's office. The thick wooden walls and red carpet gave off a vibe that usually felt friendly, but that wasn't the case now. "Now then," Gleaming Shield said, sitting at her desk "Tell me what was so important that you came back from your day off. It had better be good, for your sake."

Realizing he had no choice Shining Armor carefully explained what he had told the guards at the barracks. Surprisingly enough Gleaming Shield seemed at the very least interested in what he had to say.

"So let me get this straight." Gleaming Shield said when Shining Armor had finished "You believe that Nightmare Moon is going to return during the Summer Sun Celebration, and that if we do not take immediate action all of Equestria will be plunged into eternal night time. And you want me to inform Princess Celestia?"

"Yes." Shining Armor said "I know this sounds absurd, and I really want to believe it's not true. But something tells me that the threat is real, and we must act quickly, otherwise it will be too late. Trust me when I say I wouldn't have come back here if I didn't think this was something to be concerned about."

"Well, I don't know." Gleaming Shield said "You've only recently been promoted, and you don't really have any sort of track record for these types of situations. Plus it's only your word against everyone else's."

"I know that." Shining Armor said "But you have to trust me. The fate of Equestria could very well be at stake if we don't do something." Gleaming Shield didn't seem convinced. "Ask yourself, what would Princess Celestia do if she were in your horseshoes?" Shining Armor pleaded.

Gleaming Shield was silent for a moment, the stern look on her face never fading. Then she spoke up. "I suppose I could arrange to send this warning to Princess Celestia. But don't expect me to lie to cover your own flank if I get into trouble. I'll make sure she knows who told me about this, and it will be up to her to decide what to do." she explained.

"Oh thank you ma'am!" Shining Armor said happily.

"Settle down youngster I'm not promising anything. Like I said it will be up to Princess Celestia to determine if a threat exists." Gleaming Shield said.

"But you promise you'll speak to her right?" Shining Armor asked.

"Yes." Gleaming Shield said "That is all, you are dismissed."

After he left Gleaming Shield's office Shining Armor quickly left the barracks, intent on spending the rest of his day off. Or at least trying to, for despite his best efforts his thoughts kept turning back to Nightmare Moon. Surely Princess Celestia was aware of the stories. She wouldn't leave the safety of her throne if she felt she or Equestria was in danger, right?

Time seemed to pass slowly for Shining Armor as he tried to no avail to forget about Nightmare Moon and the so called "Elements of Harmony". He just couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the old stories than most ponies thought.

Finally, after what seemed like hours a voice called out "There he is!". Shining Armor looked up in time to see a silver pegasus stallion descend from above, along with a few members of the royal guard. It was Commander Silverbolt, the de-facto leader of the royal guard's pegasus unit, and Gleaming Shield's right hoof stallion.

"What do you want from me?" Shining Armor asked nervously, he dreaded the outcome.

"We have a message for you from Princess Celestia, she specifically requested that we deliver it you ourselves." Silverbolt said. He then pulled out a scroll that had until seconds ago had been tucked under his wing.

Shining Armor used his magic to pick it up and read it.

 _Dear Lieutenant Shining Armor,_

 _I appreciate your concern, and I am glad to see you take your job seriously. I knew I made the right choice in hiring you._

 _However, I assure you that there is no reason to be alarmed. Everything is under control, the Summer Sun Celebration will proceed as planned._

 _But, if it will make you happy Gleaming Shield and I have agreed to send a unit of the royal guard to provide extra security. Normally I would have Gleaming Shield tag along, but we both believe that your youthfulness and enthusiasm will be a greater asset to us. So you will take Gleaming Shield's place as the official security overseer for the Summer Sun Celebration._

 _Speaking of which the celebration is being held in Ponyville this year. I have made arrangements for you to stay until the Celebration is over. And Spike will be re-assigned to you so that I may contact you with any new information. Please be ready to go, the carriage will arrive in about two hours._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Princess Celestia_

 _P.S. In addition to providing security, while you are in Ponyville, I want you to make some new friends. I know you already have a few, but I believe you have yet to discover all that friendship has to offer._


	3. Chapter 3: Welcome to Ponyville

Shining Armor wasn't exactly thrilled to be leaving Canterlot. He'd spent his whole life in the capital city of Equestria, and now he was being sent to a small town that he'd never even heard of. Far away from his family, and his friends. But as much as he wished it weren't so he knew his duty as a member of the royal guard came first. Princess Celestia was counting on him, and he wasn't going to let her down.

And so Shining Armor spent the next hour and a half packing up. A task that would've been impossible were it not for the help of Spike.

"You seriously need to clean your room more often." Spike said as he helped Shining Armor load up everything he would need for his brief stay in Ponyville.

"I know." Shining Armor said somewhat glumly. A fact that did not go unnoticed by Spike.

"You're really going to miss seeing Twilight aren't you?" Spike asked.

"Yeah." Shining Armor said "I know it's only going to be til after the Summer Sun Celebration, but the longest we've ever been apart has been for a few hours when Twily was taking her entrance exam at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns."

"Well cheer up." Spike said "Once we get to Ponyville I can help you send Twilight a postcard if it makes you feel any better. And between you and me I'm going to miss Twilight as well."

"No kidding." Shining Armor said. Just then there came a soft thud from outside. "The chariot is here." Shining Armor said "Come on Spike, we'd better go."

An hour later Shining Armor and Spike were being flown out to Ponyville on a chariot pulled by two pegasus royal guards. Spike was busy reading over the instructions Princess Celestia had given Shining Armor. "You are to keep a low profile to the best of your ability." Spike read aloud "Avoid getting into trouble with the civilians. Remember, as a member of the royal guard you have a reputation to uphold. And make sure that you report any and all security information to the mayor, she is the only one who knows why you're really here. Above all else though try to just relax and not worry too much."

"Those don't sound very hard to follow." Shining Armor said.

"So what are we going to do when we land?" Spike asked.

"The first thing we're going to do is check in with the mayor." Shining Armor said "She'll likely be able to show us what we can do to help. Not to mention since Gleaming Shield is not going to be present she'll be in charge of the royal guards. So if she says 'jump!' we say 'how high?'. Also she'll probably be the one who shows us where we'll be staying."

"Sounds like a plan." Spike said "But what are you going to do after that?"

"I'll probably trot around town for a while and get a good feel for its layout. Then I'll see if I can find any more information about Nightmare Moon." Shining Armor said.

"What about friends?" Spike asked "Didn't Princess Celestia want you to make some new friends while you're here?"

"Yes Spike." Shining Armor said "But while I am not one to disobey an order from her highness I don't really see the point in making any new friends. Especially since I'll be leaving them behind once the Summer Sun Celebration has come and gone. Besides, the fate of Equestria does not rest on me making friends." As he finished speaking those words the chariot landed, right in the heart of Ponyville. Shining Armor and Spike hopped out. "Thank you sirs. You may go." Shining Armor said. The royal guards took off without a moment's hesitation.

"Are you really sure about the whole friend thing?" Spike asked.

"Of course I'm sure." Shining Armor said.

"Well did you ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe, the citizens of Ponyville might have interesting things to talk about?" Spike asked. As he spoke those words a pink earth pony mare with a mane and tail like cotton candy trotted up to Spike and Shining Armor. "Why don't you talk to this mare? Who knows? Maybe you'll learn something new." Spike said.

Shining Armor sighed. "Oh all right. Only for you Spike. Um...hello?" he said, somewhat unsure of how to properly introduce himself without giving away too much information.

The pink earth pony didn't answer. She merely gasped and ran off suddenly. Shining Armor wasn't sure what to think. "Well, that was...interesting I guess." he said. In his mind however he was confused. " _Why would that mare just up and run off on me like that? Was it something I said?_ " he thought to himself. His thoughts were soon interrupted when he bumped into another pony.

This pony was also an earth pony, but this one was a stallion. He had a light gold coat, a brownish orange mane and tail with amber highlights, and bright green eyes. He was also wearing a brown rodeo hat and vest. "Oh I'm terribly sorry." the stallion apologized "Didn't see you there."

"No no, it was my fault." Shining Armor said "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Well that's okay." the stallion said "I like meeting new faces anyway. Speaking of which I don't recall seeing you here before. Who are you?"

"My name's Shining Armor." Shining Armor said "What's your name?"

"My name's Braeburn." the stallion said "It's a pleasure to meet you Shining Armor."

"Same here." Shining Armor said.

"Say, who's this little cutie?" Braeburn asked "I've never seen anything like him."

"I'm Spike." Spike said "I'm a baby dragon, and I'm not cute!"

"Well I'll be, there sure aren't any baby dragons back home." Braeburn said.

"You mean you don't live here?" Shining Armor asked.

"Nope." Braeburn said "I'm actually from Aaaaaappleloosa!"

"Never heard of it." Shining Armor said.

"That's cause we just settled in not too long ago." Braeburn explained "I'm actually here for my annual family get together. We always have it on the day before the Summer Sun Celebration. Speaking of which I gotta get going, but I hope I'll see you around. Bye-bye." And with that Braeburn raced away, almost as the pink earth pony from before had done.

"Looks like you've got yourself a friend." Spike said.

"That was just a quick little conversation, it didn't mean anything Spike." Shining Armor said.

"But I thought" Spike said.

"We don't have time for this Spike!" Shining Armor said "We've got to get town hall pronto!"


	4. Chapter 4: Settling In

Shining Armor was quite surprised by how old the mayor seemed to be. He could've sworn Celestia had mentioned she was still in her first term, and that she was younger then she looked.

"It's been five minutes already. Are you going to keep staring at me all day?" the mayor asked "You know I have better things to tend to, and I have little patience for those who waste my time."

Shining Armor regained his composure. "Oh, sorry about that. I was just surprised by your um... appearance is all."

"That's quite alright." the mayor said "I assure you you're not the first one to have this reaction. Anyway, what can I do for you Lieutenant Armor?"

"Well I was hoping you might have some kind of list or something about who's in charge of what for the celebration." Shining Armor said.

"Oh, is that all?" the mayor said "Wait right here, this will just take a second." She trotted over to her desk and fumbled through some drawers. "I know I put that thing somewhere." she said out loud as she sorted through the stacks of paper.

"Does this remind you of something?" Spike asked teasingly. Shining Armor was quick to notice.

"Oh ha ha. Real mature there Spike, real mature. Didn't Twily ever teach you any manners?" Shining Armor replied.

"I'm just saying, you and the mayor could stand to be a bit more organized. You know like Twilight." Spike said "She never leaves a single book out of place, and neither do I."

"I found it!" the mayor said at last. She trotted back over to Shining Armor and hoofed the document she'd just found over to him. Spike quickly snatched it up.

"I'll just hold onto this so you don't lose it." Spike said. Shining Armor said nothing, he just snorted in frustration. He knew Spike wasn't trying to intentionally be mean but he kind of reminded Shining Armor of himself when he was a teenager. His parents, and his sister could both agree that he'd been rather unlikeable at times during those years.

"Do you need anything else?" the mayor asked.

"Well I would like to know just where I'll be staying for tonight." Shining Armor said.

"Oh that's easy." the mayor said "Princess Celestia and I arranged for you to stay at the Ponyville Golden Oaks library. It was really the only suitable place for a member of the royal guard."

"Thank you, but you really didn't have to do all of this." Shining Armor said.

"I assure you it was nothing really." the mayor said "Well if you don't need anything else I'd best be going. I must make sure I'm rested and well rehearsed for the ceremony."

"Wait, before you go I don't believe I asked you what your name is." Shining Armor said.

"Ah yes! I was wondering if you were ever going to ask me that." the mayor said "My name is Ivory Script Mare. But while I'm on duty you can refer to me as Mayor Mare."

"Will do Mayor Mare ma-am!" Shining Armor said.

"No need for such formalities." Mayor Mare said.

"I can't help it. It's routine when you're on the royal guard." Shining Armor said.

"Well whatever floats your boat." Mayor Mare said "I hope you enjoy your stay in Ponyville. Ta-ta."

"So where are we going first?" Spike asked as he and Shining Armor left town hall.

"First thing's first." Shining Armor said "We're going to check on the food, just to make sure no one's thinking of poisoning Princess Celestia."

"No offense bro but you're worrying a bit too much." Spike said.

"I know, I know." Shining Armor said "Anyway we'd best be going, we've got a lot to do."

A long trek across town later and Shining Armor and Spike found themselves approaching the gate of a rather large area. There was a giant red barn with a reddish pink roof. Next to it stood a house that could've easily been mistaken for being an extension of said barn, were it not for the faded colors. Though the barn wasn't in much better condition, but at least it didn't seem like it was going to collapse anytime soon. Or at least Shining Armor hoped not.

"It says here that this place is called Sweet Apple Acres. And it's home to Ponyville's largest family, the Apple family." Spike said "They're the ones in charge of food."

"Well this shouldn't be too hard." Shining Armor said "We just need to find one of those Apples and have a little talk with them. Ah here comes one now."

The pony in question was an earth pony mare with an orange coat, a blonde mane and tail with a brown stetson hat on top, green eyes, and a cutie mark consisting of three red apples. Just like the ones growing on the trees. The mare either didn't notice, or didn't care that Shining Armor was nearby. She instead promptly raced up to one of the apples trees, looking like she was going to attack it head on.

But at the last minute she swung around and kicked the tree hard with her back legs. The vibrations caused the apples on the tree to fall off and into the buckets placed under the tree's trunk. Shining Armor was amazed, he'd never seen strength like that. Most stallions his age could barely even bench press 20 pounds, but this mare looked like she could bench press 50 pounds without breaking a sweat.

"You're pretty strong. I've never seen such strong legs before." Shining Armor said.

"Well thank ya very much for the compliment, I highly appreciate it." the mare said, turning her attention to her guest. "Who are you anyway?"

"My name's Shining Armor. I'm just here to check up on-" Shining Armor said. Before he could finish however he found himself being subjected to a powerful hoofshake, courtesy of the mare he was speaking to.

"Well howdy do there Mister Shining." Applejack said "You're okay with me calling you that right?"

"Um, well I" Shining Armor said, he didn't get the chance to respond.

"Good." Applejack said "We here at Sweet Apple Acres sure do love to make new friends."

"I can tell." Shining Armor said, recovering from the hoofshake.

"So Mister Shining what I can do for ya?" Applejack asked.

"Oh don't mind me." Shining Armor said "Me and my friend Spike here were just going to check on the food, which you and your family are providing if I'm not mistaken."

"How did you know that?" Applejack asked "And who's this Spike? I don't see any other ponies."

"That's because Spike's a baby dragon." Shining Armor said "Probably should've explained that earlier."

"You still didn't answer my other question." Applejack said sternly "How did you know that my family and I are in charge of the food for the Summer Sun Celebration?"

Shining Armor felt tempted to ask Spike to pull out the document from Mayor Mare right then and there. But he decided against it, he wasn't sure how common it was for ponies to have anything from the mayor, let alone a list of who was in charge of what for an important event. And he didn't want to attract unwanted attention to himself. "Lucky guess?" Shining Armor replied. Applejack didn't buy it for a second.

"You think I'm stupid or something?" Applejack asked.

"What would ever give you that idea?" Shining Armor asked. He was confused.

"I know you're lying to me." Applejack said "And I want to know why."

"I can't tell you that." Shining Armor said "Really I can't."

"Stuff and nonsense!" Applejack said "You're going to tell me the real reason for your visit and you're going to tell me now!"

"Applejack!" a stern voice called out "What did Granny tell you about picking fights with guests?"

"I wasn't fighting with him." Applejack said "And besides he started it."

"I don't care who started it! I'm finishing it" the voice replied. A moment later an earth pony stallion with a red coat, a dark yellow mane and tail, a giant green apple cutie mark, and a shoulder harness around his neck stepped into view.

"Go away Big Mac!" Applejack said "This doesn't concern you!"

"Oh it concerns me all right!" the stallion replied.

"You ain't the boss of me!" Applejack said.

"Don't talk to your big brother in that tone of voice!" the stallion scolded.

"This stallion is lying to me and I want to find out why!" Applejack said "Surely you can understand that."

"That may be so, but that doesn't give you the right to be so hard on him." the stallion said "Now apologize to this stallion right now!"

"I don't have to do anything!" Applejack said "And you can't make me!"

"Oh I don't think so." the stallion said casually "Just wait til I tell Granny Smith about this, she'll be very disappointed in you." That seemed to change Applejack's mind very quickly. "Now, say you're sorry!" the stallion demanded.

"I'm sorry." Applejack said, under her breath she muttered "Sorry you think I'm some dumb old farm pony."

"What was that?" the stallion asked.

"Nothing." Applejack said, and she left without saying anything else.

"Thanks for your help." Shining Armor said.

"Sorry about my sister." the stallion apologized "She can be quite stubborn, but I assure you she's actually quite nice once you get to know her."

"I find that hard to believe." Shining Armor said "Anyway who are you?"

"I'm Big Macintosh." the stallion said "Some call me Big Mac."

"You're okay with me just calling you Big Mac right?" Shining Armor asked.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh said "I'm not usually one to talk much, I just like to let my skills speak for themselves. But I'm always happy to see new faces."

"Really? I never would've guessed." Shining Armor said.

"Yeah, lots of ponies don't think much of me. Except for the mares." Big Macintosh said.

"So you're a babe magnet huh? Lucky you." Spike said.

"Well I don't believe we've met." Big Macintosh said, looking at Spike. "And you are?"

"I'm Spike." Spike said "And that's Shining Armor. We came here to check up on the food for the Summer Sun Celebration."

"Shining Armor huh? Well that's a nice name." Big Macintosh said "Since you're here whaddya you say I introduce to my family?"

"Sounds good, I guess." Shining Armor said. He was really interested in making a good first impression while still maintaining his low profile.

"SOUPS ON EVERYPONY!" Big Macintosh shouted. A second later Shining Armor and Spike found themselves overwhelmed by hundreds of earth ponies. And they quickly lost track of the many names that Big Macintosh called out. "Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith." Big Macintosh said, pointing towards an earth pony mare with a green coat, a white mane and tail, and an apple pie cutie mark, sitting in a rocking chair. "Up and at em Granny we got visitors!" Granny Smith rose from her rocking chair and mumbled something, then went back to sleep.

"Thank you all." Shining Armor said "But this is a bit much, even for me. And I really should be going."

"Aren'ta ya gonna stay for brunch?" Apple Bloom pleaded, shooting Shining Armor a pair of puppy dog eyes. He'd been subjected to them several times by his sister Twilight, but even though he'd managed to build up a slight resistance to them he couldn't shrug off the ones Apple Bloom was showing.

"I guess brunch does sound good. I am kind of hungry" Shining Armor said.

"Excellent." Big Macintosh said.

Nothing really notable happened during brunch, outside of Spike bonding with Apple Bloom slightly. And Shining Armor and Applejack patching things up, to some extent anyway.

"Well we can cross food poisoning off the list of potential threats." Shining Armor said as he and Spike walked through Ponyville.

"Yeah." Spike said "It's a pity Twilight had to miss out on that. We should've saved her an apple pie."

"I don't think it would've been a good idea Spike." Shining Armor chuckled "You know as well as I do that Twily has a craving for apple pie, once she starts eating one she can't stop. It's a miracle she never gets a stomach ache."

"Well anyway" Spike said "This is our next destination. The pegasi are suppose to clearing the clouds around here."

Shining Armor looked up, the sky was all but filled but with fluffy white clouds. "Well it looks like someone isn't doing their job." he said "And I've got a few choice words for whoever it is."

"Incoming!" a voice shouted. Shining Armor had no time to react as he was suddenly plowed into by a pony. Who it was he couldn't tell, it happened too fast. All he knew was that one minute he was standing up right, and the next he was on the ground. "I don't believe this." Shining Armor said "This is the second time today somepony's bumped into me."

"Hey you okay?" the voice asked.

"I will be as soon as I get my hooves on you." Shining Armor said. But as soon as he stood up he got a good look at the pony who had crashed into him. The pony was a pegasus stallion wearing a navy blue flight suit, which came complete with a set of goggles. The stallion had a light cyan blue coat, a bushy midnight blue mane and tail, and emerald green eyes. Shining Armor was speechless. "Are you who I think you are?" he asked the pegasus stallion.

"Depends." the stallion replied "Who do you think I am?"

"You're a member of the Wonderbolts." Shining Armor said "My favorite one to boot!"

"I see my reputation preceeds me." the stallion said "Oh, silly me. Where are my manners? Soarin Co-Captain of The Wonderbolts at your service."

"I was right!" Shining Armor said, a wide grin breaking out across his face. "I always wanted to see you and the other Wonderbolts when I was a colt, but my parents said we could never afford the tickets to your shows."

"Sorry to hear that." Soarin said "And it's always nice to meet a dedicated fan. Especially one that isn't a mare."

"Oh great, another chick magnet." Spike said.

"Well not really." Soarin said "Most of them are just creepy fangirls that are constantly asking me to sign something. And the most annoying one of all is Rainbow Dash."

"Rainbow Dash?" Shining Armor asked.

"Yup. She calls herself the fastest flyer in all of Cloudsdale, and she's so full of herself." Soarin explained.

"Shouldn't she be helping you clear the clouds?" Shining Armor asked.

"Yes. But she won't stop making googly eyes at me. It's driving me crazy." Soarin said "I told Spitfire I didn't want to do this job, but I came anyway. Now look what I'm dealing with."

"I don't see anypony." Spike said "Are you sure you're not just making things up?"

"That Rainbow Dash is probably spying on me." Soarin said "I just wish I knew how to make her stop, I can't concentrate on my cloud busting or my flying maneuvers with her around."

"I have an idea." Shining Armor said and promptly whispered it to Soarin.

"Are you sure that will work?" Soarin asked.

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing." Shining Armor said.

"Well alright." Soarin said, and took off into the skies. Just as Shining Armor predicted "Rainbow Dash" emerged from her hiding spot to pursue Soarin. But she never got the chance, as soon as she exposed herself Shining Armor quickly lit up his horn. Within seconds he had brought her down to the ground. And now he saw where she got her name. Her rainbow colored mane and tail really stuck out against her cyan coat, not to mention her rainbow colored lightning bolt with fluffy white cloud cutie mark.

"Just what the hay was that all about?!" Rainbow Dash asked.

"You were distracting a Wonderbolt and a pegasus that was suppose to be clearing the skies." Shining Armor lectured "Which I believe you're suppose to be doing as well."

"Oh I was just busy." Rainbow Dash said.

"Busy staring at Soarin's flank I bet." Shining Armor teased.

"I was not!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Well you know how you can really impress Soarin?" Shining Armor asked.

"How?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"By not bothering him and letting him do his work!" Shining Armor said.

"But you don't understand!" Rainbow Dash complained "The Wonderbolts are my idols! When I heard that they were going to be at the Summer Sun Celebration I knew I had to meet them! When they see how awesome I am they'll let me onto their team for sure, probably even make me their new captain!"

"Fat chance!" Shining Armor said "I doubt the Wonderbolts would be interested in a lazy pegasus that can't even keep the sky clear for one day!"

"Hey I could clear that sky in ten seconds flat!" Rainbow Dash said.

A smug grin broke out across Shining Armor's face as a plan sprang into his mind. "Prove it." he said.

"Just stand back and watch me go!" Rainbow Dash said, and took off incredibly fast. She proceeded to clear the sky at an insanely high speed. Shining Armor, Spike, and Soarin were speechless. "What did I tell you? Ten seconds flat!" Rainbow Dash said as she landed on a nearby bridge.

"That...was...awesome!" Spike said "Do it again!"

"As much as I'd love to see that I've had about as much you as I can stand!" Soarin snapped "So if you want me to even consider putting in a good word for you you'll leave me alone and go bother someone else, got it?!"

"Okay, okay! Don't be such a nag!" Rainbow Dash said and sped away as fast as she could.

"Works everytime." Soarin said, chuckling to himself.

"I hear ya." Shining Armor said "Sometimes you just gotta scare em off for a while before you say something you'll regret."

"I can't believe I actually got to meet Soarin!" Shining Armor said "I'm his number one fan!"

"Heh, something tells me Rainbow Dash has that title in the bag." Spike said.

"Yeah? Well anyway we should move on to decoration." Shining Armor said. He and Spike soon found themselves back at town hall where a white unicorn mare with an indigo mane and tail done up in a curl, sparkling blue eyes, and a cutie mark consisting of three gems, was using her magic to levitate several different designer ribbons. "No. No. No. No. Oh goodness no." she said to herself "It's so hard to find something that really brings out the beauty of this place."

"That, is, beautiful." Spike said.

"I know. I've only seen those types of decorations in stores around hearth's warming." Shining Armor said.

"Not the decorations. Her." Spike said, gushing over the unicorn in front of him.

"Oh great." Shining Armor said sarcastically. How he was suppose to explain this to Twilight? "Hey Twily. Guess what? Your baby dragon and number one assistant has developed a crush on a unicorn from Ponyville."

"Excuse me ma'am." Shining Armor said, hoping to get this visit over with as soon as possible.

"Just a moment dear." the mare replied "I am 'In the zone' as it were." She promptly tied a bright red ribbon around a nearby pole using her magic. "Now then how I can help yo-wahaha!"

"What?" Shining Armor asked.

"You're absolutely dazzling." the mare said. She could not contain the blush that formed across her cheeks.

"Oh, don't mind me." Shining Armor said "I'm just stopping by to check up on the decorations, and then I promise I'll be out of your hair."

"Out of my hair? What about your hair?" the mare asked.

"What are you talking about?" Shining Armor asked "My hair's fine. I styled it this morning and everything."

"Well surely a stallion such as yourself didn't just come here just for the decorations. Surely you'll be staying for the Summer Sun Celebration right?" the mare said.

"Yes." Shining Armor said.

"What are you planning to wear?" the mare asked.

"I wasn't planning on wearing anything." Shining Armor asked.

"What?!" the mare gasped "You're staying for the Summer Sun Celebration and yet you won't be wearing anything at all? That's just not possible, an event like the Summer Sun Celebration demands something. Come with me and we'll fashion the perfect outfit for you." Without further ado the mare began pushing Shining Armor out of town hall.

"Hey, what are you doing?! Where are you taking me?! Stop pushing me with your horn!" Shining Armor said "Spike! A little help here please!" But Spike merely followed the mare, hearts in his eyes.

A few minutes later the mare had brought Shining Armor to a place called Carousel Boutique. She was currently trying, with little success to find something suitable for Shining Armor. "No. No. No. Too poofy. Not poofy enough. Too dazzling. Not dazzling enough." she said as she used Shining Armor as a model to try out outfit after outfit. Eventually she slipped a sleek black vest onto Shining Armor, complete with a red bow tie. "Now go on dear. I believe you were going to tell me where you were from." the mare said.

Shining Armor sighed. "Well I'm from Canterlot, and I"

"Canterlot?!" the mare gasped "You're from Canterlot?! Oh the glamor! The sophistication! The elegance! Oh what I would give to live there!"

"I get that Canterlot is the capital city of Equestria and all but I didn't know it was that popular." Shining Armor said.

"You don't understand." the mare said "Canterlot is the fashion capital of the world! Everypony knows that is where you find the best of the best!"

" _Just great. The only thing this mare likes more than good looks is fashion. And I thought those supermodels were vain._ " Shining Armor thought to himself. "Look ma-am not that this hasn't been nice, but I really don't have time to waste. So if you could be so kind as to show me the door"

"You can't leave yet!" Rarity said "I still haven't gotten the chance to modify this suit."

"I think it looks fine as it is." Shining Armor said.

"Then you know nothing about fashion." Rarity said "Lucky for you I will not let a crime against fashion go uncorrected."

"Miss. Rarity you'd better not be harassing a customer." an elegant voice called out.

"I was doing no such thing." Rarity said.

"Really?' the voice asked "Because it looks to me like this poor stallion here has had all he can take." The owner of the voice then made itself known. It was a unicorn stallion with a coat that was as white the mare that Shining Armor had met just recently, his eyes were the same blue color as Rarity's, but his mane and tail were a royal blue, and his cutie mark consisted of three crowns with jewels in their centers. He also had a glass monocle in his left eye, giving off a touch of high class that was complimented by his elegant black suit and pink bowtie.

"Ain't that the truth?" Shining Armor said.

"I apologize for the behavior of my secretary." the stallion said "Normally she behaves a lot better than this. But whenever she sees a stallion, well I suppose romance just works in mysterious ways."

"Say, I recognize you!" Shining Armor said "You're Fancy Pants."

"Ah, I see you know who I am." Fancy Pants said.

"Indeed I do." Shining Armor said "But what's the most important pony in the fashion world doing in a small town like this?"

"I was hoping you'd say that." Fancy Pants said "As you know I'm always looking for ways to expand my business. Especially since my dear wife Fleur De Lis came into my life. And when I learned that this fine young mare here was looking for a job in the fashion industry I knew I had found an opportunity that couldn't be passed up. So we made a deal. Miss. Rarity and I would open up Carousel Boutique, with the intent of using it to model some of my designs and some of her own custom our partnership was born. And I assure you that Miss Rarity is quite skilled."

"No doubt." Shining Armor said.

" As I said before I am truly sorry for the way Miss. Rarity acted earlier. What do you have to say for yourself young lady?"

"I'm sorry." Miss. Rarity said "By the way I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Rarity."

"Well it's an honor to meet you both Fancy Pants sir and Rarity ma-am." Shining Armor said "My name is Shining Armor, and this is Spike."

"You, are so, beautiful." Rarity said "Do you think that perhaps tonight the two of us could go out to dinner somewhere?"

"I'm sorry ma'am." Shining Armor said "I don't have time for dates. And my heart belongs to another. But I wish you good luck in finding your special somepony. Come on Spike we're leaving."

"Goodbye Rarity." Spike said "I hope we meet again."

"I wish you'd let me stay for a little longer." Spike said "I'm just glad I don't have to worry about competing with you for Rarity's affection."

"Same here." Shining Armor said. The memory of what he had to endure to win over his current special somepony was still fresh in his mind. He did not want to go through that again. "Anyway we should almost be finished by now Spike, so what's left for us to do?"

"We just need to check up on the songbird choir and we'll be done." Spike said.

"About time." Shining Armor said "Hopefully this will blow over without any annoying sidetracks."

"They weren't all bad." Spike said.

"All the same they chewed up time that we could've spent doing more research." Shining Armor said "And as much as I hate to complain my hooves are starting to kill me."

"Well I think we've found the ponies in charge of the song birds." Spike pointed out "Look over there!"

Perched on a nearby tree birds of all colors and sizes were singing. They were singing a very beautiful song, though Shining Armor couldn't make out what it was suppose to be.

"Oh my. Stop please." a yellow pegasus mare with a pink mane and tail done up in bangs, cyan eyes, and a cutie mark consisting of three butterflies called out.

"What now?" a black pegasus stallion with a cyan gray mane and tail styled into a mohawk, gold eyes, and a cutie mark depicting a storm cloud with a lightning bolt shooting out of it asked.

"Well it's not your fault." the pegasus mare said. "It's just that one of those birds is singing a tiny bit off key. Can you help me set him straight?"

"Look Fluttershy." the pegasus stallion said "I signed up for this only so I could ask if you would be able to foalsit Rumble for me next weekend. I'm not that good with animals."

"But Rumble tells me you're always so kind." "Fluttershy" said "And I think you're actually good with animals, you just need a little practice controlling your voice is all."

"Oh okay." the pegasus stallion said. He and "Fluttershy" flew up to speak to the song birds. "You're all doing a good job." the pegasus stallion said "However"

"You're kind of singing off key Mr. Robin" "Fluttershy" said "So if you could try to adjust your pitch just a teensy bit" The bird seemed to acknowledge the feedback. "Okay, let's take it from the top." "Fluttershy" said "And a one. And a two. And a one, two, three."

"Hello." Shining Armor said. His appearance ended up startling "Fluttershy" and the pegasus stallion, and this unintentionally startled the song birds. Causing them to fly off. "Oops. Sorry about that." Shining Armor said "I'm Shining Armor. What are your names?"

"Oh, um, well my name is Fluttershy." "Fluttershy" mumbled to herself.

"Uh I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." Shining Armor said.

"She said her name is Fluttershy. And I'm Thunderlane." Thunderlane said.

"Who's the little cutie I see hiding behind you?" Shining Armor asked, referring to a pegasus colt with a light gray coat, a dark gray mane and tail, and purple eyes.

"Oh, that's Rumble. He's my younger brother." Thunderlane explained "It's okay Rumble, you don't have to be afraid. This stallion isn't going to hurt you."

"I wasn't worried about that." Rumble said "Sorry about my brother, he can be rather overprotective sometimes."

"Don't you have parents?" Shining Armor asked.

"Yes. But I hardly ever see them because they work all the time. Rumble said "Thunderlane is the only one who has time for me. And as a result I think he's the coolest big brother ever."

"Aw that's sweet." Shining Armor said. Then he noticed something in the background. "Well it looks like your birds have returned. So I guess everything's in order, I'll just be on my way now if you don't mind. It was nice meeting you."

"That was fast." Spike commented.

"Yeah, lucky for us." Shining Armor said "Let's go."

"Say who's that?" Rumble called out "He looks different."

"I think that's a baby dragon." Thunderlane said.

"A baby dragon?! Where?!" Fluttershy gasped excitedly.

"Over there!" Rumble called out. Fluttershy and Thunderlane promptly raced over and pushed Shining Armor aside. "Oh he's so cute." Fluttershy said.

"I suppose I kind of am." Spike said "But cute doesn't begin to describe me."

"Look guys I appreciate your interest in my friend over here but we really must be going." Shining Armor said, quickly snatching up Spike and placing him on his back. He then set off for the Golden Oaks Library.

"Would you mind telling me your life story?" Fluttershy asked "I've never met a baby dragon before."

"Neither have I." Thunderlane said.

"Well I suppose I could tell you." Spike said "Let's see here, If I recall correctly I started out as a small purple and green egg, at least until Twilight hatched me."

It seemed like forever before Shining Armor arrived at his destination. He was exhausted.

"And that's my whole life's story, well up until now anyway." Spike said.

"Here we are." Shining Armor said "It was nice talking to you three but my baby dragon and I are tired."

"I'm not tired!" Spike protested. Shining Armor promptly bucked him off. " _I hate to do this to you Spike but it's for the good of Equestria._ " Shining Armor thought to himself. "Aw wook at that. He's so sweepy he can't even keep his wittle bawance." Shining Armor said in fake baby talk. The sound of it made him want to gag.

"Oh you poor thing." Fluttershy said.

"Why don't we help you get him into bed?" Thunderlane suggested.

"Thank you but Spike is my baby dragon, and therefore he is my responsibility." Shining Armor said. He promptly went inside and locked the door. It was dark, but Shining Armor and Spike could make each other out perfectly.

"Did you really need to do that?" Spike asked.

"I'm sorry Spike." Shining Armor apologized "But we need to find out more about Nightmare Moon. And this may be our only chance. Now where's that light switch?"

Suddenly to Shining Armor and Spike's surprise the lights flickered on. "Surprise!" a chorus of voices shouted!


	5. Chapter 5: Party Time

"SURPRISE!" shouted a bubbly voice. It soon revealed itself as the pink pony that Shining Armor had run into just after arriving in town. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie and I threw this party just for you! Were you surprised?! Were you were you huh huh were you?!"

"Yes, very surprised." Shining Armor said "But how did you know I would be here? I don't recall ever telling you or anyone else for that matter where I was staying."

"Oh you can't hide anything from me." Pinkie Pie said "But if I tried to explain myself you'd probably think I'm crazy."

" _Like I don't think that already._ " Shining Armor thought to himself "Did you set all of this up all by yourself?" he asked.

"Well actually no." Pinkie Pie said "I may be Ponyville's number one party planner but even I can't work miracles. I had some help from a very eager volunteer."

"And that would be?" Shining Armor asked.

"Well howdy there Shining Armor, so nice to see you and Spike again. Hope you're enjoying the party that I helped to set up.'" Braeburn replied.

"Braeburn?" Shining Armor asked Pinkie Pie.

"Yes a rooney!" Pinkie Pie replied cheerfully "Braeburn is such a nice stallion. And he's quite the life of the party, isn't that right Braeburn?"

"You bet it is!" Braeburn said "There's not a party game in the universe that I can't figure out. And I'm a master on the dance floor, I'd be more then happy to show off some of my skills."

"No thanks." Shining Armor said "And as much as I hate to rain on the parade I really don't want a party right now. Libraries are suppose to be quite after all."

"But what kind of party would this be if it were quiet?" Pinkie Pie asked "I mean duh, boring!" She began to ramble on and on about random things. Shining Armor tried to the best of his ability to tune her out. " _She's so annoying. She's like the thing that won't shut up._ " he thought to himself. Then he saw something on the refreshment table " _I need a drink, something tells me I'm going to be here for a while._ "

As he made his way over to the refreshment table Shining Armor was surprised to see some familiar faces among the crowd. Applejack, Big Macintosh, Soarin, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fancy Pants, Fluttershy, Thunderlane, Rumble, and even Apple Bloom were all present. "What are you all doing here?" he asked.

"Well Pinkie Pie's parties are something that you just can't beat! There's something for everyone!" Rainbow Dash said.

"I really wasn't interested in going but Rumble insisted." Thunderlane explained "And Fluttershy came along so she could help me keep an eye on him."

"I'm not a baby Thunderlane." Rumble said "I can take care of myself."

"Don't you remember what happened at the last party?" Thunderlane asked "You got lost and I had to spend half an hour searching for you, only to find that you'd eaten several cupcakes and gotten a stomach ache."

"It's not my fault they were so darn good." Rumble said.

"Miss Rarity and I figured we could use a break from our hard work." Fancy Pants said.

"Yes, sometimes even the best of us can get overwhelmed." Rarity said.

"I came here hoping to shake off Rainbow Dash, looks like my hunch was wrong." Soarin said.

"I wanted nothing to do with this party." Big Macintosh said "But when Braeburn here never showed up to the get together at Sweet Apple Acres I had to do something. And this seemed like the best place to start."

"Wait, you mean to tell me that you and Braeburn are related?!" Shining Armor asked. Needless to say he was confused.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh said "We're cousins."

"I never would've guessed just by looking you two." Spike commented. Shining Armor had at this point reached the refreshment table and was busy preparing himself a drink.

"Well, I know Granny says it wrong to talk badly about family, but Braeburn isn't exactly the most hardworking member of the Apple family." Big Macintosh confessed "Don't get me wrong he's not lazy by any means. But he always seems to view life as a game, and he rarely takes anything seriously. In a way he's sort of like a mix between myself and Pinkie Pie."

"Speaking of Pinkie Pie why did she throw this party for Shining Armor?" Spike asked "I mean she should've heard by now that we're not going to be staying. We're only here until the Summer Sun Celebration is over, then we're moving back to Canterlot."

As if to answer his question Pinkie Pie appeared from what seemed to be out of nowhere. "Because I always throw a party for anyone who comes to Ponyville. That's why when I saw Shining Armor earlier I went 'gasp' and ran off, because I knew I'd never seen him before, and I knew I had to throw a party for him. And now it looks like he has lots of and lots of friends." Pinkie Pie explained.

Just as Pinkie Pie finishing speaking those words Shining Armor's face suddenly turned bright red, but he wasn't blushing. Sweat began to pour down his face as his mane and tail suddenly caught fire. "Hot! Hot! Hot!" was all he could say and then he quickly raced off to try and cool down his burning mouth.

Spike inspected the bottle that Shining Armor had opened. "Hot sauce." Spike read "Guess that explains the sudden outburst."

"Eh I don't see the problem with it." Pinkie Pie said, pouring some hot sauce onto a cupcake. To the surprise of Spike she downed the whole thing in one gulp, as if the added spiciness meant nothing to her. "Yummy." she said and then disappeared again.

Meanwhile Shining Armor had managed to cool off with a quick chug of some milk. Then he decided to retire to his bed. He knew he was going to be up early for the Summer Sun Celebration due to his duties as a member of the royal guard. But as he entered what he assumed was the bedroom he was surprised at who was there to meet him. "Twily?" he asked.

"Hi B.B.B.F.F!" Twilight said happily. She was obviously thrilled to see Shining Armor again.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you still be in Canterlot?" Shining Armor asked. Needless to say he was confused.

"Well actually not long after you and Spike left Princess Celestia came to visit me." Twilight explained "She said I need a break from my studies, and that there's more to a young pony's life than just studying and reading books. I suppose she sent me here specifically because she knew you were here as well."

"How long are you going to be here?" Shining Armor asked.

"Princess Celestia didn't specify." Twilight said "She just said she'll decide when I can resume my studies."

"Well anyway I'm glad to see you again." Shining Armor said "And I know Spike has missed you as well."

"Speaking of Spike how is he? Is he doing okay without me?" Twilight asked "This is the first time he's been away from me since I hatched him."

"He's doing fine Twily." Shining Armor said "He and are I getting along pretty good for the most part. But I think you need to keep a better eye on him, he's got quite the sense of humor."

"Oh don't I know it." Twilight said "I swear sometimes I think he teases me on purpose."

"Do you want me to go get him?" Shining Armor asked.

"I think he'll be fine on his own for now." Twilight said "He's a big boy and he care take of himself."

"Are you sure about that Twily?" Shining Armor asked "I mean he _is_ your number one assistant."

"Well every assistant needs a break now and then." Twilight said.

"If you say so I guess." Shining Armor said "Now I think I'm gonna hit the hay. Feel free to stay up for as long as you want though. And if it isn't too much trouble perhaps you could do me a favor."

"Anything for you B.B.B.F.F." Twilight said "What can I do for you?"

"See if you can find out anymore information about Nightmare Moon and the Elements of Harmony. Just in case." Shining Armor requested.

"I'll see what I can do." Twilight said "Sweet dreams B.B.B.F.F."

"Same to you, Twily." Shining Armor called. Just before he climbed into bed however he took one look at the nighttime sky. The stars seemed to be moving closer and closer towards the moon. Shining Armor was starting to grow worried. " _I hope the legends really aren't true. I hope I'm getting all worked up over nothing._ " he thought to himself, and with that he drifted off to sleep. Or at least he tried to. His thoughts kept returning to Nightmare Moon, and the ponies he had met on this particular day. " _I swear, some of these ponies are crazy._ " he thought.

Eventually Shining Armor managed to get some much needed sleep. Several hours later he was woken up by Spike. "Come on!" he said "It's time to watch Princess Celestia raise the sun! And you know what you have to do."

"I'm coming, Spike." Shining Armor said "Did you see Twilight earlier?"

"Yup." Spike said "I'm always happy to see her. And you'll be happy to know that she'll be present at the sun rising as well. After all, everypony who's anypony is going to be there." And with that he, Shining Armor, and Twilight set off for the town hall in the center of Ponyville. Along the way Shining Armor couldn't stop thinking about Nightmare Moon. He had a bad feeling that things were about to go wrong.


	6. Chapter 6: The Summer Sun Celebration

Everypony who was anypony was present at town hall. The Summer Sun Celebration was truly a sight to behold, especially when it was the first time a town was chosen to host it.

But Shining Armor was still worried. He tried his best to shake it off, but he had a gut feeling that things were about to go bad. He tried to reassure himself by conducting a security sweep as many times as he allowed, but it did little good. All he could do now was stand by with the other royal guards, and wait. Wait and see what happened. Hopefully nothing would, but he couldn't be sure.

"Mares and gentlecolts. Children of all ages." Mayor Mare spoke up "It's the moment you've all been waiting for!"

"Are you excited?! I'm so excited! I've never been so excited!" Pinkie Pie blabbed to Braeburn and Shining Armor "Well you know, except for the time I went 'Gasp!' but I mean really what could possibly top that?!"

"You know I'm excited Pinkie Pie." Braeburn said "I haven't seen Princess Celestia since she provided the land grant for my family and I to start building Appeloosa. How bout you Shining Armor?"

Shining Armor didn't reply. " _I wish I could I say I'm excited. But I can't, I have a very bad feeling about all of this._ " he thought to himself. He looked up at the moon, he could've sworn he saw the stars close in on the moon and the face carved onto it disappear. " _That can't be good!_ " he thought to himself.

"It is with great pleasure that I present to you now, our noble ruler." Mayor Mare continued "The very pony responsible for raising the sun each and every day. The very bringer of harmony to our land, the one and only, Princess Celestia!" That was a cue for a chorus of songbirds to start singing. A spotlight shined on the platform that Princess Celestia was expected to stand on. The curtain was pulled back, but no one was there. Everyone gasped.

" _Princess Celestia would never miss a cue._ " Shining Armor thought to himself " _But that can only mean one thing!_ "

"She's gone!" Rarity cried out.

" _I hate it when I'm right!_ " Shining Armor thought to himself.

"Ooh! She's good!" Pinkie Pie said "Almost as good as me!"

"Er Pinkie Pie, I don't know about you but I don't think Princess Celestia is hiding." Braeburn said nervously "Something's fishy here."

"I can't smell anything." Pinkie Pie said.

"It's an expression. A figure of speech. He didn't mean it literally." Applejack explained, facehoofing herself "He means that something is not right."

"But what could it be?" Big Macintosh asked.

"Calm down, everypony." Mayor Mare said "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this."

"But what are we supposed to do now, Mayor?" a pony asked "Princess Celestia is gone, and who knows where she is."

Suddenly an eerie chill filled the air. A dark blue mist began to rise. "Of course your princess is gone. It's all thanks to me" a rather cold voice said. A moment later there was a poof of smoke, and there, standing on the platform, was a mare with black armor, and a flowing blue mane and tail.

" _It can't be!_ " Shining Armor thought to himself, rubbing his eyes. And yet it was. There could be no mistaking it.

"Ah, hello my faithful subjects." the mare said "It's been so long since I've seen your sun loving faces. It's been, oh I don't know, 1000 years!" She spit out the last few words as if they were venom, clearly she was not happy.

"Enough talk! What did you do with our princess?!" Rainbow Dash demanded.

The mare only laughed. "Oh what's the matter? Am I not 'regal' enough for you? Don't you know who I am?" she said. There was no reply. "You mean _none_ of you know? Do you mean to tell me that because I was imprisoned for 1,000 years I am no longer of royal blood?! Did you not recall the legend?! Did you not see the signs?!"

"What are you talking about?!" Fancy Pants asked.

"That's what I wanna know!" Soarin said.

Shining Armor however reluctantly plucked up courage. "I did!" he shouted, instantly attracting the mare's attention "And I know who you are! You're the evil Mare in the Moon! Nightmare Moon!"

Nightmare Moon laughed once again. "Well I'll be, somepony who remembers me. Then you know why I'm here right?!"

"Yes. You're here to" Shining Armor gulped.

"Go on." Nightmare Moon said "Tell them. Tell them all. Or perhaps you'd like to me to do the honors."

"To bring about eternal nighttime." Shining Armor said reluctantly. This caused everyone to gasp once again.

"You heard him right." Nightmare Moon said "So remember this day my little ponies, and I'd remember it fondly if I were you. Because it is your last. From this moment forward. The Night! Will Last! FOREVER! And I, Nightmare Moon, shall rule all of Equestria!" She then put on an impressive display of power, laughing wickedly as she did so.

Shining Armor was speechless. " _I've failed you, Princess Celestia._ " he thought to himself " _I couldn't save you from this evil threat. Equestria is doomed._ "


	7. Chapter 7: Confession

Nightmare Moon continued to stand on the platform. Laughing and chuckling enormously, clearly she was enjoying herself. The same couldn't be said for everypony else however, their reactions ranged from confusion to anger.

At last Mayor Mare lost patience. "Guards! Seize this would be tyrant at once! Show her what happens to those who dare conspire against the harmony of Equestria!" she ordered. The guards, including Shining Armor, sprang into action. They raced forward at once, Shining Armor even had his horn charged up and ready. " _I'll stop her if it's the last thing I do!_ " he thought to himself.

As he drew closer however he began to notice something. Nightmare Moon made no efforts to try and stop her attackers, in fact she seemed unaware of their presence. But one look at her face told Shining Armor everything he needed to know. " _She_ _ **WANTS**_ _us to attack her!_ " Shining Armor thought to himself " _It's a trap! And we're charging right into it!_ " He skidded to a halt. "Wait a minute guys!" he shouted.

But it was too late. Nightmare Moon's chance had come. "Stay back foals or be destroyed!" she shouted, her eyes glowing bright white. The guards finally stopped right in their tracks, but one by one they were swatted away by a giant bolt of lightning, courtesy of Nightmare Moon.

This made Shining Armor cross. He began to charge up his horn once again as Nightmare Moon turned into the blue mist that had announced her arrival. Before Nightmare Moon could escape Shining Armor fired off the most powerful blast of offensive magic he could muster against her.

The blast hit its mark with no trouble at all, but it didn't seem to stop Nightmare Moon. In fact it only seemed to make her even angrier. Before Shining Armor had a chance to respond he found himself staring straight at the wicked mare, and she did not look happy. "You insolent little pest! How dare you strike me! You think you have the power to stop me?!" Nightmare Moon bellowed "Just for that you shall be the first to get a taste of my powers! Perhaps then you'll have a better idea of who you're dealing with!" She struck Shining Armor hard on the side with her magic, Shining Armor winced in pain and collapsed onto the ground. "Let that serve as an example for all of you." Nightmare Moon said coldly "Anyone who dares to stand against me will be crushed! No exceptions! So stay out of my way, or else!" And with that she was gone. The Summer Sun Celebration was called off soon afterward. Couldn't have a celebration without the sun.

"Are you alright Shining Armor?" Fancy Pants asked as he helped Shining Armor to his hooves. "That was some blast you took."

"I'll be fine." Shining Armor said, his legs still threatening to give way at any moment. "Come on Spike. let's go!"

"Go where?" Spike asked.

"To do some research." Shining Armor explained. He proceeded to lift Spike onto his back and took off running, he didn't care how much attention he attracted to himself.

In fact he was so focused on his new goal that he failed to notice a certain pegasus stallion watching him from above. "Where does he think _he's_ going?!" Soarin asked.

* * *

"Huh...wha..Nightmare Moon is back! We gotta..." Spike said. He had fallen asleep on the way back to the Ponyville Golden Oaks library, and sure enough he fell back asleep a moment after waking with a start. Twilight carefully placed him into his basket and tucked him in.

"You need your rest Spike." she said gently "You _are_ a baby dragon after all." She then turned to Shining Armor "Thanks for bringing him back here. I was beginning to worry about him, and you as well." she said.

"Well I'm still in one piece aren't I?" Shining Armor said.

"Yes. But just barely, Nightmare Moon wasn't fooling around." Twilight said and promptly healed Shining Armor with her magic. "What are you going to do now?"

"What I should've done hours ago!" Shining Armor said "I'm going to do some research on Nightmare Moon. It's the only way she can be stopped." Just then there was a knock at the door.

"You go get it." Twilight said "I know this library better than you do and can probably find the information you're looking for."

Shining Armor couldn't argue with that. He quickly but carefully made his way downstairs and opened the door. "Yes?" he asked. Everything happend at once, a cyan blur appeared in Shining Armor's vision and tackled him, the next thing he knew he was laying on the floor with a very angry Soarin looking down at him.

"Okay pal!" Soarin hissed "You and I are going to have a little talk!"

"What do you mean?" Shining Armor asked.

"Hey, I'll ask the questions around here if you don't mind!" Soarin snapped "Now talk! Tell me how you know so much about Nightmare Moon, and how you're the only one who could actually hurt her!"

"I can't tell you that!" Shining Armor said "It's top secret!"

"Oh yeah?! Well I ain't buying it!" Soarin said angrily "You're going to tell me everything you know about Nightmare Moon and you're going to tell me now!"

"I already told you I can't tell you anything!" Shining Armor said "I'm sorry, trust me when I say I wouldn't hide this from you if I had any other choice."

"I'll bet I know why you're so afraid to tell the truth!" Soarin said "The truth is, you're a spy!"

"What?!" Shining Armor asked.

"You heard me! You've been in league with Nightmare Moon the whole time!" Soarin said "You were working behind the scenes to bring her back so she could overthrow Celestia and rule all of Equestria!"

"You're crazy! Why would I do that?!" Shining Armor asked.

"You're the criminal mastermind here, not me!" Soarin said.

"I'm not a criminal! I'm a respectable law abiding citizen of Equestria, I swear!" Shining Armor said.

"Yeah right!" Soarin said. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't get violent with you!" Suddenly Soarin felt someone tugging on his tail. He turned to look and saw that the culprit was Big Macintosh.

"Soarin stop!" Big Macintosh said, holding Soarin in place by the tail "You're assaulting an innocent pony without proof!"

"Let me go Big Macintosh! I can handle this guy" Soarin said "I don't need your help!"

"Soarin this guy is telling the truth! Why can't you see that?!" Big Macintosh asked.

"Because he isn't! He's hiding something from me and I'm going to find out what it is!" Soarin said "And I can do this without you so please go away!"

"Eenope." Big Macintosh replied "I know Shining Armor's not who he seems to be but we can't just fly off the handle and accuse him without proof. That's not how things work."

"Spare me the lecture will ya?!" Soarin snapped.

"Eenope." Big Macintosh said "You're going to listen to what I have to say, and we can do that the easy way or the hard way. Your choice."

"Okay fine, if it will get you to shut up and leave me alone!" Soarin said.

"That's more like it." Big Macintosh said "How would you feel if you were in Shining Armor's horseshoes right now?"

"Gee I don't know!" Soarin said "Because unlike him I have nothing to hide!"

"Wrong answer!" Big Macintosh said, biting down harder on Soarin's tail. "You wouldn't like it if Shining Armor was doing the same thing to you right now, would ya?"

"Well when you put it that way no." Soarin said "And your point is?"

"If you wouldn't like it if he did it you then you have no right to do the same to him." Big Macintosh said "Even if he did it to you that wouldn't justify this case. Ma always use to say 'Two wrongs don't make a right'. You need to be the bigger pony in this situation. And that means you shouldn't be so quick to judge. You don't know what this guy has to say, or who he really is. And the only way you'll find out is if you let go of your anger and give him a chance to speak."

"If it'll make you happy then fine." Soarin said.

"Good." Big Macintosh said and he let go of Soarin's tail. While Soarin was recovering Braeburn, Fancy Pants, and Thunderlane came in. They were all curious as to what Shining Armor was hiding as well.

"Guess I don't have a choice." Shining Armor said with a sigh. He could only hope that Gleaming Shield and Princess Celestia would forgive him for what he was about to do. "You all know that my name is Shining Armor. That much is true. But what you do not is why I am here." he explained "The truth is, I am a member of the royal guard. I was sent here at the request of Princess Celestia when I saw what I believed to be signs of Nightmare Moon's return. I was under strict orders not to reveal this to anyone during my time in this town. But the circumstances have forced me to defy those orders. I apologize for keeping this from you, and would've gladly filled you in earlier had I not been bound by that rule."

"Well, that's...something." Soarin said.

"I'm just glad you aren't a spy." Thunderlane said.

"But the question is what do we do now?" Fancy Pants asked.

"I don't know." Shining Armor confessed "I read something about the Elements of Harmony earlier, but I don't know what they are, or where to find them. I don't even know where to begin to search for them, and I have my sister searching as we speak."

" _Elements of Harmony: A reference guide_ " Braeburn read out loud, he then pulled out a book from a nearby shelf. Everyone was speechless.

"But how did you find it?" Shining Armor asked.

"Simple. It was under E." Braeburn said in a singsong voice.

"Oh, right." Shining Armor said.

"The Elements of Harmony." Twilight read outloud. Shining Armor had specifically requested that she do so. No one noticed from outside as Nightmare Moon listened in on their conversation. "According to legend these are the objects that allowed Princess Celestia to defeat and banish Nightmare Moon 1,000 years ago. It says here that there are only five known elements. They are: honesty, kindness, laughter, generosity, and loyalty. The sixth is completely unknown, but it said that when the five other elements are present a spark will reveal the sixth element."

"That doesn't sound so hard." Soarin said "We just gotta find those elements and bam! Nightmare Moon will be no more!"

"It's not that simple." Twilight said "For you see. According to the book, the elements were last known to dwell in The Castle of the Two Sisters, in what is now-"

* * *

"-The Everfree Forest!" the six stallions gasped as they looked at the forest entrance. This was where the book had told them they could find the Elements of Harmony. Needless to say, their journey didn't look like it was going to be easy.


	8. Chapter 8: Into The Everfree

"So let me see if I've got this straight." Fancy Pants said "The Elements of Harmony reside in some old crumbling castle somewhere within this forest. And those elements are the only thing that can stop Nightmare Moon?"

"Yes." Shining Armor replied "But I'm afraid this is as far as you guys will go. I appreciate all that you've done since my arrival, but I cannot ask you to put yourselves at risk for me. This is my mission, and I must undertake it alone."

"No can do buckaroo." Braeburn said.

"Braeburn's right." Big Macintosh said "The Everfree Forest is dangerous even in the daytime. Who knows what could possibly be waiting out there at night?"

"Which is why I must ask you all to let me go alone." Shining Armor said "If anything ever happened to you guys I'd never be able to forgive myself. I'm glad you care about me, but I'm not going to drag you into something that doesn't concern you. Nightmare Moon isn't upset with you guys and I don't intend on changing that."

"Like it or not we're all in this together bro!" Soarin said "Going into the Everfree Forest by yourself is crazy. You need backup."

"And we're just the sort of backup you need." Fancy Pants said.

"Don't try to change my mind guys." Shining Armor said "I'm going in alone."

"Not a chance." Thunderlane said "The Everfree Forest is a scary place, far too scary for you to wander through in the darkness of night. All on your own no less."

"There's really no way to convince you guys otherwise is there?" Shining Armor asked. The other stallions shook their heads. Shining Armor sighed "Fine, you can tag along with me. But if anything happens to you guys I won't be held responsible, for the record I was opposed to this from the start."

"We know." Big Macintosh said "Now let's go. From now on we're sticking to you like caramel on a candy apple."

"Especially if there's actually candy apples involved." Braeburn said. Shining Armor looked at him as if he were crazy. "What? I can't help it if they're so delicious." Braeburn said.

And with that the six stallions trotted into the Everfree Forest. Their goal, reach the Castle of the Two Sisters and find the so called "Elements of Harmony". It was a quest that seemed pretty straightforward. But as the old saying goes "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Shining Armor and the gang had not been trotting for very long when Shining Armor asked a question. "So have any of you ever actually BEEN in the Everfree Forest?" he asked.

"Of course not." Big Macintosh replied "Everypony who's anypony knows this place ain't natural. And it's crawling with creatures of all sorts, most of whom aren't very friendly."

"I've heard rumors that some ponies believe this forest is haunted." Thunderlane said nervously "But why?"

"Nopony knows." Soarin said in a spooky voice, making use of the shadows to try and scare his teammates.

Big Macintosh wasn't amused. "Would you quit it Soarin? This isn't a game!" he said.

"Relax, you worry too much." Soarin said "As I was saying, nopony knows. And that's because nopony has ever gone into this forest, and lived to tell the tale." To his amusement Braeburn, Thunderlane, and Fancy Pants seemed to be rather spooked. "Come on guys." Soarin said "I was only teasing ya. I don't believe in those silly ghost stories anyways."

At that moment however the ground began to shake. No one knew it but this was the work of Nightmare Moon. She was determined that the ponies never reach the Castle of the Two Sisters. She could not afford to let anyone get the chance to foil her plans.

"Um guys, do you hear that?" Shining Armor asked.

"I _feel_ that." Big Macintosh replied glumly.

"What's going on?!" Fancy Pants asked. All of a sudden, the ground gave way! Soarin and Thunderlane were able to fly up but everyone else was dragged down with the falling cliffside.

"Oh man!" Soarin said "Come on Thunderlane, they're counting on us! Hold on guys! Help is on the way!"

"Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!" Thunderlane said nervously as he and Soarin flew down to rescue their friends. Soarin managed to grab Braeburn and pull him to safety, Thunderlane managed to do the same with Fancy Pants, and Big Macintosh managed to grab hold of a branch with his mouth. But Shining Armor slid all the way down, coming to a rest at the edge of another cliff.

"Help me! Please!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. He knew he couldn't survive a fall from this great a height.

"Shining Armor! Hang tight buddy, I'm coming!" Big Macintosh shouted, he let go of the branch and slid down. He grabbed Shining Armor hooves with his own hooves and held on as best he could. Shining Armor was still in a state of panic. "You need to stop shaking!" Big Macintosh shouted "I can't hold you if you keep shaking like this!"

"Pull me up already!" Shining Armor pleaded.

"I can't! You're too heavy!" Big Macintosh said. He then felt Shining Armor's hooves starting to slip, he knew he couldn't hold on much longer.

"Don't let go!" Shining Armor said "I don't wanna die!"

Big Macintosh said nothing, he was trying to think of some way to save Shining Armor before it was too late. Then suddenly he looked up to the sky above, and said "Let go of my hooves."

"Are you out of your mind?!" Shining Armor shouted "I'll kill myself!"

"Look I know this sounds crazy-" Big Macintosh explained.

"Crazy doesn't even begin to describe this!" Shining Armor said.

"But you've got to trust me." Big Macintosh said "Let go and I promise you'll be safe. Somepony will be there to catch you."

"That's not true!" Shining Armor said "There's got to be another way."

"There's no time." Big Macintosh said, already feeling his grip weakening "You have to trust me. It's your only chance. Would I lie to you now?"

Shining Armor wasn't sure what to say. Eventually he decided to, against his better judgement trust Big Macintosh and let go. He screamed at the top of his lungs as he plunged to what he was certain was his doom, and shut his eyes.

"Open your eyes Shining Armor!" Big Macintosh shouted. Shining Armor did so, what he saw surprised him. He was being held firmly in the grip of Soarin and Thunderlane. Big Macintosh had been right after all. "See! What did I tell ya?" Big Macintosh said as Soarin and Thunderlane slowly lowered Shining Armor to the ground.

"Thank you." Shining Armor said "But maybe next time we could skip the whole trust exercise thing and just cut straight to the part where I'm safe."

"Sorry about that, but I had to do what I had to do." Big Macintosh said as he and the others made their way down the cliffside.

" _Hmph. That wasn't enough to stop them!_ " Nightmare Moon thought to herself, having observed the whole thing in her mist like form " _Well there's no way they'll make it past this next obstacle. The elements will be mine!_ " she then raced off. No one saw her do so.

"So after me and Thunderlane managed to get Fancy Pants and Braeburn to safety we looped back around and caught you." Soarin explained to Shining Armor "That Big Macintosh sure knows how to plan em."

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh said.

"Hey, don't be so humble." Shining Armor said "If it weren't for you I'd be a pony pancake right about now."

"Mmm, pancakes." Braeburn said.

"Oh Braeburn, always thinking about food." Fancy Pants said.

"That ain't true." Braeburn said. As soon as he finished speaking those words there came a loud roar. It was unlike anything the ponies had ever heard.

"Was that your stomach?" Thunderlane asked.

"No." Braeburn said. The roar was heard again.

"What could be making that noise?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Um. I think I have may an idea." Shining Armor said nervously "And it doesn't look too happy."

"What do you mean?" Braeburn asked.

"Look! Up ahead!" Soarin shouted. There standing in front of the path was a vicious wild animal. It had a lion mane, bear paws, and a scorpion tail.

"A manticore!" the stallions shrieked. Manticores were some of the most violent and dangerous creatures known to inhabit the Everfree Forest. It was said that they could crush a pony with one foul swipe of their claws, they were even known to cause quite a bit of damage on the rare occasions where they left the Everfree Forest and attacked cities or towns. This manticore was as vicious as any other, and poised itself for an attack.

"Leave this to me boys!" Soarin said "It's time someone taught this guy a thing or two! And I'm just the stallion to do it!" He promptly raced forward without a moment's hesitation.

"Don't do it Soarin! You can't win!" Big Macintosh shouted. The warning fell on deaf ears. Soarin quickly encircled the manticore, striking hard and fast. He even managed to grab its tail and give it a good tug. This only served to make the manticore even more angry, he tried to swat at Soarin with one of his front paws. Soarin barely dodged it, but the near miss broke his concentration. He flew away from the manticore and crash landed right in front of the other stallions.

"Now what are we gonna do?!" Fancy Pants asked.

"There's only one thing we can do!" Shining Armor said "We'll have to attack it!"

"And you really think that will work?" Big Macintosh asked.

"Well if you've got a better idea I'm all ears." Shining Armor said. Big Macintosh said nothing. "Alright men, get information! And be careful! One false step could spell disaster!" Everyone struck a fighting pose, everyone that is except for Thunderlane. He had spotted something, and was trying to no avail to bring this to the attention of the others.

"Ready when you are!" Soarin said.

"Wait for my signal!" Shining Armor said. "On three. One! Two! Three! Charge!" He, Big Macintosh, Soarin, Braeburn, and Fancy Pants all charged forward at once. Their intent was to overwhelm the manticore through strength in numbers.

Before they could attack however Thunderlane jumped in front of them. "WAIT!" he shouted.

"Thunderlane? _What_ are you doing?" Fancy Pants asked.

"I have a hunch that there's something different about this manticore." Thunderlane said. To prove his point he slowly trotted towards the manticore, who roared viciously as Thunderlane approached. Thunderlane took no notice. "It's okay Mr. Manticore. I'm not gonna hurt ya." Thunderlane said, using the kind of voice one would expect from a parent who was scolding their child. The manticore whimpered a little as Thunderlane stopped in front of its back left paw. "Let me see." Thunderlane said softly.

To everyone's surprise the manticore obeyed. As it turned out it had somehow gotten a dark purple thorn stuck in its back left paw. Clearly it had been in pain. "Oh you poor thing." Thunderlane said "Don't worry. I know how to make it all better. Now this might hurt for a moment, but I promise I'll make it as quick as possible." He bit down on the thorn, and to the surprise of everyone yanked it right out. The manticore roared the loudest it had ever roared, and scooped Thunderlane into its front paws. Everyone gasped!

But the manticore merely began to lick Thunderlane's mane. Thunderlane seemed to enjoy it. "Stop it, that tickles." he said. The manticore seemed to become a lot nicer as it obeyed Thunderlane again and put him down. It then went away.

"How did you know about the thorn in its paw?" Shining Armor asked.

"I noticed it wasn't really using its back paws much. It seemed to be guarding the back left one in particular." Thunderlane explained. "I wasn't sure what the exact cause was, but I knew it was hurt."

"That's impressive. But how could you be so calm?" Shining Armor asked "What if you'd be wrong?"

"Well sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness." Thunderlane said "And when you've been around a mare like Fluttershy for long enough she tends to rub off on you."

" _Curses! That rotten pegasus saw through my disguise! They're still going_ " Nightmare Moon thought to herself as she transformed from the dark purple thorne into the dark blue mist.

"I could do with a change of scenery right now." Fancy Pants said "I'm sure it hasn't been that long but I'm getting tired."

As the journey continued the stallions ventured into a part of the woods that was so thick with trees no moonlight could shine through it. It was completely pitch black.

"When I said I wanted a change of scenery I didn't mean this." Fancy Pants complained.

"It's so dark in here, I can't see a thing!" Soarin said "Hey, Shining Armor! How's about you or Fancy Pants try to light this place up a little?"

"I would if I could." Shining Armor said "But the darkness is too thick. An illumination spell won't work."

"Just great." Soarin said sarcastically "Now what are we supposed to do?"

"Try to stay together." Big Macintosh said "If anyone gets lost in here we'll probably spend hours searching for them."

" _Now's my chance!_ " Nightmare Moon thought to herself, creeping past the ponies without them noticing her " _I know just what to do to stop them right in their tracks. They don't call me Nightmare Moon for nothing!_ " She slowly began to work her shadowy magic on some of the nearby trees.

"I don't think we have long to go now." Shining Armor said "I can hear running water in the distance. There must be a river of some kind not too far from here."

"Good. Because this place is giving me the creeps." Thunderlane said nervously.

"Wait a second, guys! I think I just stepped in something." Big Macintosh said.

Meanwhile Thunderlane bumped into a tree, and when he took one look at its face he instantly started screaming.

"Calm down Thunderlane." Big Macintosh said "It's only mud. Or at least I'm pretty sure it's mud." Then suddenly he too bumped into a tree, and like with Thunderlane when he saw its face he screamed as well. The same thing happened to Shining Armor, Soarin, and Fancy Pants.

"We're surrounded!" Soarin said.

"I can see that!" Shining Armor said.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Thunderlane asked.

"I don't know." Shining Armor said "But I'm scared." And he started to scream again, as did Big Macintosh, Thunderlane, Soarin, and Fancy Pants.


	9. Chapter 9: Castle of the Two Sisters

The screaming continued, after all there was really not much else they could do. But then suddenly a new sound became noticeable. It was the sound of laughter, and it was coming from Braeburn. Unlike everypony else he seemed unphased by the spooky trees, and was laughing right at their faces as if they were nothing.

"You're laughing?" Shining Armor asked "I don't see what's so funny."

"Oh guys, don't you see?" Braeburn said "Allow me to explain."

"Okay...where is that music coming from?" Shining Armor asked.

"You mean you hear it too?" Big Macintosh asked.

"I think we all do." Thunderlane said.

" _When I was a little colt and, the sun was going down._ " Braeburn sang.

"Wait, please tell me he's not going to" Shining Armor said.

" _The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown._ " Braeburn continued.

"He is." Fancy Pants said.

"Oh no. We don't have time for this." Shining Armor said.

" _I'd hide under my pillow, from what I thought I saw._ " Braeburn continued.

"Braeburn look, I'll pay any amount of money right now if you don't sing!" Shining Armor said.

Braeburn ignored him " _But Pa burn said that wasn't the way, to deal with fears at all!_ "

"I know I'm going to regret asking this but, then what is?" Soarin asked.

" _He said 'Braeburn, you gotta stand up tall._

 _Learn to face you fears._

 _You'll see that they can't hurt ya._

 _Just laugh to make them disappear!'"_ Braeburn sang "Like this. Ha, ha, ha." The scary face on the tree he'd just laughed at disappeared. Everyone was amazed.

"It actually worked?" Shining Armor asked.

"I guess it did." Fancy Pants said "I suppose we should give it a try."

"Guess we've got nothing to lose." Soarin said. And so they followed Braeburn's advice, with him leading them all in song.

" _So! Giggle at the ghostly!_

 _Guffaw at the grossly!_

 _Crack up at the creepy!_

 _Woof up it with the weepy!_

 _Snortle at the spooky!_

 _Chortle at the goofy!_

 _And tell that big darn scary thing to take a hike and leave you alone! And if he thinks he can scare he's got another coming, and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna_ " Braeburn paused, letting out a fews laughs, then he continued " _Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh!_ " By the time the song was done the scary faces on the trees had disappeared. Everyone was laying on the grass, laughing like no tomorrow. In fact they were laughing so hard they didn't notice as Nightmare Moon wisped past them.

" _This is getting annoying!_ " she thought to herself " _That stupid earth pony saw through my illusions! I've got to find a way to stop them before they reach the castle! I can't let them get their hooves on the Elements of Harmony!_ "

"Hey! I think I see the clearing!" Braeburn shouted "Follow me!" And he and the other stallions made their way out of the area of trees. Now the moonlight once again brightened their path. But before long they came to a halt yet again. Before them stood a raging river. "Now how are we gonna get past this?" Braeburn asked.

"Oh woe is me!" a sorrowful voice cried out "Why did this have to happen a guy like me?" The ponies looked downstream a little, where they saw a sea serpent with orange hair and purple scales. he was thrashing his tail about, whipping up the choppy waves that made the river impossible to cross.

"What's the matter?" Shining Armor asked.

"Oh it's just horrible!" the sea serpent replied "I was just swimming around here. Minding my own business. When all of a sudden this puff of smoke came by, and shaved half of my mustache clean off. I look so hideous without it!"

"Could you please calm down?" Shining Armor asked "Your tail is stirring up the waves and my friends and need to get across this river."

"How can I be calm when my natural beauty has been tarnished?!" the sea serpent asked. He promptly thrashed his tail some more, splashing water onto the ponies.

"Seriously?" Soarin asked "It's just a mustache. It will grow back."

"Yes, but that will take days." the sea serpent said "I can't wait that long!"

"I say we just leave this guy and find another way around." Big Macintosh said "We can't waste any more time."

"How can you two be so insensitive?" Fancy Pants asked "I for one recognize the importance of this sort of situation."

"Finally, someone who understands my case." the sea serpent said.

"I know." Fancy Pants said "Just look at you. Those fine purple scales, that gorgeous orange hair, those wonderful eyes. You're almost fabulous. And yet without your mustache you just aren't you."

"Indeed." the sea serpent said "Can you fix it?"

"In a way yes." Fancy Pants said "I am no miracle worker, but I think there's a way I can help you. But I'll need to borrow one of your scales for a moment."

"What?" the sea serpent asked.

"I know what I'm doing." Fancy Pants said, and he promptly pulled one of the sea serpent's purple scales off.

"Ouch! Hey, what are you doing with that?!" the sea serpent asked.

"I cannot let a crime against fashion go uncorrected! No matter what the cost might be!" Fancy Pants said, holding the scale in his mouth. There was a sickening slash. The sea serpent let out a gasp, as did everyone else. Fancy Pants had sliced off part of his tail as well as part of his suit, and was now twisting it into a curl, using the torn suit pieces as a bow. Once that was done he used his magic to carefully attach the facial hair to the sea serpent's face to replace the part that had been shaved off.

"Oh thank you!" the sea serpent said.

"I assure you it was nothing." Fancy Pants said.

"I don't believe it." Shining Armor said "You just cut off your own tail and gave it to a complete stranger."

"Well how else was I supposed to help him?" Fancy Pants asked "Besides my tail will grow back eventually, and short tails are in this season."

"At least now we can finally cross." Braeburn said.

"My thoughts exactly." Shining Armor said "Come on, let's move it!" He began to make his way across the now calm river waters. But suddenly he felt himself being lifted, courtesy of the sea serpent. "What the" Shining Armor asked.

"Allow me to be of assistance." the sea serpent said "You guys can hop across me to get to the other side."

"Are you sure about that?" Shining Armor asked.

"I can take it." the sea serpent said "These scales are quite thick, a few ponies won't even scratch em."

"Well thanks for the lift." Shining Armor said.

"Anytime." the sea serpent said.

" _I was so sure they'd never get across._ " Nightmare Moon thought to herself. She had not planned on slicing off the sea serpent's mustache, but when she unintentionally did she realized that it provided another obstacle for Shining Armor and the gang. But now they had overcome it, and were closing in on their destination. Nightmare Moon was getting desperate.

"This is it!" Shining Armor said, racing forward the instant his hooves reached dry land "The Castle of the Two Sisters is just up aheeeeeeeea-whoa!" He had skidded to a stop just before he would've plunged off of another cliff. The rope bridge that led to the castle had fallen, but Shining Armor hadn't noticed it due to the fog surrounding the area. Soarin quickly pulled him back to safety.

"What is with you and cliffs?" Soarin asked.

"Well this is just great!" Big Macintosh said sarcastically "Now what are we supposed to do?"

"Somehow we need to find a way to repair that bridge. It's the only way across." Shining Armor said.

"But how do we do that?" Braeburn asked.

"I know!" Soarin said "I'll fly down, grab the end of the bridge, fly back up, and tie it down. Then the rest of you can join me on the other side."

"Sounds like a plan." Thunderlane said "But be careful."

Soarin didn't reply. He instead unfolded his wings, took to the skies, and then plunged down to grab the rope bridge. Using all of his strength he flew back up, still holding tightly to the untied end. He landed on the other side of the bridge and placed the untied end down. He was just about to tie it up when an eerie voice called out to him.

"Soarin" the voice said "We've been waiting for you."

"Who's there?" Soarin asked.

"It's us." the voice replied. A moment later three pegasus ponies wearing navy blue outfits appeared. All of them were wearing goggles which obscured their faces. But Soarin recognized them by their coat colors. They were Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Misty Fly of The Wonderbolts.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

"We've been searching for you for hours Soarin." Spitfire said "We were worried sick about you."

"Well I'm here now, so you can stop worrying." Soarin said.

"There's something we'd like to discuss with you." Fleetfoot said.

"What is it?" Soarin asked.

"We've been thinking, and we have decided that you deserve a promotion." Misty Fly said.

"Yes. As of today Soarin, you will take my place as Captain of The Wonderbolts." Spitfire said.

"Do you mean it?!" Soarin asked.

"I do." Spitfire said.

"Okay then." Soarin said "Just give me a moment to tie up this rope bridge for my friends and"

"No Soarin!" Spitfire replied harshly "There's no time! It's either you or them!"

"What?!" Soarin asked.

"There's no time to wait!" Fleetfoot said "We're Equestria's last hope!"

"We can't defeat Nightmare Moon without you!" Misty Fly said.

"What's going on over there?" Fancy Pants asked "And what's taking Soarin so long?"

Shining Armor tried to the best of his ability to look through the fog. What he saw caused him to gasp, Soarin was talking with the Wonderbolts. But something seemed off about them. "Soarin!" he cried out. Spitfire took notice and if Soarin had been watching he would've seen her eyes glow. Suddenly the fog grew thicker, making it impossible for Soarin to see across the gorge. "Don't listen to them Soarin!" Shining Armor shouted "They're not who they claim they are!"

"What does that fool know?!" Spitfire asked "Well Soarin?! What's it gonna be?!"

Soarin was silent for a few minutes, he was thinking back on all the memories he had of Spitfire. She had never once acted this cold to him, even on duty. The more he thought about the more he became sure of one thing, whoever this mare was that was talking to him she was NOT Spitfire. Finally he spoke up. "You." he said.

"Excellent choice." Spitfire said.

"You didn't let me finish." Soarin said "Thank you for the offer. But I'm gonna have to say no. My friends need me and I'm not gonna turn my back on them."

"Soarin! Think about what you're doing!" Spitfire said "I know how much you've wanted my job! I'm giving you what you want! Is that not good enough for you?!"

"That's enough! My decision is made!" Soarin said "And whoever you are, you're not Spitfire! And you guys are not my teammates!" A moment later The Wonderbolts disappeared. Soarin quickly tied up the rope bridge and flew back across to join the others.

"Alright Soarin!" Thunderlane cheered.

"But why would you do that?" Shining Armor asked as he and the others crossed the rope bridge "You could've had everything you ever wanted, and yet you turned it down."

"I could never abandon my friends." Soarin said "Not now or ever! It's The Wonderbolts creed."

" _This can't be happening!_ " Nightmare Moon thought to herself " _All of my plans have failed! They've reached the castle!_ "

"Here we are!" Shining Armor said "The Castle of the Two Sisters! We just need to find the Elements of Harmony and we'll be able to stop Nightmare Moon."

"Well if I'm not mistaken I think we've found what we're looking for." Fancy Pants said, pointing towards a series of stones on a pedestal. Compared to the rest of the place they had aged fairly well, but time had still taken its toll on them.

"That's it!" Shining Armor said "Soarin! Thunderlane! Can you get the stones down for me?" Soarin and Thunderlane did so with some effort. Shining Armor began reciting the legend "When all five are present a spark will reveal the sixth element."

"And just what in the hay is that suppose to mean exactly?" Big Macintosh asked.

"I have an idea but it's kind of risky." Shining Armor said "Everyone stand back! I don't know what will happen!"

"Come on ya'll let's leave Shining Armor alone so he can concentrate." Big Macintosh said "Just call if you need any help."

"Will do." Shining Armor said as Big Macintosh led everyone outside. Shining Armor quickly began to light up his horn and cast his magic on the five stones in front of him.

He couldn't have known that Nightmare Moon was watching from a distance. " _Now I've got you! You'll never get the Elements of Harmony working if I have anything to say about it!_ " Nightmare Moon thought to herself.

Shining Armor continued to cast his magic onto the stones. Suddenly he began to notice a dark blue mist forming underneath them. Within seconds it had captured the stones within its vortex. That could only mean one thing, Nightmare Moon was trying to seize the Elements of Harmony. "No you don't, Nightmare Moon!" Shining Armor shouted. From outside the rest of the ponies heard the shouting as well and raced inside as fast as they could. But they were too late, they were just in time to see Shining Armor jump into the vortex and disappear!


	10. Chapter 10: The Elements of Harmony

"Shining Armor. Just what do you think you're doing taking on Nightmare Moon on your own?" Big Macintosh said. He had never expected someone like Shining Armor to be so quick to leap into the fray. He'd have expected that from Soarin. But there was nothing that could be done to change what had just occurred. "Do you actually think you stand a chance against her? You won't last five minutes!"

"Cousin Big Mac, would ya'll quit talking to yourself?" Braeburn asked.

"Well what else can I do?" Big Macintosh asked "Shining Armor's all alone, facing off against Nightmare Moon. He's gonna get himself killed!"

"Never thought I'd meet a pony who could be more reckless than Rainbow Dash." Soarin said.

"Come on guys, we have to have faith in Shining Armor. We have to believe that he'll find a way to win." Fancy Pants said.

"Fancy Pants is right." Thunderlane said "We just need to believe in Shining Armor, like he believed in us when we helped him out."

"So instead of standing around and arguing let's do something productive and find out where he is." Braeburn said.

"Hey guys, look over there!" Soarin said "There's some kind of light show going on." He pointed towards a far off area of the castle where lights were flashing. Clearly this was a sign of something.

"We've got no time to waste!" Big Macintosh said, taking charge "Let's find a way over there and go help Shining Armor!"

* * *

Shining Armor coughed as a cloud of smoke announced his arrival. It didn't take him long to realize he'd been subjected to a teleportation spell. And he knew who had cast it.

Sure enough, there stood Nightmare Moon. The Elements of Harmony right behind her. "Welcome young Shining Armor." Nightmare Moon said "At last we meet on the battlefield. A pity no one will be around to witness your last moment of glory."

Shining Armor gasped as lightning flashed in front of his eyes. Nightmare Moon was showing off her power. He knew he couldn't defeat her in a head on fight, he would need to find some way to outsmart her. Then suddenly, he knew what to do. He began to charge up his horn.

"You're kidding. You're kidding right?" Nightmare Moon asked "Surely you don't believe you can defeat me. If you do then you're either really brave, or really stupid."

Shining Armor didn't reply and merely charged forward with his horn glowing brightly.

"Well, if that's how you want to play then so be it." Nightmare Moon said, charging forward as well "Prepare to meet your doom mortal!" Shining Armor and Nightmare Moon charged at each other, from the looks of things they seemed ready to crash into one another. But then suddenly, poof! Shining Armor disappeared in a puff of smoke. Nightmare Moon was shocked. "What?" she asked, then she realized what had just happened "Oh you clever little colt."

Shining Armor winced as he teleported to the Elements of Harmony. The teleportation spell had taken a lot out of him. But he couldn't worry about that right now. "Just one spark. Come on. Come on!" he said and began to power up the stones holding the Elements of Harmony. His intent was to unlock their power and wield it to defeat Nightmare Moon.

But Nightmare Moon wasn't done yet, not by a long shot. "Not so fast!" she said angrily "Two can play at that game!" She quickly teleported in front of Shining Armor. Shining Armor was too busy trying to power up the Elements of Harmony. Nightmare Moon was quick to seize on her advantage. A quick bolt of magical lightning was all it took to send Shining Armor flying back. He tried to get up, but he found the task to be rather difficult. He was already starting to grow fatigued.

The five stones around Nightmare Moon began to glow brightly. "What?! No! No! It can't be!" she said, if the Elements of Harmony were activated she was doomed! But the glow faded a moment later.

Shining Armor was confused. "But I thought the spark was suppose to-" he said.

"You fool!" Nightmare Moon shouted as she brought her front hooves down hard on the ground. The stones and the elements they contained shattered! Shining Armor could only watch in horror as the scene unfolded right in front of him, his mouth hung open in shock. The Elements of Harmony had been destroyed, and with them had gone the only thing capable of stopping Nightmare Moon! "You little foal! Thinking you could defeat ME, the mighty Nightmare Moon! Now Equestria shall never see its beloved Princess Celestia, or her sun. The night, will last, forever! And I will reign supreme! A pity you won't be around to see it." Nightmare Moon boasted.

"What are you talking about?" Shining Armor asked.

"It's simple really." Nightmare Moon explained "You have proven to be far too dangerous to be allowed to live. I can't have you running about, thwarting my plans! So I'm afraid you've left me with no other choice, I shall destroy you and anyone else foolish enough to get in my way!" She promptly laughed "It's all over for you."

Shining Armor hung his head in defeat. " _I'm finished. I'm sorry Princess Celestia, I couldn't protect you, and I couldn't defeat Nightmare Moon. Some royal guard I turned out to be. And I'm sorry to you too Twilight, I promised I'd come back. Looks like it was a promise I couldn't keep. Take good care of mom and dad for me, I know they'll miss me._ " he thought to himself.

But just as he resigned himself to his fate, and waited for the end to come he heard five familiar voices. "Hang on Shining Armor, help is on the way! You can do it Shining Armor! We're here for you Shining Armor, you don't have to be afraid! We've got your back buddy! No stallion's getting left behind on our watch!" they called out.

Shining Armor gasped as he realized who the voices belonged to. Then suddenly, it hit him. He knew know why the Elements of Harmony had not worked. He plucked up courage. "Let me ask you something, Nightmare Moon." he said boldly "Do you think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony so easily? If so then you're even more pathetic then I thought. You pride yourself on knowing everything about what defeated you the last time. It's a pity that you can be so smart, and yet so stupid! You haven't destroyed the Elements of Harmony. The spirits of those elements, are right here!" As he finished speaking that sentence Big Macintosh, Soarin, Fancy Pants, Thunderlane, and Braeburn all appeared next to him. The stone fragments of the Elements of Harmony began to glow and flew into the air.

Nightmare Moon was speechless. "What?" she asked "What's going on?!"

"Allow me to explain." Shining Armor said "Big Macintosh, who reassured me when I was doubt, and trusted me when no one else would. He represents the Element of, Honesty!" All of the pieces of one of the elements flew over to Big Macintosh and encircled him.

"If you think I'm going to let you continue then you're wrong!" Nightmare Moon said, her eyes glowing brightly "It's time to silence you once and for all!" She fired off the most powerful blast of magic she could muster. But it bounced off of a protective barrier.

"I thought you might try something like that. You know it's really rude to interrupt somepony when they're not done with their speech." Shining Armor boasted "Oh, and don't even think about trying to break through that barrier. This is my trademark shield spell, I've spent years perfecting it. Anyway as I was saying. Thunderlane, who saw what no one else could see, and showed true compassion to a raging manticore. He represents the Element of, Kindness!" Like with Big Macintosh pieces of an element flew over to Thunderlane and encircled him.

"Braeburn, who banished fear by chuckling in the face of certain danger, and kept us all happy with his antics and positive attitude. He represents the Element of, Laughter!" Shining Armor said. Pieces of an element flew over to Braeburn and encircled him as well.

"Fancy Pants, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a very meaningful gift, and tarnished his own beauty to do so. He represents the Element of, Generosity!" Shining Armor said. Pieces of an element flew over to Fancy Pants and before long they had encircled him too.

"And finally Soarin, who refused to abandon his new friends, even for his own personal gain. He represents the Element of, Loyalty!" Shining Armor said. The pieces of the last remaining element flew over to Soarin and encircled him.

"It was the spirit of these five ponies that got us through every obstacle you set up for us!" Shining Armor said "And it explains why they failed."

Nightmare Moon could not believe what she was seeing. But then she remembered something. "But you still don't have the sixth element." she said with a smirk "The spark didn't work."

"Oh it did. But it was a different kind of spark." Shining Armor said, he turned to the other ponies "The spark ignited inside of me when I realized how happy I was to hear you and see you. How much I truly cared about all of you. The spark ignited inside me, when I realized that you all, ARE MY FRIENDS!" The instant he spoke those words there was a blinding flash of light. In an instant a sixth stone appeared and descended until it was hovering just about Shining Armor's head. Shining Armor quickly realized what was happening. "You see Nightmare Moon. When those five elements are ignited by the, 'The Spark' that resides in the heart of us all. It creates the sixth and final element. And that is, the Element of, Magic!"

Nightmare Moon gasped in horror at the scene that unfolded before her very eyes! One by one the six stallions were infused with the power of their respective elements, and given golden necklaces that hung around their necks. Then a golden tiara appeared on Shining Armor's forehead as he and the others became surrounded by colored auras. And then a bright rainbow colored beam of light shot out from above them. It wrapped itself around Nightmare Moon, preventing her from escaping. "NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! THIS CANNOT BE! YOU...CAN'T...STOP...ME!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, she knew she was finished. The beam of light engulfed her, trapping her in a rainbow colored vortex! Shining Armor's eyes glew bright white as a blinding flash occurred.

And then, silence.


	11. Chapter 11: Princess Luna

As the flash faded, Shining Armor and his friends slowly rose to their hooves. Nightmare Moon was no more. "We did it, we won." Shining Armor said. He would normally be much more excited, but so much had happened in the blink of an eye, and he was exhausted. So were his friends, but they soon found new energy in their excitement.

"Wooh! That was sweet!" Soarin cheered "Feels almost like one of Spitfire's exercises."

"Why Fancy Pants, I don't believe it!" Thunderlane cried.

"I know." Fancy Pants said "I know they say tails don't just magically grow back, but I think that rainbow beam decided this was an exception. Good thing too, I don't know how I'd explain to my darling Fluer that I cut off my tail."

"Actually I was referring to your necklace. It's really fitting for you element." Thunderlane said "You have a gem."

Fancy Pants gasped as he observed said necklace! A small purple gem hung in the center of it. "You're right!" he said "And look at yours! You've got a butterfly." Fancy Pants was right, Thunderlane had a pink butterfly in the center of his necklace.

"A lightning bolt huh? Matches my suit," Soarin said as he observed his necklace. It had a red lightning bolt in the center.

"Hey look at mine!" Braeburn cheered "Now I truly AM the life of the party!". His necklace had a blue balloon hanging in the center of it.

Big Macintosh quickly noticed that his necklace had an orange apple in the center. Shining Armor's was a little different however, instead of a necklace there was a twinkling tiara with a violet star resting on the top. "Heh, I'll admit when I first met you Shining Armor you seemed like a nice guy." Big Macintosh said "But when you ran off to face Nightmare Moon on your own I thought you were crazy. Perhaps you still are in a way, but I suppose you're crazy in a good way. And I reckon that you're right. We really _do_ represent those elements."

"Indeed you do, my faithful subjects." a calm and majestic voice called out.

"Who said that?" Braeburn asked.

"Do not be afraid. I mean you no harm." the voice said, then suddenly in the distance there appeared a shining white ball of light. It drew closer and closer, finally bursting through the window and revealing itself in a flash of light. There stood a white alicorn with a flowing pink, green, and blue mane and tail, as well as purple eyes. Atop her head rested a golden crown with small purple gems carved into it.

Shining Armor recognized the figure at once. "Princess Celestia! I'm so happy to see you!" he said happily, racing forward and embracing the alicorn in a hug.

"It's good to see you as well Shining Armor." Princess Celestia said.

"You don't know how glad I am to see you Princess." Shining Armor said "I thought something awful had happened to you."

"As you can see that is not the case." Princess Celestia said "Nightmare Moon couldn't have hurt me if she tried. I am much stronger now than I was 1,000 years ago."

"So the legends were true." Shining Armor said "But I don't understand. You said you had everything under control. You said there was nothing to worry about."

"Indeed I did." Princess Celestia said "But I never said I didn't believe you. I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return the same as you did. And I knew that I would not be able to stop her this time. But I also knew that you could not defeat her unless you allowed true friendship into your heart. For friendship is what gives the Elements of Harmony their power."

"You mean, this was all set up from the beginning?" Shining Armor asked.

"Not exactly." Princess Celestia explained "I knew Nightmare Moon would return, and I knew that you would discover true friendship when I sent you to Ponyville. I did not know how you would discover said friendship, or how Nightmare Moon would attempt to stop you."

"I guess that makes sense." Shining Armor said "But don't ever do something like that again. You had me worried."

"I shall try my best not to make you worry so much about nothing in the future." Princess Celestia said "And I am grateful to you and your friends for what you have done. But for now there is someone who is in need of my help, and if I'm not mistaken she is still in this very room."

* * *

Over in the corner were pieces of what appeared to be Nightmare Moon's armor, nestled among their decaying vapor lay a small light blue alicorn, with an even lighter blue mane and tail, and blue eyes. The alicorn gasped as Princess Celestia approached her. "Princess Luna." she said somberly "It has been over 1,000 years since I have seen you like this little sister. The evil that corrupted you is gone, but I can see that your banishment and defeat have left you in this weakened state. Know that you are not alone, I am here for you and always will be." Everyone was speechless. "But," Princess Celestia continued "the time has come for us to finally put aside our differences. These 1,000 years have brought me much sorrow, and I have come to learn that I am nothing without you. We were meant to rule Equestria together, Lulu. So what do you say? I have already forgiven you, but can you ever forgive me for being so blind?"

There was a very dramatic silence. No one dared to move or say a word. At last Princess Luna stood up and with tears in her eyes said "Of course I forgive you, Tia. And I'm sorry. I missed you so much, big sister!"

"I've missed you too." Princess Celestia, shedding tears as she hugged her little sister. "A lot has changed, but together we can usher in a new era." Then she turned to Shining Armor and his friends. "I'm thankful to all of you. Without your help this reunion would not be possible."

"It was nothing, your majesty." Thunderlane said.

"Yes, We just happened to be in the right place at the right time." Big Macintosh said.

"If you're going to thank anyone you should thank Shining Armor." Soarin chimed in.

"Indeed, without him none of this would've happened." Fancy Pants said.

"Aw shucks, I'm sure anyone in my situation would've done the same." Shining Armor said with a shrug.

Braeburn said nothing. He simply started to shed tears.

"What's got you acting all mushy?" Soarin asked.

"It's just so happy." Braeburn said "These tears are tears of joy." He promptly wiped them away with a hoofkerchief. "Hey! You know what this calls for?!" he asked.

"What?" everyone else asked.


	12. Chapter 12: Celebration

"A party!" Braeburn said. True to his word like any noble stallion would be, he insisted on throwing one. But before long the party became more of a celebration. Both to make up for the ultimately cancelled Summer Sun Celebration, and to celebrate the defeat of Nightmare Moon. The celebration was held in the center of town the very next day, and everypony who was anypony was there. Even Twilight, who surprisingly enough was starting to warm up to the town and had even begged Princess Celestia to let her stay. Princess Celestia was a little surprised, but upheld Twilight's decision.

Although her sister had pleaded with her, and told her to consider otherwise, Princess Luna insisted on being part of the celebration as well. In the end she rode alongside Princess Celestia in a royal carriage, and to her surprise a few ponies even hung a wreath of flowers around her neck. Princess Celestia quickly explained that it was a way of making a ruler or visitor feel welcome.

As for Shining Armor's friends, they all got quite a bit of publicity. Much to Soarin's unhappiness this only increased the number of fangirls that buzzed around him. Rainbow Dash in particular was rumored to be picking fights with anyone who looked at Soarin funny. She said she wasn't interested in Soarin at all, but one could see through her obvious bluff.

Fancy Pants and Rarity managed to drum up quite a bit of support for Carousel Boutique, and even for Fancy Pants' business in Canterlot. But the best part for Fancy Pants was when his wife Fleur De Lis came down to Ponyville to celebrate with him. As Fancy Pants was heard to say "My precious Fleur means more to me than any amount of money in the wide world of Equestria and beyond."

Braeburn attracted a lot of notice for being a Ponyville outsider, and lots of ponies were dismayed to learn that he would be leaving after the celebration, to return to his hometown, Appleloosa.

Thunderlane and Big Macintosh mostly just got talked about a lot and often shrugged off interviews. Big Macintosh was more interested in helping his family and Sweet Apple Acres, and Thunderlane was too busy looking after Rumble to really be interested in any new short term opportunities.

So it seemed like it was a happy ending for everyone. Equestria was safe, Princess Luna had returned, and everyone's dreams were coming true or coming closer to coming true. Except for Shining Armor however, for reasons no one knew he wasn't very happy during the celebration. Most ponies took no notice due to being so caught up in celebrating, and when his friends tried to ask Shining Armor told them that nothing they said or did could help him.

* * *

Eventually the time came for Shining Armor and his new friends to ride in a victor's parade. One by one Big Macintosh, Fancy Pants, Soarin, Braeburn, and Thunderlane all climbed onto a parade float. All of them still wearing their Elements of Harmony necklaces. Shining Armor however refused to do the same. A fact that Princess Celestia soon took notice of. "What's wrong, Shining Armor?" she asked gently "Why are you not happy? Equestria is safe from harm and I have been reunited with Princess Luna, and it's all thanks to you."

"That's just it." Shining Armor said sadly "I'm not the real hero. I don't deserve any of this."

"What are you talking about?" Princess Celestia asked "You saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return, you were the one who led the quest to find the Elements of Harmony, you were the one who realized what it took to make them work."

"None of that would've been possible if it weren't for my little sister Twilight." Shining Armor said "She was the one who saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return." He explained to Princess Celestia about how Twilight had read "The Tale of Nightmare Moon" and how it ultimately led to the discovery of what Shining Armor had reported. He also explained how it was Twilight who had found out about the Elements of Harmony, and how although she did not know what the book meant she was the one who told Shining Armor how to make them work.

"So what you're saying is that everything that has happened recently, is all because of your sister?" Princess Celestia asked "And you believe that she deserves all the credit, even when she was not the one who saved the day?"

"Yes." Shining Armor said "We wouldn't be standing here, talking to each other, if Twilight hadn't found out about Nightmare Moon or the Elements of Harmony. Without her, Equestria would still be suffering from unending night. So if you're going to thank someone, thank her. She deserves it more than I do."

"Well I suppose Twilight Sparkle could be allowed to ride on the float with you and the others." Princess Celestia said "But I know that she will want you to be with her. You two are all but inseparable, Twilight's even told me you two have done everything together."

"If that's what she wants then I certainly won't say no." Shining Armor said "But don't expect me to be comfortable with the praise I'll receive. Because I know I didn't do anything to truly deserve it." And indeed he was right. Even with his sister, and Spike by his side Shining Armor still didn't feel happy accepting his new role as a hero. He felt it didn't suit him, and nothing anyone said or did could convince him otherwise. "Go ahead, Twily." he said, trying to hide how he truly felt. "Go on and wave to the crowd. You've earned their praise."

"But what about you, B.B.B.F.F?" Twilight asked "You're the bearer of the Element of Magic for crying out loud, surely that has to mean something to you."

"She's got a point there." Spike said.

"I appreciate what you two are trying to do for me, but it's not going to work." Shining Armor said "Nothing you say or do will ever change the fact that it was Twilight, and not me, who really saved all of Equestria. I couldn't have stopped Nightmare Moon if I hadn't known she was going to appear, and I wouldn't have known where to find the Elements of Harmony, or how to use them."

* * *

When the victory parade was over Shining Armor's mood still hadn't improved.

"Come on bro. You can't stay sad forever." Soarin said "There's got to be something that will make you feel happy."

"I've never seen anyone as glum as you before." Thunderlane said "Why can't you just be happy?"

"Guys I think we're going to have to embrace the fact that Shining Armor has made up his mind, and that there's nothing we can say or do to make him change it." Big Macintosh said.

"Glad to see someone's finally getting it." Shining Armor said.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh said "But I think it's stupid. You don't have to be so selfish, it's not all about you."

"That's why it doesn't feel right accepting the praise." Shining Armor said "If you guys want to do so then be my guest. No one's stopping you, and you guys deserve it. What you guys did was truly selfless. But anyone in my situation would've done the same thing."

"So, what? Are we never gonna see you again?" Braeburn asked.

Shining Armor paused for a moment. Then he said "Maybe. For right now I guess I'll be heading back to Canterlot with the royal guard. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll get promoted from second lieutenant to first lieutenant. Perhaps some day, I'll be able to show my face in this town again."

"Don't think we won't miss you." Fancy Pants said "It's always sad to say goodbye to new friends. Especially when we don't know how long it will be til our paths once again cross."

"Come on, Lieutenant Armor!" Commander Silverbolt shouted "It's time for us to go!"

"Well, I guess this is goodbye, for now." Shining Armor said sadly "Take care of yourselves, and my sister. I know she'll miss me most of all." With that he headed to the carriage that would take him and the other members of the royal guard back to Canterlot. Just as he was about to climb into the carriage however, he was stopped by none other than Princess Celestia.

"I wish to speak with you in private." Princess Celestia said. Shining Armor reluctantly obeyed, he knew that Princess Celestia never made requests about these sort of things.

"Look Princess, if this is about the Elements of Harmony then don't bother." Shining Armor said "I already explained to you everything you needed to know."

"It's not about that." Princess Celestia said. Shining Armor could've sworn he saw a smile appearing upon on her face. "As I'm sure you're aware Captain Gleaming Shield has recently announced her retirement. And I've been searching for a suitable replacement."

"What does that have to do with me?" Shining Armor asked.

"Well, in my heart I believe that _you_ would make an excellent captain of the royal guard. It is about time they had some young blood leading them. And after your bravery in facing down the evil Nightmare Moon, and your selflessness during the victory celebration, I can hardly think of anypony who deserves the title of captain more than you do."

"Princess Celestia! Are you saying what I think you're saying?!" Shining Armor asked.

"Indeed I am." Princess Celestia said "The only question is, do you accept?"

Shining Armor thought hard for a very long time. This decision could change everything for him. But Princess Celestia seldom made a mistake, and Gleaming Shield had spoken highly of him on several occasions. Heck Gleaming Shield herself was incredibly popular, and for good reason. She had done a good job restoring the royal guard's reputation in the eyes of the citizens. Not to mention Shining Armor already met all of the conditions needed to secure the promotion. "I do." he said.

"Good." Princess Celestia said "And as Princess I hereby decree that from this day forward you shall have a permanent residence in this town, in the Golden Oaks Library. Whenever he can be spared from his duties as Twilight's assistant Spike will be assigned to you."

"Oh thank you, your majesty!" Shining Armor said.

* * *

Now Shining Armor is as happy as can be. He lives in the Golden Oaks Library with his sister Twilight and Spike. He sees his new friends every day and they frequently exchange news. Of course sometimes Shining Armor still has to go back to Canterlot to oversee the royal guard, but for the most part he spends his days in the town of Ponyville, and he loves everything about it.

Recently however, he's started to notice that his sister Twilight has been hanging around the same group of mares that his friends introduced him to, and he's starting to think that Twilight is discovering the magic of friendship is well. But he doesn't have much time to dwell on the matter, with his new role his life has taken a turn for the better. But it also keeps him very busy.

All the same if you happen to be in Ponyville, and you happen to stop by the Golden Oaks Library chances are you'll find him there. And he's all for retelling the story about how he met his friends, and how they saved Equestria from the evil Nightmare Moon.


	13. Chapter 13: The Extra Ticket

A few weeks had passed since The Summer Sun Celebration, and "The Nightmare Moon Incident" as some ponies were calling it. Life had pretty much gone back to normal in the town of Ponyville.

Shining Armor, for one, couldn't be happier. Truth be told, he had quickly gotten tired of the constant attention he and his friends had recieved when word got out that they had saved Equestria. It wasn't that he didn't like being a hero, after all he was part of the royal guard. But when everypony in town was either singing your praises, trying to do favors for you, or even trying to hit on you, it quickly got old. Not to mention, Shining Armor's heart already belonged to someone, though he kept that to himself, since he wasn't sure "she" felt the same way.

One day, Shining Armor had stopped by Sweet Apple Acres so his sister Twilight could hang out with one of her new friends, Applejack. Shining Armor had left to go run a few errands, and when he came back he was surprised to see his friend Big Macintsoh looking rather unhappy about something.

"What's the matter Big Macintosh?" Shining Armor asked "Why the long face?"

Big Macintosh sighed "I lost a bet." he said grumpily.

"So, big deal. I've lost bets hundreds of times." Shining Armor said.

"Not a bet like this." Big Macintosh snorted.

"What do you mean?" Shining Armor asked.

Big Macintosh sighed again, and explained "I bet my sister that she couldn't get all the apples from today's harvest into the barn before lunch time. And because I stupidly didn't specify the terms, she was able to do it with help from your sister. And so now, as per the terms of our bet, I have to walk down Saddle Street while wearing one of Granny's girdles."

"Wow. That... is pretty bad." Shining Armor said, now feeling sorry for Big Macintosh.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh said with a groan "But a deal's a deal, and I always keep my word. Just do me a favor Shining-"

"What sort of favor?" Shining Armor asked.

"Promise me you won't laugh." Big Macintosh continued "Knowing my luck Soarin will probably spot me. After all, with that girdle on I'll stick out like a chocolate bar at a swimming pool. And if Soarin doesn't spot, he'll probably find out about from some mare. I'll be the laughing stock of the town for weeks."

"Come on, Big Macintosh. Have a little faith in Soarin." Shining Armor replied "He IS one of our friends after all. You know, alongside Fancy Pants and Thunderlane."

"And don't forget cousin Braeburn." Big Macintosh chimed in.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Shining Armor said "Now, whaddya say we forget about that silly little bet and get some lunch? I am kind of hungry."

"Lunch does sound good right about now." Big Macintosh said happily. Just then, he spotted something "Say, unless my eyes are playing tricks on me it looks like your sister's comin' over here."

"You're right." Shining Armor said, looking over his shoulder "I wonder what Twily wants from me?"

He didn't have to wait long to find out. "Hello B.B.B.F.F." Twilight said happily.

"Hello Twily." Shining Armor replied "Is there something you wanted to speak to me about?"

"It's like you can read my mind." Twilight said "Spike!"

"I've got them right here Twilight." Spike said, pulling out two golden tickets.

Shining Armor's eyes grew wider "Are those what I think they are?" he asked Twilight.

Twilight nodded "They're tickets to The Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot!" she explained.

"Pinch me, I must be dreaming!" Shining Armor exclaimed. He couldn't believe it, it all seemed too good to be true. And yet, there they were, two tickets to The Grand Galloping Gala.

"Well I'll be, congratulations Shining." Big Macintosh said, congratulating his friend.

"Thank you." Shining Armor said, then he turned his attention to Twilight "Where did you get these? And why are you giving them to me?"

"Princess Celestia gave them to me." Twilight explained "I'd love to go, but social events like that aren't really my thing, and with only one ticket left I'd hate to single out one of my friends."

"Well, why don't you just take Spike?" Shining Armor asked.

"You know me. I don't really like that girly Gala junk." Spike gagged "I'd just spend the night at Donut Joe's, drowning my sorrows in a cup of hot chocolate, and perhaps a few donuts."

"I see." Shining Armor said, remembering that back when he lived in Canterlot he and Spike had payed frequent visits to Donut Joe's donut shop. And the baby dragon seemed to have quite the appetite.

"So anyway, I was thinking you might be interested." Twilight continued "So here you are. You can invite any friend you want. Now then, I'm gonna go see if Applejack wants to join me for lunch. That farm work sure makes you hungry." And Twilight left without another word.

"Two tickets to The Grand Galloping Gala, courtesy of Princess Celestia herself? Boy are you lucky, Shining Armor!" Big Macintosh exclaimed.

"I know." Shining Armor replied "Now I just need to figure out who I'm going to take."

"Well, what about me?" Big Macintosh asked.

"Oh, do you wanna go to The Gala?" Shining Armor asked, a bit surprised. From what little he knew, he knew The Gala was an event that only the most elite of Canterlot attended. It was an extremly high class event. And Big Macintosh struck him as a stallion who prefered life on the simple side.

"You're darn tootin I do!" Big Macintosh shouted, before calming himself down "If I went to that Gala and set up a stand to sell some homemade treats, I bet a ton of those Canterlot hot shots would be lining up to buy em. I'd make a ton of money from all the sales, and with it, I could do a lot of fixing up around here."

"Like what?" Shining Armor asked.

"Well, for starters. I could probably get the barn all spruced up. Because it's clearly seen better days." Big Macintosh fantasized "I could also probably finally get around to getting rid of that saggy old plow. I'd be able to buy a new one that could do the job much better. And most importantly, I could finally pay money for Granny Smith to get that saggy old hip of hers fixed up. After all, hip replacement surgery doesn't come cheap. And that's only the tip of the iceberg!"

"Sounds like a good reason to go, at least to me." Shining Armor said.

"Then what are you waitin' for?! Give me the ticket already so I can start planin'!" Big Macintosh said "After all, I'll need someone to help Applejack pick up the slack while I'm gone. And I hate waitin' til the last minute to get hired help. Pa always told me, never put off til tomorrow what you can do today."

Before Shining Armor could hoof over the ticket however, a familiar voice shouted out "Incoming!"

Shining Armor and Big Macintosh looked up, and they instantly saw the figure of their friend Soarin. Who seemed to be spiraling out of control. The two of them ducked for cover, as Soarin crash landed right in front of them.

Luckly, Soarin wasn't hurt. "I thought I had it that time." he muttered to himself "Oh well, I guess third time's the charm."

"Soarin! What are you doin' here?" Big Macintosh asked.

"Oh, I was just practicing a few of my tricks in preparation for the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala." Soarin explained "If I don't want Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and the others to make me look a fool again I've got to get these tricks down pat."

"You're going to The Grand Galloping Gala too?" Shining Armor asked.

"Yup. As Wonderbolt Co-Captain I was a guranteed guest from the moment it was announced." Soarin explained "But what do you mean I'm going too?"

"Shining Armor has an extra ticket to The Grand Galloping Gala." Big Macintosh explained "And he was just about to give it to me."

"Really? Well that's a darn sharm." Soarin said.

"And uh, why is that?" Shining Armor asked "You're already going to The Gala."

"Yeah, but I was hoping you might be willing to let me have the extra ticket so I can invite Rainbow Dash." Soarin explained.

"Why? Because you have a crush on her?" Big Macintosh teased, chuckling a little.

Soarin's face turned bright red "N-no" he stuttered "She's completely annoying, and the worst stalker fan girl I've ever met. But Spitfire sees 'something' in her, and at least Rainbow Dash will keep the other fan girls off my back. I don't have any feelings for her at all."

"Oh really? Then why's your face turning reder than my coat?" Big Macintosh teased.

"What are you talking about? My face is perfectly fine." Soarin lied.

Shining Armor couldn't resist joining in on the teasing "Soarin and Rainbow Dash sitting in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G." he said. He and Big Macintosh quickly started laughing.

"Shut up! It's not funny!" Soarin snapped.

"Oh lighten up Soarin, we were only jokin'." Big Macintosh said.

"That's so funny I forgot to laugh." Soarin said crossly.

"Okay, okay. No need to get so wound up." Shining Armor said, defusing the situation.

"So how bout it, Shining Armor?" Soarin asked "You gonna give me that extra ticket?"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Big Macintosh shouted "Shining Armor was going to give the extra ticket to me!"

"Really? I didn't hear you call dibs on it." Soarin replied "So that ticket is fair game."

"Oh, so you wanna do this the hard way huh?" Big Macintosh asked "Fine then, let's hoof wrestle! Winner gets the extra ticket!"

"Bring it on! You're going down!" Soarin boasted. He and Big Macintosh quickly began to hoof wrestle to decide who would get the extra ticket.

Shining Armor hated to see his friends fighting, and quickly put a stop to it. "Alright, alright. Break it up you two!" he scolded "Need I remind you that this is **MY** extra ticket? I'll decide who gets it, thank you very much!"

"So, who's it gonna be?" Big Macintosh asked.

"Whoever has the better reason for wanting to go I guess." Shining Armor said. Truth be told he hated having to choose, and he quickly regretted what he'd just said.

"That's gotta be me obviously." Big Macintosh spoke up.

"No! It's me!" Soarin argued.

"You're already going to The Gala!" Big Macintosh snorted.

"And you're just going to sell a few treats!" Soarin argued.

"To help earn money for my family!" Big Macintosh shouted.

"And leave me to deal with the fan girls?! That's real humble of you!" Soarin said angrily.

"Will the both of you shut up?!" Shining Armor snapped "All this arguing isn't helping me make up my mind."

"Just tell us already!" Big Macintosh and Soarin shouted.

"Is it gonna be me?" Big Macintosh asked.

"Or is it gonna be me?" Soarin asked.

At that moment, Shining Armor's stomach began to rumble. "I don't know." Shining Armor said "And I can't make up my mind on an empty stomach. So I'll tell you what. I'll think about it over lunch, and get back to you on the subject." Before either Big Macintosh or Soarin could protest Shining Armor slipped away.

* * *

" _Man oh man is that extra ticket starting to become a pain in my rump._ " Shining Armor thought to himself, as he arrived in town. " _If I didn't know better I'd say that Princess Celestia sent those two tickets on purpose, just to mess with me. But she'd never do something like that, would she?_ "

Shining Armor was so distracted by this that he forgot to watch where he was going. He bumped right into Braeburn, and dropped the tickets.

"Hey! Watch where you're-" Braeburn said, but he stopped mid sentence when he saw what lay on the ground in front of him "Tickets to The Grand Gallopin' Gala in Canterlot?! Sweet! I've always wanted to go, especially since we don't get a lot of parties out in APPPPLELOOSA!"

"Well as a matter of fact, those are my tickets." Shining Armor explained. Scooping them up with his magic.

"So you're goin' too huh? Well why didn't you say so?" Braeburn asked "The two of us would have a grand time. We'd paint the town red. Not literally of course."

"What? But I haven't-" Shining Armor protested.

"No need to be modest. You're a real friend Shining Armor. A stallion like you only comes once in a great while." Braeburn interrupted, bouncing all around "Wait til the boys back home here about this! And just wait til I tell cousin Big Mac, boy will he be surprised!"

"Braeburn wait I haven't-" Shining Armor shouted.

"Decided if you want to go?" Braeburn asked "That's alright, if you don't want to go I can give your extra ticket to Pinkie Pie. After all, a girl like her seems to know how to have a good time. And if her parties are anythin' to go by, she's a master of entertainment."

"Do my eyes decieve me?" a familiar voice called out. Shining Armor knew at once who it was. " _Oh no, not him too!_ " Shining Armor thought.

Unfortunately, it was. None other than Fancy Pants, who seemed most upset. "Shining Armor, I can't believe you." Fancy Pants scolded "You're going to give away your extra ticket to The Gala to Braeburn so he can party! I've never been so insulted in all my life!"

"But I haven't actually given Braeburn the ticket yet!" Shining Armor protested "And besides, aren't you already going to The Gala?"

"That may be true, but my invitation only covers me and my dear wife, Fleur. And I can't just simply stick Miss. Rarity with watching over the business while we're away." Fancy Pants explained "Especially not when she's been fantasizing about going to The Gala to meet 'him'."

"Him?" Shining Armor asked. Completely confused as to who Fancy Pants was talking about.

"You know. Prince Blueblood, Princess Celestia's adopted nephew." Fancy Pants explained "They say he's quite the talk of the town."

"I see." Shining Armor nodded. Unfortunately, from what little he'd heard of Prince Blueblood he knew that most ponies, at least among the royal guard, did not think highly of him. Some said he was anything but a prince charming. He didn't dare say that out loud however.

"Of course, since you're not giving that extra ticket to Braeburn just yet, how's about you be a good lad and give it to me?" Fancy Pants asked "I'll make sure to tell Miss. Rarity that you were the one who gave it to me."

At that moment however, Rumble raced onto the scene.

"Rumble, come back here this instant!" Thuderlane shouted "What have I told you about running off on me like that?"

Rumble didn't answer, he was too busy looking at the tickets that Shining Armor was holding in his magic. "Hey big brother, look!" Rumble called "Shining Armor's got tickets of some kind!"

"What?!" Thunderlane gasped, and raced over to join Rumble. Sure enough, he saw the two golden tickets clear as day. He was shocked.

Shining Armor turned around upon hearing the gasp, and found himself starring face to face with Thunderlane. He sighed "Let me guess" he asked "You want this extra ticket to The Grand Galloping Gala as well."

"Well. I wasn't going to at first. But now that you mention it, yes." Thunderlane said "If you're not giving the ticket to someone else that is."

"And why do you want to go to The Grand Galloping Gala so badly? Wouldn't you need someone to look after Rumble?" Shining Armor asked.

"I could easily find a foalsitter for him." Thunderlane explained "And the reason why I want to go, well Fluttershy told me that on the night The Grand Galloping Gala takes place, there will be a wide variety of rare and exotic animals out in the palace garden. If that's true, then I have to see them for myself, and for Fluttershy's sake. Heck, maybe I should even bring along a camera so I can take pictures of them to show to Fluttershy, and Rumble."

"Well, that's very sweet and heartwarming, but Shining Armor is already giving the ticket to me." Fancy Pants said "Move along."

"Not so fast, Shining Armor! Don't even think about giving the ticket to Fancy Pants!" Soarin shouted.

" _Great. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse._ " Shining Armor thought, as both Soarin and Big Macintosh approached.

"You should listen to your own advice!" Big Macintosh said to Soarin "I know what you're tryin' to pull! You just want that extra ticket, and you don't want Shining Armor to give it to anyone else!"

"Don't act like you're above that, Big Macintosh!" Soarin snapped "You and I both know that you want the ticket as badly as everyone else!"

"That may be so, but at least I'm conductin' my self with dignity!" Big Macintosh replied "Too bad I can't say the same to you!"

"Sorry guys, but Shining Armor's giving the ticket to me! After all, I know him better than I know myself!" Braeburn interrupted.

"And what makes you think you deserve to go cousin Braeburn?" Big Macintosh asked.

"What about me?" Thunderlane asked.

Suddenly, all five of Shining Armor's friends started arguing at once. All of them trying to argue why they deserved to go with Shining Armor to The Grand Galloping Gala, or why they deserved the extra ticket. The noise was awful, and Shining Armor could barely stand it. At last he lost patience. "SHUT UP!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs. All five of his friends fell silent, except for Braeburn.

"And so then she said, oatmeal? Are you crazy?" Braeburn asked, before noticing that everyone else had stopped talking "Oh."

"Seriously, all five of you are giving me a headache!" Shining Armor said crossly "You're all acting like a bunch of little colts!"

"Hey! I resemble that remark!" Rumble shouted.

"I meant no offense." Shining Armor apologized "Anyway, I haven't made up my mind on who I want to give the extra ticket to. But let me make one thing perfectly clear. Fighting about it isn't going to help me make up my mind any faster!"

"But Shining" Soarin pleaded.

"No buts!" Shining Armor shouted "If any of you want to see that extra ticket again I suggest you all get out of here right now, before I say something I'll regret later!"

Not one of Shining Armor's friends thought the extra ticket was worth ticking Shining Armor off, so they all quickly left.

Shining Armor sighed. This extra ticket was really starting to become more trouble than it was worth. And on top of that, he still hadn't eaten lunch yet. Something that his stomach quickly reminded him of. " _And to think the day started off so peacefully, I should've known it was too good to last._ " he thought to himself.

* * *

A little while later Shining Armor's thoughts were still drifiting back to the extra ticket as he, Twilight, and Spike, had lunch together at a small restaurant. "Are you really sure you don't want to go to the Gala, Twilight?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." Twilight said "Why did you ask?"

"Because the instant my friends all learned about the ticket they started arguing over who should get it." Shining Armor explained "Even Braeburn and Thunderlane. And the two of them are usually so cheerful and friendly."

"Well that's a darn shame, really." Spike commented "What are you gonna do about it?"

"I don't know Spike." Shining Armor said with a sigh "As much as they argue all of my friends have a good reason for wanting to go, or getting that extra ticket. I mean, I could technically give away my own ticket if I really wanted to. But that would still leave three disappointed friends. And no matter who I take, the others will chew me out for it. What would you do in a situation like that?"

"I'm not sure. But if it was me personally, I'd send the tickets back." Spike suggested "From where I stand they're just not worth the trouble they cause."

"I really don't want it to come to that." Shining Armor said "Saying that because all of us can't go, none of us get to go sounds like I'd be treating them like children. There's gotta be an easier solution, I just haven't thought of it yet."

"Well, looks like our food is here." Twilight said, as a waiter approached their table "Why don't you just relax and take your mind off the ticket for a little while?"

Shining Armor was just about to take a bite out of his sandwich, when suddenly Twilight called out "Say, is that Soarin?"

"I think it is." Spike commented "What's he doing?"

Shining Armor looked off to his left, and saw Soarin performing some incredibly risky (yet fairly impressive) ariel stunts. Everyone had their eyes on him, and couldn't take them off him if they tried. It wasn't every day you saw a Wonderbolt putting on a solo performance for all to see. The Wonderbolt Co-Captain no less.

"That's amazing!" one pony exclaimed "I've never seen anything like this before!"

"Me neither, but I'm glad I'm seeing it now." another pony commented.

Shining Armor however, wasn't impressed. He could easily see through Soarin's little "act". And this little butter up attempt was **NOT** the kind of treatment he expected to get from his friends. Especially not when it wasn't a very subtle attempt to begin with. It pained him to do this, but as soon as Soarin finished with his "show" he was going to have a little talk with his friend.

The moment came sooner than expected, at least for Shining Armor. Almost before he realized it, Soarin had finished his performance, and was now basking in the audience's praise.

"Thank you, thank you all. You're just too kind." Soarin said, soaking up the glory and admiration like a sponge.

"What the hay is wrong with you, Soarin?!" Shining Armor asked.

Soarin took no notice of Shining Armor's mood (or perhaps he did but didn't care), and simply asked "What are you talking about? I'm perfectly fine."

"Do I have to spell it out for you?!" Shining Armor asked angrily "That little flight display you just put on! You were trying to get the extra ticket from me! Don't deny it, I'm aware of your little game! And it won't work!"

"Oh relax, you worry too much." Soarin said, shrugging off Shining Armor's accusations "I was just practicing my moves for The Grand Galloping Gala and I figured you deserved to see them. After all, you _are_ my friend. And you know the old saying, you scratch my back, I scratch yours."

"Ah-ha! So you admit it!" Shining Armor shouted.

"What? Oh-no no no, of course not. You misunderstand." Soarin explained "This was just my way of saying 'Thanks for being such a good friend'. Plus, you can consider those stunts a way of making up for the whole 'Nightmare Moon Incident'. We didn't exactly start off on the right hoof."

"Is that so?" Shining Armor asked. He was pretty sure Soarin was just making up an excuse, and he wasn't going to fall for it.

"Yeah." Soarin said, nodding his head.

"Look Soarin, I know you're not trying to be mean or anything. But I'm not comfortable with accepting favors that I didn't ask for." Shining Armor said firmly.

"But I" Soarin protested.

"No buts!" Shining Armor interrupted "I was given that extra ticket, and I'm gonna be the one who decides who gets it. And trying to butter me up just so you can get the ticket isn't going to work. So please leave me alone and let me make up my mind. Do you understand?"

Soarin sighed "Yes sir." he said, and quickly flew away.

"Well, that was just annoying." Shining Armor said "Oh well, at least now I can finally enjoy lunch." But just as he sat down at the table, and prepared to eat his sandwich, there was a clap of thunder and it started to rain.

"Oops. Sorry about that Shining Armor." Rainbow Dash apologized "I thought everyone had already gone inside."

"That's alright." Shining Armor sighed "I wasn't really hungry anyway."

"Good heavens Shining Armor, you're soaking wet!" Fancy Pants exclaimed. His suit was protected by an umbrella that he held firmly with his magic.

"Really? I had no idea." Shining Armor said sarcastically.

"Well, at least you haven't lost your sense of humor." Fancy Pants replied "Now come on, let's get you inside and out of the rain before you catch a cold."

* * *

A few minutes later Shining Armor was inside the warm walls of Carousel Boutique. Rarity offered him a towel to dry off, which he gladly accepted.

"Oh, there you are, B.B.B.F.F." Twilight said with relief "I was beginning to worry about you." Rarity had invited her over to Carousel Boutique just before the rain started. Rarity hadn't explained why.

"Say, Shining Armor. Would you be willing to help me out here?" Fancy Pants asked.

"What do you want me to do?" Shining Armor asked, having just finished drying himself off.

"I just happen to have this special suit that Miss Rarity designed. I need somepony to model it for me, and you look like you're just the sort of stallion I've been looking for." Fancy Pants explained.

Shining Armor, seeing nothing suspicious about Fancy Pant's request, agreed. The suit was extremly stylish, with a small jewel attached to the collar. And Shining Armor had to admit, that upon looking at himself in the mirror, he looked rather handsome.

"Well? Do you like it?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Indeed I do." Shining Armor replied.

"Well good, I'm glad." Fancy Pants said with a smile.

"And it just so happens that I have a dress that's similar to your suit!" Rarity exclaimed happily "Just imagine what would happen if you, Fancy Pants, Fleur, and I, all went to The Gala together! We'd be the toast of Canterlot!"

"So that's it huh?!" Shining Armor exclaimed "This is your attempt to try and charm the extra ticket out of me! Fancy Pants, I thought you all of ponies would be better than that!"

"This is no such thing!" Fancy Pants protested.

"Do you deny it?!" Shining Armor asked. Fancy Pants reluctantly shook his head "Then it's true!" Shining Armor said "Well if that's the case, you can keep the suit because I don't want it! Favors like these aren't going to help me make up my mind! Come on Twilight, we're leaving!"

"Okay." Twilight said "Come on, Spike."

"Ah man, but I wanted to stay and help Rarity." Spike protested.

"There'll be plently of time for that once this whole ticket mess is sorted out." Shining Armor said firmly "Now come on."

"Well hello, Shining, fancy runnin' into you here." Big Macintosh said, greeting Shining Armor when he came out of Carousel Boutique. (The rain had long since stopped).

" _Please tell me he's not hopping on the buttering up bandwagon too._ " Shining Armor thought to himself. His thoughts were soon interrupted by his stomach grumbling loudly. Reminding him that he still had yet to eat lunch.

"Hungry?" Big Macintosh asked "Cause I've got a whole cart load of tasty homemade Apple family treats. Might I recommend my sister Applejack's famous apple brown betties? The food, not our actual Aunt Brown Betty."

"An apple brown betty does sound good." Twilight said,

"Yeah." Spike said, licking his lips.

"Well good, cause all these delicious treats are on the house!" Big Macintosh said happily "It won't cost you a single bit."

"Really?" Spike asked.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh said with a smile "Go ahead, help yourselves."

"Free food, huh?" Shining Armor asked "Oh come on Big Macintosh, could you be any more obvious?"

"What are you talkin' about?" Big Macintosh asked "This isn't a joke."

"Free food for me, when I just so happen to have an extra ticket to The Grand Galloping Gala. Anyone with half a brain can see how obvious this favor is." Shining Armor explained.

"I never said anythin' about that ticket. I just thought you might like a bite to eat." Big Macintosh said.

"Then go ahead, take my money. I'm not going to accept the food if its free." Shining Armor said sternly.

Big Macintosh sighed "Sorry, Shining, I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Then I'm not accepting anything you have to offer. I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told Soarin." Shining Armor said crossly "I'm not comfortable accepting favors that I didn't ask for. And things like this aren't going to help me make up my mind." And he left, yanking Twilight and Spike away before they had a chance to protest.

* * *

"First Soarin, then Fancy Pants, and now Big Macintosh." Shining Armor complained as he neared The Golden Oaks Library "All of them trying to get my extra ticket to The Grand Galloping Gala. Who else is going to possibly try and butter me up today?"

The answer came, sooner than expected. The moment Shining Armor opened the door, he was greated with a sight he would've been happy to see on any other day, But not today.

Thunderlane, and his brother Rumble, were busy cleaning up the library. Thunderlane was even humming a little tune "La la la la la. La la la la la. La la la la." he sang happily.

"Oh no" Shining Armor groaned "Not you too, Thunderlane."

Thunderlane didn't seem to notice Shining Armor's statement, and happily flew down to greet him. "Oh, hello there Shining Armor. It's so good to see you." he said happily "Rumble and I thought the library could do with a little bit of sprucing up. So that's what we're doing."

Shining Armor sighed, he really didn't want to have to do this. "This has nothing to do with the fact, that I just so happen to have an extra ticket to The Grand Galloping Gala, that I know you want to go. Does it?"

"Oh no." Thunderlane replied happily "Rumble and I are doing this because we knew it would make you happy. I don't even know what ticket you're talking about."

"But big brother, didn't you say earlier that the whole point of this was to make Mr. Shining Armor give you his extra ticket?" Rumble asked innocently.

"What?!" Shining Armor gasped.

"Yeah." Rumble went on "He said we were going to" The rest of his sentence was suddenly cut off when Thunderlane flew down and put a hoof in his mouth.

"Rumble, you have quite the imagination." Thunderlane said, trying to cover up his tracks.

"I'm only gonna say this once. Get it, unless you want to see me really angry." Shining Armor said, trying to keep his temper in check. He didn't want to snap at Thunderlane.

"But Shining Armor I-" Thunderlane protested.

"Get out!" Shining Armor ordered.

"Okay, okay." Thunderlane said "Come on, Rumble."

"There, now was that so hard?" Shining Armor asked, as he opened the door. But upon doing so, he was greated by the sound of party favors. Before he had a chance to react, he was suddenly grabbed by a pair of hooves, and flung into the air.

"Hit it, Pinkie!" Braeburn shouted.

"With pleasure." Pinkie Pie said happily, and she began to sing:

 _Shining is Brae's bestest friend._

 _Whoopie! Whoopie!_

Shining Armor was not amused "Braeburn." he scolded "This isn't funny." Braeburn took no notice, and neither did Pinkie Pie. She just kept singing:

 _Cause he's the cutest, smartest, all around best pony, pony!_

"Braeburn!" Shining Armor shouted, his anger rising. Once again Braeburn and Pinkie Pie took no notice, and Pinkie Pie continued to sing:

 _So I bet if I throw a super-duper fun party, party!_

"Braeburn! I know you can hear me!" Shining Armor shouted, feeling like he was about to explode with anger. Still, neither Pinkie Pie or Braeburn took notice. Now it was Braeburn's turn to sing, and he did so:

 _He'll give his extra ticket to The Gala to me!_

"BRRRRRRRRRAEBURRRRRRRRRN!" Shining Armor bellowed at the top of his lungs, having lost what little patience he had left. The shout was so loud, and so fearful, that it made the ponies who had been throwing him up into the air stop. Shining Armor hit the ground with a thud. He wasn't hurt, but boy was he mad!

"Yes, Shining Armor?" Braeburn asked "You got somethin' you wanna say?"

Shining Armor was still furious "You know, at the very least the others **TRIED** to be subtle about the ticket. Not that it make a difference." he said sternly.

"Wait, what ticket?" a pony asked.

"Oh, didn't you hear?" Pinkie Pie asked "Shining Armor's got an extra ticket to The Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot!"

Braeburn facehoofed "You weren't suppose to blurt that out to the whole town, Pinkie." he said.

"Oh, oopsie." Pinkie Pie said sheepishly "Uh, you can all just pretend you didn't hear that. Right?"

Unfortunately, once that information had been heard it could not be unheard. And Pinkie Pie and Braeburn could only watch as a crowd started to form around Shining Armor.

"I'm getting out of here!" Shining Armor shouted, and ran away as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn't realize until the chase began, that Spike had somehow been dragged into it.

Shining Armor and Spike tried everything they could think of to ditch the crowd. They hid in various store windows. Disguised themselves as a mare with a baby (despite Spike's protests about having to play the baby). They even tried to hide underneath the bridge above the pond. Nothing worked. No matter what they did, the crowd somehow managed to catch up to them.

* * *

Eventually the two of them found themselves trapped in an alleyway with no way out. The crowd was closing in fast. All of them shouting out various favors they would offer in exchange for the extra ticket.

"What are we gonna do now, Shining Armor?" Spike asked.

"There's only one thing I can think of that'll get us out of this mess." Shining Armor said "But it's risky. I don't think I've ever been able to pull it off before."

"I don't care! Anything's better than this!" Spike shouted "Do it, do it now!"

"Okay!" Shining Armor said, and lit up his horn as quickly as he could "Hold tight Spike, and don't let go!" There was a sudden bright flash of light, and Shining Armor and Spike disappeared. Much to the surprise of the crowd.

Twilight was surprised when she saw Spike, and her older brother suddenly teleport right into the center of the library's main floor. The two of them were a bit singed, but otherwise they were unharmed.

"You're lucky I've got natural immunity to fire." Spike said, stumbling around a bit "Just warn me the next time you're gonna do that!"

"Sorry about that, Spike." Shining Armor apologized "But that was the first time I've ever teleported. It's not as easy as it looks. If you're not careful, you can get stuck in a wall, or worse."

"Hey B.B.B.F.F" Twilight called "What's going on?"

"There's no time to explain!" Shining Armor said frantically, as he raced around to close all the doors and windows. Once he was certain he was safe, he breathed a sigh of relief "You would not believe the day I've been having." he said to Twilight.

"Ahem." called a familiar voice.

" _Please tell me that's not who I think it is._ " Shining Armor thought, as he turned towards the source of the noise. But, sure enough, when he turned to look. There, much to his surprise (not to mention dissatisfaction), were all five of his friends. Shining Armor couldn't take it anymore, and let out a scream.

"Well?" all five of his friends asked.

"I can't decide! I just can't!" Shining Armor said "All of you have a good reason to want to go, or to get the extra ticket. I can't choose, it isn't fair. Not even if you reassure me it is. And even if it was, just look at what it's done to you. To all of you. You've all been arguing and fighting, and trying to charm the ticket out of me. Maybe I'm just new to friendship, but I thought friendship was about virtues like honesty and kindness. Not lying and manipulation."

"Wow. I had no idea you felt that way Shining Armor." Big Macintosh said, trying to calm his friend down "I guess we all got carried away with ourselves. Some more then others."

"Yeah, and we just wanna say. We're sorry." Thunderlane apologized "We never intended to put so much pressure on you."

"If it makes you feel any better" Big Macintosh continued "I've decided that I don't want that extra ticket after all. Not if means turnin' into somethin' I'm not."

"I feel the same way." Thunderlane confessed "And I'm suppose to be a role model for Rumble. After how I acted today, it'll be a miracle if Mom and Dad ever trust me to look after him again. If that ticket is only going to make me do things I know I shouldn't do, then it's better off in the hooves of somepony else."

"I don't really want that extra ticket either now that I think about," Braeburn said "I was actin' pretty selfish. If I want to attend a party I've got Pinkie Pie's parties that I can go to on a daily basis. That Gala may sound invitin', but after how I acted today I certainly don't deserve the chance to go."

"So it all comes down to me" Fancy Pants said, as the mood shifted.

"Or me." Soarin finished "And to be honest, if you decide to give to Fancy Pants, I'll understand. There'll be plently of other opportunities to see just how good Rainbow Dash is. The Best Young Flyers Competetion in Cloudsdale is coming up, and I'm gonna be a celebrity judge."

"Guess my decision has been made for me." Shining Armor said, sighing with relief "Congratulations Fancy Pants, you've earned the ticket."

"As much as I am honored by your offer I'm afraid I must decline." Fancy Pants said.

"What?!" everyone gasped.

"I'm not joking." Fancy Pants went on "Just like Big Macintosh, Thunderlane, Braeburn, and Soarin, I behaved poorly today. And I do not deserve the ticket after the way I acted. It just wouldn't be right. I am a gentlecolt, and I must strive to conduct myself as one."

"Well then, there's only one thing to do." Shining Armor said, turning to Spike.

"Spike, take a letter please." Twilight instructed.

"Okay." Spike said, retriving a quill and a blank scroll on which to write "Ready and waiting."

Twilight proceeded to narrate her letter:

 _Dear Princess Celestia,_

 _Today I've learned that one of the many joys of friendship is sharing your blessings. However, when there aren't enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can make you feel pretty bad. And so, while Shining Armor and I appreciate the invitation greatly, I will offically be returning both tickets to The Grand Galloping Gala. If none of our friends can go, then we don't want to go either._

 _Your faithful student,_

 _Twilight Sparkle_

"You know what to do, Spike." Twilight said with a wink.

"How is that letter gonna make it to Princess Celestia?" Soarin asked "Even if you put in the mail box now it'll take a day to reach her."

"Just watch." Shining Armor replied "You're about to see something you've never seen before."

"What are you talkin' about?" Big Macintosh asked.

Before everyone's eyes, Spike took a deep breath, and set fire to the scroll. To everyone's surprise (except for Twilight and Shining Armor, who had already seen this several times before), the scroll became enveloped in a magical purple swirl. Said swirl then took off through an open window, bound for Canterlot.

"How did you do that?" Braeburn asked Spike "You should've burned the scroll to a crisp."

"It's a little magic trick that Princess Celestia taught me." Spike explained "If I concentrate on sending a message to her, my flames can automatically do so when I light it up. Of course, I need to be very careful. Because if I don't concentrate hard enough, then I can actually burn something if I'm not thinking about sending it somewhere. The same holds true in reverse, so when I'm actually trying to burn or melt something, I have to make sure I'm not thinking of sending it to Princess Celestia."

"I see." Braeburn said "That's incredible!"

"You didn't have to do that you know." Thunderlane asked "Just because you didn't want to give the ticket to us, doesn't mean you had to send it back."

"That's alright." Shining Armor reassured his friends "I would rather not go, then go without all of you."

Spike suddenly began to lurch, as if he were going to hurl.

"Oh come on Spike, it's not **THAT** mushy." Big Macintosh said. Spike didn't answer, he suddenly let out a loud belch. Big Macintosh ducked as a purple swirl similar to the one from a few minutes ago narrowly missed his head. "Watch where you aim that flame breath there Spike, you almost torched my mane!"

"Sorry about that. Couldn't help it," Spike apologized, as a scroll suddenly materialized on the floor.

"A letter from the princess?" Twilight exclaimed, upon seeing the scroll "Wow, that didn't take long at all. Can you read that for me Spike?"

"Of course." Spike said, and unfurled the scroll:

 _My faithful student, Twilight,_

 _First and foremost, congratulations on passing this secret test of friendship. I had hoped you and Shining Armor would not show favoritism._

 _But, in all seriousness, why didn't you just say so in the first place? I'm more than happy to provide extra tickets if need be._

 _I have taken the liberty of not only giving you six tickets, so that you can invite your friends. But I have also provided four extra tickets for Shining Armor, and his three friends that are not already guranteed to go._

 _Your kind and loving teacher,_

 _Princess Celestia_

"So then, we all get to go?" Soarin asked.

"Apparently so." Shining Armor said.

"Alright!" his friends all cheered. Suddenly, Shining Armor's stomach began to rumble and growl.

"Why don't we treat you to dinner?" Fancy Pants asked "Consider it our way of making up for our behavior today."

"Sounds good to me." Shining Armor said "You coming, Twily?"

"In a moment." Twilight replied "You and your friends go on ahead, I'll catch up with you later."

"Okay then." Shining Armor said "Let's go guys!"

"Follow me!" Braeburn shouted "I know the perfect place, Sugarcube Corner!"

"It's like you read my mind." Shining Armor said happily, as he and his friends set off.

Meanwhile, when Spike was sure no one looking he said to himself "Why didn't I get invited? I would've loved to go, if only because everyone else is going." He suddenly let out a belch, as another scroll materialized:

 _P.S. And one for you too Spike, sorry I forgot to send it with the rest._

Spike was delighted, and giggled to himself as he held the ticket in his claws. When he stepped outside and saw Big Macintosh however, he quickly tried to save face "Uh, I mean, ew, gross. Now I have to go too?"

Big Macintosh said nothing, and simply chuckled.


	14. Chapter 14: Big Mac's Injury

"Can't believe I let this happen to me." Big Macintosh groaned, as Granny Smith bandaged his wounds. Not long ago he had been unfortunate enough to be pined by a falling tree. And when it was finally lifted off of him, his back and torso had been badly injured. Now, he was laying on the couch inside Sweet Apple Acres, feeling very sorry for himself.

"Oh come now, Big Macintosh, no need to beat yourself up." Granny Smith reassured him "It was an honest mistake. Could've happened to anypony."

"I wish that were true, Granny." Big Macintosh sighed "But the only reason this happened is because I let my pride get the best of me. I was trying to prove a point and I got careless."

"Nonsense. That tree was going to give way eventually. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." Granny Smith explained.

"Even if that _was_ the case, there's still the fact that I can't possibly get any applebuckin' done in this condition." Big Macintosh said crossly "I know you're too old to do it, and Apple Bloom isn't old enough."

"I know that too, Big Macintosh." Granny Smith said with a sigh "But I can't possibly send you out to work like this. I may not be a doctor, but I can safely say you're not fit for any kind of intense physical activity. You'll just have to rest and hope that Applejack can get the applebuckin' process done on her own."

" _Oh great._ " Big Macintosh thought " _And knowing her, she's gonna work herself to the bone before she accepts help. Oh well, I guess she was bound to learn this lesson sooner or later. Just wish it was at a more opportune time._ "

* * *

About two weeks had passed since Big Macintosh's injury, and he now felt well enough to go out and about. He wanted to get back to applebucking, but Granny Smith wouldn't let him. She told him it would be at least another week before he'd be well enough to resume his daily chores around Sweet Apple Acres.

During that timespan, Big Macintosh had pulled Applejack aside and tried to warn her that she wouldn't be able to harvest the entire apple orchard on her. But Applejack wouldn't listen, and vowed to complete the harvest even if it killed her.

Now, his sister had gone and saved Ponyville from a stampede of cows. And she was to be the guest of honor at a hero party, in addition to various favors she had agreed to help her friends with. Including, helping Rainbow Dash impress The Wonderbolts, helping Pinkie Pie run Sugarcube Corner while The Cakes were away, and helping Fluttershy with the upcoming bunny census. It didn't take a genius to figure out, that Applejack had clearly taken on more work than she could possibly handle.

But stubborness was a trait that ran strong in the Apple Family, and Applejack had a stubborn streak about a mile wide. Once she set her mind to something, there was no way to talk her out of it. He could only hope she would come to her senses before she damaged her credibility.

"Watcha doing Big Macintosh?" Shining Armor asked. He had stopped by Sweet Apple Acres earlier to see if Applejack was around. Apparently she had not shown up for her own hero party, having dosed off while working. Shining Armor, suspecting something was wrong, had tried to ask if she needed help. But Applejack had refused, and after Shining Armor explained why he had stopped by, she took off. Before leaving, Shining Armor had noticed Big Macintosh watching from a distance, and he was quite curious as to what his friend was doing.

"Nothin' much, just keeping an eye on my sister." Big Macintosh explained.

"So then, you knew she was asleep this whole time?" Shining Armor asked "Why didn't you do something? You can't let her go on like that."

"Believe me Shining Armor, if I could stop her I would've done so by now." Big Macintosh said firmly "I outright told Applejack she was bitin' off more than she could chew. But all she said was 'I'm gonna get every last apple harvested all by myself.' and that was that."

"But how can you possibly let her go off to help other ponies when she's probably going to do more harm than good? Doesn't it occur to you that somepony might get hurt?!" Shining Armor asked, failing to see any sort of logic behind Big Macintosh's statements.

"I'm well aware of that possibility, and I don't like the fact that such a thing could happen." Big Macintosh acknowledged "But I'm afraid Applejack is as stubborn as they come. She's gonna have to learn her lesson about not takin' on more work than you can handle, and she's probably going to have to learn it the hard way. Just like me."

"What do you mean?" Shining Armor asked.

"Well, surely by now you've noticed my injury." Big Macintosh said.

"Oh yes. I just didn't want to say or imply anything that might hurt your feelings." Shining Armor replied "But, if you don't mind me asking. What happened to you to cause that injury? Must've been something really painful."

Big Macintosh sighed "It's kind of a long story." he said.

"Well, I've got time." Shining Armor replied "There really wasn't much for me to do today anyway. Let's hear it."

"Alright." Big Macintosh sighed "First thing's first though, there's something you need to know. This time of year happens to be what we like to call 'Applebuck Season'."

"'Applebuck Season'?" Shining Armor asked.

"Eeyup. It's another way of saying harvesting season." Big Macintosh explained "Now, I'm sure you're wondering why Applejack's doing this all on her own when you saw all those relatives during The Summer Sun Celebration. Well, all of them were just gathered together for our annual Apple Family Reunion. They used to be a very rare thing, but lately we've been tryin' to have one every other year or so. Anyways, after the reunion, all our relatives go back to their own farms and orchards. Or in cousin Braeburn's case, back to their own towns."

"Ah, so that's why I haven't seen Braeburn around since the whole 'Extra Ticket Fiasco'. I was wondering why he'd left so soon." Shining Armor said.

"It's just like cousin Braeburn to up and leave without sayin' goodbye. He really hates those." Big Macintosh stated "Anyway, it use to be that Granny Smith would take care of the harvestin' all on her own. At least for the first couple of years after Ma and Pa passed away."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Shining Armor said somberly.

"It's alright really, we've moved on. But I appreciate your sympathy all the same." Big Macintosh replied "Over time I started to take on some of the responsibilites once I was old enough. And the same happened for Applejack. And now we kind of share the workload, though I'm a bit stronger than my sister, so I tend to take on the more 'heavy duty' chores."

"And what does all of this have to do with your injury?" Shining Armor asked.

"Not much really, but you have to understand that this applebuckin' process takes a long time. And it's very demandin'." Big Macintosh explained "Now, as for my injury, it all started about two weeks ago. You know, after that storm that came because the machine at the weather factory malfunctioned?"

"I remember that well." Shining Armor acknowledged. He could well remember the howling winds knocking on the windows and door of the library, the intense downpour that soaked the ground as if there was no tomorrow, and the constant lightning and accompanying thunder that was so loud, it frightened even the bravest of hearts.

"That storm blew through and afterwards everything was a mess. Applejack and I, as usual, had to do most of the cleanin' up around Sweet Apple Acres. But Apple Bloom and Granny Smith pitched in as well." Big Macintosh went on "And as I'm pretty sure you know my sister tends to be rather 'competetive'. Always looking for a way to challenge herself, and prove just how strong she is. She'll never admit it, but she's just as much as of a sports mare as Rainbow Dash, I guess that's kind of why the two of them hit it off so well."

"I understand." Shining Armor nodded, remembering the fact that most of his sisters friends at least knew each other or had heard about each other prior to meeting Twilight. And with the exception of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, who were childhood friends, Applejack and Rainbow Dash had been paling around for as long as anyone could remember.

"Well, after I went and made a fool of myself with that last bet, Applejack started teasing me. Just a little bit mind you, about the fact that I wasn't as 'manly' as I claimed to be." Big Macintosh continued "I kept telling her it wasn't true, and tried to shut her out. But she kept teasing me over and over again. I know she wasn't tryin' to hurt my feelings, but I was just wasn't thinking straight at the time. If I had been I never would've agreed to do what I did next."

"You did something really stupid didn't you?" Shining Armor asked.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied "And as much as it pains me to talk about it again, I'm hopeful you at least won't bash me too much for being so thickheaded."

"Oh come on Big Mac, we've all our embarassing moments we'd rather not talk about. It can't be **THAT** bad." Shining Armor said innocently.

"Maybe it really wasn't, but then again maybe it was. You'll have to be the judge of that." Big Macintosh said, a hint of both embarassment and shame in his voice "So I decided to prove a point to my sister, and I did it in the most stupid way possible. By personally testing the sturdiness of the tress, with my back legs. And when I kicked one of the trees, the trunk ended up fallin' on top of me, and I was completely pinned."

"Ouch! That must've hurt!" Shining Armor commented.

"Indeed it did. And once Applejack was able to get it lifted off of me my back and torso had were hurtin' like crazy. Granny Smith took me inside and got me all bandaged up. And that was that." Big Macintosh explained "She told me it could've happened to anypony, but I wasn't fooled. In my heart, I knew the only reason for my injury was because I let my pride get the best of me, and didn't ask for help when I needed it most. And now, from the looks of things, I'd say my sister is goin' to learn the same lesson."

"Are you really sure she won't just stop if you ask her to?" Shining Armor asked.

"Eenope." Big Macintosh replied "Like I said before, she's really stubborn. And if this is the only way for her to learn that stubborness usually just gets you into trouble, then so be it."

"Well, I can only hope she'll come to her senses soon." Shining Armor said hopefully "Now, I'd better be going. I wouldn't want anyone to worry about me. See you later Big Mac, hope you feel better soon."

"Thanks for your concern." Big Macintosh called out, as Shining Armor set off "I really appreciate it."

"Anytime." Shining Armor replied.

* * *

A few more days passed, and Big Macintosh was soon back to full strength. But he could see all too well that Applejack still wasn't willing to either give up, or accept help. And in the meantime, Shining Armor kept him up to date on everything that had happened.

First Applejack had accidentally launched Rainbow Dash in the wrong direction, causing her to crash into the balcony of The Golden Oaks Library (luckly, she wasn't hurt).

Then Applejack had not been able to hear Pinkie Pie properly, and misinterpreted various ingriedients for the rain muffin recipe. This caused a good majority of the town to get sick with food poisoning, and Pinkie Pie was even heard to call the baked goods "Baked Bads".

And lastly, Applejack and Winona ended up frightening the entire population of baby bunnies, causing them to rampage through town. No one was hurt, but a lot of gardens were ruined. Everyone, including The Mayor, was most upset.

Twilight Sparkle had finally decided that enough was enough. And now Big Macintosh could see that she was trying to reason with her friend. However, he got the feeling that Applejack still wouldn't listen. " _It's time for me to set things straight._ " he thought to himself, and headed out to the fields.

"I don't care what you, or anypony else says, YOU NEED HELP!" Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs.

At that moment, Applejack kicked the back of the tree one last time. The last few apples fell into her basket. Applejack looked at Twilight with a smug look on her face. "Ha. No I don't." she boasted "I harvested the entire orchard all by myself. How do you like _them_ apples?"

"Um, how do **YOU** like **THEM** apples?" Big Macintosh asked, trying not to laugh. He pointed over his shoulder, to an entire segment of the ocrhard, still unharvested.

Applejack was speechless. How could she have possibly missed all those trees when she was looking out at the orchard a few days ago? The shock proved to be too much for her exhausted body to handle, and she collapsed onto the ground. Upon waking up, she said the words Big Macintosh, and everyone else had been hoping to hear from her since this whole ordeal began.

"Well, I guess I have to hoof it to you, Big Macintosh." Shining Armor said, as Applejack and her friends took a break from completing the harvest "In the end everything worked out like you said it would."

"Indeed it did." Big Macintosh replied "And about time too."

"You can say that again." Shining Armor nodded "At least now, both you **AND** your sister understand the dangers of pride and stubborness. And that, there is nothing wrong with asking for help when you're in over your head."

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh said happily "And hopefully everyone will 'forget' what Applejack did over the past few days. I'd really hate to see the whole town turn on her."

"I really don't think it will come to that." Shining Armor stated "But I guess, time will tell."


	15. Chapter 15: A Magician's Tale

Shining Armor had to admit it was weird seeing all five of his friends at the exact same place, at the exact same time. Heck, he was surprised that Braeburn had come back from Appleloosa after having been gone for the past few weeks. Boy was he going to be surprised to learn he'd missed a chance to see a griffon.

Granted, Gilda quickly lost sympathy with her temper and bad attitude, but it wasn't too often you got the chance to see a creature like her.

But that was a story for another time and another place. Right now, everyone's attention seemed to be focused on a stage of some sort. Shining Armor was pretty sure that hadn't been there earlier this morning.

He was just about to ask who or what had brought this stage here, when a voice suddenly called out from the blue.

"Watch and be amazed at the spectacular feats of The Great and Powerful TRIXIE!" the voice shouted. And in a puff of smoke, a smug looking light blue unicorn appeared on stage. Decked out in a little purple hat and matching cloak with white stars and moons stiched all over it.

It seemed pretty obvious, to Shining Armor at least, that this pony was a magician. After all, that hat and cloak looked suspiciously similar to the hat and cloak worn by one of Twilight's idols Star Swirl the Bearded. She enjoyed talking nonstop about his many accomplishments, much to the annoyance of everyone around her. Even Shining Armor and Spike had to admit they were getting a little bit tired of hearing about Star Swirl's achivements, not that they weren't impressive.

However, with the exception of a few colts and fillies, it seemed like no one was at all impressed by "Trixie's" appearance. But then, when you had the star student of Princess Celestia herself, and the captain of the royal guard living in the same town, magic was as common as the sun rising every day.

As the show went on, Trixie did not seem to notice that a lot of ponies in the audience were casting angry glares at her. Including ponies like Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, who Shining Armor would've thought were incapable of ever holding anyone in a negative light so soon. Then again, Pinkie Pie had surprised him when she complained to Twilight about Gilda, so who was he to judge?

"Man, that mare just loves to hear herself talk doesn't she?" Soarin asked.

"She reminds you of someone, doesn't she?" Braeburn teased.

"Yes, and unfortunately, I must admit that who she reminds me of, is someone I'm not too fond of." Soarin replied.

"She's got some nerve goin; after my sister like that. Even if she wasn't tryin' to be mean." Big Macintosh grumbled.

"I honestly can't tell if she's completely ignorant of the fact, or just doesn't care, that everyone is getting fed up with her." Thunderlane commented.

"Even if Miss Rarity wasn't conducting herself very professionally Trixie had no right to do what she did to her." Fancy Pants complained "If I wasn't a gentlecolt I'd give that so called 'magician' a piece of my mind.

"Does she seriously expect anyone to believe that story about the Ursa Major?" Braeburn asked "Even a guy like me can tell when somethin' is so absurd there's no possible way it could be true. And that's sayin' somethin'."

"Please don't tell me you guys actually **HATE** Trixie for what she's said and done." Shining Armor said accussingly "You guys have no right to do such things you know."

"Don't get us wrong, we don't hate her or anythin', Which is more than I can say for some other ponies." Big Macintosh replied.

"But you can't deny she's not exactly making herself look like a saint." Soarin finished "It's almost as if she **WANTS** us to hate her. But who in their right mind could possibly want that?"

"Well, if you guys don't like the show you're free to leave. I mean, who's stopping you?" Shining Armor asked.

"We were just about to do so, actually." Thunderlane said.

"And we intend to set some 'other ponies' straight about hatin' on someone for no good reason." Big Macintosh commented.

"Good." Shining Armor said happily "After the Gilda fiasco I don't think we need another problem on our hooves."

"Who's Gilda?" Braeburn asked.

"It's a long story, one that I don't have time to tell you right now." Shining Armor replied "Princess Celestia has requested that I come back to Canterlot to oversee the royal guards for a little bit."

"You're leaving?" Thunderlane asked.

"Yes, but I shouldn't be away for too long. A few hours at most. I'll probably be back by nightfall." Shining Armor explained.

"Alright then Guess we'll see you later." Big Macintosh replied, and with that the six stallions went their seperate ways. Little did they know that things were going to be a lot different when they next met.

* * *

Shining Armor's time in Canterlot wasn't all that memorable, though he did get the chance to see Princess Luna briefly. She was still recovering from the 'Nightmare Moon Incident' but already Shining Armor could tell she was looking a lot better.

As for the royal guards, they treated their new captain with the respect and dignity he deserved, but still teased him a little. Shining Armor didn't mind. He knew they all missed Gleaming Shield, and he didn't blame them. Part of him wished Gleaming Shield was still around to give him advice. After all, she was the one who saw potential in him, and had convinced the royal guards not to turn him away when he first applied. He could only hope Gleaming Shield was enjoying her well earned retirement. And he made a mental note to ask Princess Celestia where he could find the former captain, when he got the chance. Gleaming Shield would be happy to hear that Shining Armor was continuing her legacy.

When nightfall came, Shining Armor was allowed to go home. He knew he would be needed back in Canterlot a couple of weeks for a longer period of time, but for right now he was really looking forward to seeing his friends again. (As well as a quiet evening with Twilight, and a good night's rest.)

Nothing could've prepared him for the sight that awaited him upon his return. The entire town seemed awake and alive, despite the sun having set probably a good half hour ago at the earliest. On top of that, he could've sworn he saw what looked like an Ursa Minor being floated out of town, and a crowd of ponies gathering around his sister. Some of them incredibly familiar, and some of them not even the slightest bit familiar. Something was going on here, and he was going to find out what.

As soon as his chariot escort landed, Shining Armor hopped out, and was instantly greated by the prescence of his friends. They all seemed either cross or shocked.

"Shining Armor, boy are we glad to see you!" Fancy Pants exclaimed.

"What do you mean? You guys knew I was in Canterlot. I was perfectly fine all along." Shining Armor explained. Needless to say he was confused.

"You'll have to forgive Fancy Pants, he's a little shaken up right now." Soarin apologized "But you are never gonna believe what just happened!"

"Well, out with it already! The suspense is killing me!" Shining Armor said firmly.

"An Ursa Minor came rampaging through town, and Twilight was the one who sent it packing." Braeburn explained "It was an amazin' display! I've never seen anythin' like it!"

"What?! An Ursa Minor?! Are you sure?!" Shining Armor asked.

"Eeyup." BIg Macintosh nodded "You should've seen it. I was runnin' some errands for Granny Smith, when all of a sudden there was this huge roar. I turned to look, and who should come running past me but Snips and Snails? And then came the Ursa Minor. And wouldn't you know it, that 'magician' actually tried to fight it off."

"Really?! Trixie actually attempted to fend off an Ursa Minor all by herself?!" Shining Armor asked "Was she nuts?! She could've gotten herself killed!"

"Guess it's a good thing Twilight bailed her out then." Braeburn stated.

"I see." Shining Armor said. Then a thought came to him "Why am I hearing this from you guys, and not from Trixie?"

"Because, as soon as Twilight sent that Ursa Minor away, Trixie just up and ran off." Big Macintosh explained.

"What?! Didn't anyone try to stop her?!" Shining Armor asked. His friends all shook their heads "Why didn't any of you say something in her defense when you had the chance?"

"Because it was Trixie's fault that this whole mess happened in the first place." Soarin said crossly "She had to go and open her big mouth about that Ursa Major story, which somehow gave Snips and Snails the boneheaded idea to go find a real one for her to banish. Be thankful they only found an Ursa Minor."

"There's no way she could've known that would happen." Shining Armor stated.

"That may be, but she should've known better than to say such a thing outloud to begin with. That big ego of hers got her into trouble." Big Macintosh said sternly.

"What you both fail to understand is that Trixie is a magician. an entertainer. It's her **JOB** to attract the audience's attention by any means possible!" Shining Armor replied "Sure that story was a bit far fetched, but the same could be said of all those classic fairy tales. After all, what are the odds of 'magic beans' being able to grow a beanstalk overnight? Just because something isn't true doesn't mean it necessarily makes for a bad story. Fiction and fantasy exisit for a reason."

"You have a point there." Thunderlane admitted "But what would you have wanted us to do with Trixie? She had the perfect opportunity to explain herself to the whole town and she decided to run away."

"If one of you had at least _tried_ to reach out to her and encourage the town to listen to her, then perhaps things would've turned out differently." Shining Armor said crossly "But now, an innocent pony is out there all alone, with nopony to call a friend. Nopony to count on to help her. Nopony to offer her support."

"Considering the fact that she had a cart I think it's safe to say she 'chooses' to live alone." Big Macintosh suggested "Maybe she doesn't need anypony."

"Perhaps, but I believe. That regardless of what Trixie may have been like, she deserves to know that not all ponies in Ponyville are so mean." Shining Armor said firmly "And I intend to show her that regardless of whether or not you guys feel sorry for her."

"We do feel sorry for her, really. We never thought she was trying to cause trouble." Thunderlane hastly explained "She was certainly no Gilda."

"But she wasn't a saint either. She said things that weren't very nice, and you know that just as well as we do." Fancy Pants finished.

"That is true, but at the least I can't afford to let her get away after a misunderstanding." Shining Armor stated, and with that he set off to find Trixie.

* * *

"Why does bad luck always seem to follow me around?" Trixie muttered to herself. It was still hard to believe that just a few minutes ago her life had been ruined because of a misunderstanding. Were Snips and Snails really dumb enough to believe she could actually vanquish an Ursa Major? She had thought for certain the story was so absurd everyone would know it was fake. Apparently, she had thought wrong. And because of that, her cart had been completely demolished, along with all of her belongings.

"Hey, Trixie!" an unfamiliar voice suddenly called out. Trixie was surprised. Who in their right mind would want to waste their time with a sorry sight like her? The answer came much sooner than she would've ever wanted.

"What do you want?" Trixie asked "Have you come to laugh at The Weak and Humilated Trixie as well? Well, go ahead! Laugh yourself silly for all Trixie cares!"

"That's not why I came here at all." Shining Armor said honestly "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry if you didn't exactly get the best impression of Ponyville during your visit. I can't speak for everyone, but I know at least a couple of ponies who didn't feel like you were some sort of villan. I guess ponies are still just a bit on edge after Gilda's visit."

"Who's Gilda? Actually, on second thought, never mind." Trixie said febely "Trixie appreciates your concern, but she doesn't recall asking for your pity."

"Would you just listen? I'm trying to help you!" Shining Armor said crossly.

"If you really wish to help Trixie, then you can make yourself scarce." Trixie replied "Trixie doesn't need your help, or anyone else's help. She is perfectly fine on her own, thank you very much."

"Look, I heard about what happened with the Ursa Minor. It wasn't your fault." Shining Armor explained "And I'm sure if you just explained that to the citizens they'd understand perfectly."

"Surely you jest." Trixie retorted.

"No, I mean it." Shining Armor said.

"They wouldn't care. And even if they did it wouldn't change anything." Trixie said crossly "Trixie's life has been miserable for a long time. That Ursa Minor was mearly the latest in a series of bad hands that life has dealt Trixie. It seems that Trixie is destined to be a punching bag for the universe, and she is perfectly fine with that."

"You don't have to delude yourself and lie to me. I can tell you've dealt with a lot of hardships in life, but that doesn't mean you have to be alone. I'm here now and I can help you turn your life around." Shining Armor offered "So please, let me help you."

"Trixie has already told you that she doesn't need your help!" Trixie protested "Now go away!"

Shining Armor sighed. He had hoped that he might be able to break through to Trixie and reach out to her somehow. Apparently that was not the case. "Very well then." he said somberly "Guess I won't be seeing you around." And with that, he turned to leave.

"Good ridance." Trixie grumbled. But as Shining Armor began to slowly disappear, she began to realize that she was missing out on a chance to convince at least one pony in Ponyville, that she wasn't a "bad guy". Reluctantly, she shouted "Wait!"

"Have you changed your mind?" Shining Armor asked. Freezing in his tracks.

"Indeed I have." Trixie said, her tone implying that she was having a hard time swallowing her pride. As was evidenced by the fact that she was no longer talking in third person. "At the least I believe you deserve to know a little bit about me. My actual name is Trixie Lulamoon, The Great and Powerful Trixie is merely a stage name I created for myself."

"I figured that out pretty easily." Shining Armor nodded "But why exactly did you choose to become a magician? Especially when it seems like your magic is average at best. No offense."

"None taken, but don't push your luck." Trixie replied "Anyway, to answer your question, it's because of my father."

"Your father?" Shining Armor asked.

"Yes. I can't recall any memories of my mother, and my father never talked about her." Trixie explained "So she either passed away while I was young, or just left my father for a reason I do not know."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Shining Armor said somberly.

"It's alright, I've moved on." Trixie continued "Anyway, my father was a really good magician. Probably one of the best of all time. He called himself The Great Hoofdini II."

"I've heard about him. Wasn't he a well known escape artist?" Shining Armor asked.

"Indeed he was. But he was more than that." Trixie explained "He was, for the longest time, the only one I could consider a friend. In school, I was teased and bullied almost everyday for many things. Even when I finally obtained my cutie mark the tormenting didn't stop, until I put those bullies in their place. I realize now that I probably did not handle the situation in the best way."

"So what happened?" Shining Armor asked.

"I had to drop out of school because of the way I acted. But I realized that, I liked being in control." Trixie went on "I became convinced that the world as I knew it was a cruel place, and the only one a pony could count on was herself. It has taken until this faithful night for me to see that life doesn't work that way."

"I'll say." Shining Armor said "Glad to see you've realized that. So, whaddya say we head back into town and clear up that misunderstanding?"

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I must decline." Trixie said somberly "Trixie always has, and probably always will be, a wanderer."

"Will I ever see you again?" Shining Armor asked.

"Trixie cannot say for certain." Trixe admitted "Hopefully, if you do, Trixie's life will be better than it is now. But for right now, tell that goody twohoreshoes Twilight Sparkle to watch her back. Because one day, Trixie has a feeling that we shall meet again. And on that day, we will see for ourselves who the highest level unicorn is." And with that Trixie took off again.

Shining Armor was quite surprised at what Trixie had told him, but outside of his friends, and his sister, few ponies truly believed that Trixie had told him the truth. Eventually, like Gilda, Trixie became a distant memory. Few ponies talked about her. For better or for worse, Shining Armor couldn't tell. He could only hope that if Trixie ever _did_ return, she would show everyone who she was inside.


	16. Chapter 16: Dragon Trouble

It was a beautiful spring morning in Equestria. Celestia's sun shone brightly, birds chirped and sang, flowers bloomed, and dozens of ponies were out and about.

One of those ponies was Thunderlane, who was on his way to visit his friend Fluttershy. His younger brother Rumble accompanied him as he neared the butter yellow pegasus' cottage.

"Now remember Rumble, be a good little colt for Fluttershy and don't cause any trouble." Thunderlane said kindly.

"Relax big brother, I'm not a foal. You can trust me." Rumble replied. He had to admit, the way Thunderlane was treating him made him feel a little bit embarassed.

"I know, I know. But Fluttershy has her hoofs full as it is tending to her animals." Thunderlane went on "I don't think she needs any more headaches."

"Geez, you act as if I'm two years old or something. I already told you I'll behave." Rumble groaned.

Thunderlane laughed "I've heard that excuse before. You promised me the exact same thing right before the last foalsitter, and if memory serves you weren't very well behaved at all."

"It's not my fault, Miss Rarity wanted to use me as a model for her fashion career." Rumble complained "And for the record, I didn't need her to give me a bath. I can do that just fine on my own."

"That's not what Rarity told me." Thunderlane said "She said you were loud, cheeky, and more jumpy than Pinkie Pie on one of her sugar rushes. And I highly doubt Rarity is one to lie."

"Uh big brother?" Rumble asked suddenly. Thunderlane didn't notice.

"Why look, there's Fluttershy now." Thunderlane said, and quickly flew over to her.

"Big brother!" Rumble shouted. Thunderlane didn't hear him.

"Hello, Fluttershy." Thunderlane said cheerfully "So nice to see you again."

"Hello to you too Thunderlane." Fluttershy replied "Just give me a minute to finish feeding my animals. You know how grumpy they can get when they don't get their food."

"Big brother, it's an emergency!" Rumble shouted at the top of his lungs. Thunderlane finally took notice.

"What's wrong Rumble?" Thunderlane asked "Do you need to use the little colt's room? You know where the bathroom is."

"It's not that!" Rumble said crossly.

"Did you cut yourself?" Thunderlane asked "I've got bandages right here in my saddle bag."

"It's not that either!" Rumble shouted.

"Did one of my chickens escape?" Fluttershy asked "I thought I checked the fencing just yesterday."

"Oh for the love of... look up!" Rumble shouted. Thunderlane and Fluttershy did so, and what they saw was something they wished they were just imaging. A thick cloud of dark black smoke was slowing hovering overhead. Neither of them knew where the smoke was coming from, but they knew it wasn't a good sign.

"Were you trying to tell us about this earlier?" Thunderlane asked Rumble.

"Yes, but you were so caught up with talking to Fluttershy that you didn't notice." Rumble said crossly.

"Sorry about that, little brother." Thunderlane said, blushing slightly in embarassment.

"What are we gonna do, Thunderlane?!" Fluttershy asked "I don't think anypony else has noticed the smoke yet."

"Yeah, what _are_ we gonna do?" Rumble asked.

"Well, what **YOU'RE** going to do" Thunderlane said to Rumble "is stay here with Fluttershy."

"What?" Rumble asked "But I wanna help!"

"I'm sorry Rumble, but this is a situation that's meant to be handled by grownups like me." Thunderlane said sternly "And I'm sure Mom and Dad would agree with me."

"I never get to do anything fun." Rumble complained. Thunderlane and Fluttershy took no notice.

"What about you?" Fluttershy asked Thunderlane.

"I'm gonna go see if Twilight and Shining Armor are aware of the situation. Even if they aren't they'll probably know what to do next." Thunderlane explained "Once again, I am in need of your expert foalsitting skills, Fluttershy. Can I trust you to look after Rumble until I return?"

"Absolutely. We'll have a wonderful time together, won't we, Rumble?" Fluttershy asked sweetly.

"As long as you don't treat me like a baby." Rumble muttered.

"Come on Rumble, please try not to give Fluttershy a hard time." Thunderlane pleaded "I'll make this up to you somehow, I promise."

"Fine, but make sure she knows that I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I don't need help with anything!" Rumble said stubbornly.

"Don't worry, we'll get along just fine." Fluttershy said sweetly "Now come on, let's get inside. That smoke's probably not gonna clear up anytime soon, and it's not good for your lungs." Fluttershy led Rumble through the front door of her cottage without another word. Once the front door was shut, Thunderlane took off. His destination, Golden Oaks Library.

* * *

Normally a flight to the library from Fluttershy's cottage would be a breeze. But not today, for the beautiful spring weather had brought a lot of ponies outside. This meant a ton of pegasi who were either trying to maintain the nice weather, or just pegasi that were enjoying the sunshine. This made the flight unusually difficult for Thunderlane, who had to keep weaving in and out of crowds. So far, nopony seemed to be aware of the thick black smoke that he had seen at Fluttershy's cottage. But he knew he hadn't been imaging things. Or at least, he was pretty sure he hadn't.

All of a sudden, who should appear in his line of vision but Soarin? The Wonderbolt Co-Captain seemed to be aware of the smoke as well, but he didn't seem to be aware of Thunderlane's prescence. By the time he was, it too late to do anything about it. The two pegasi collided with each other in mid air. Luckly no one was hurt.

"What's the big idea, Thunderlane?! I could've gotten hurt!" Soarin said crossly.

"S-sorry Soarin." Thunderlane apologized "But the smoke-"

"You mean, you saw it too?" Soarin asked.

"Yes." Thunderlane said "I was dropping off Rumble at Fluttershy's when I saw it. Do you have any idea what's causing it?"

Before Soarin could answer, Big Macintosh came running up to them "You guys need to get your hineys to the library, pronto! Shining Armor's just called an emergency meetin' for the six of us!"

"What for?" Thunderlane asked.

"He said it has to do with the smoke, now come on!" Big Macintosh shouted, and he raced away.

"I guess everyone knows now." Soarin said, rising to his hooves.

"That's good, I guess." Thunderlane commented. And then he and Soarin set off for the Golden Oaks Library.

* * *

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice!" Shining Armor said, once all of his friends were gathered.

"This had better be important!" Fancy Pants said sternly "Time is money, and if you're wasting time then you're wasting money."

"I'm sure by now you're all aware of the thick black smoke that is spreading all over town?" Shining Armor asked.

"Yeah! Any idea what's causin' it?" Braeburn asked "Something tells me it's not a wildfire."

"Indeed it's not." Shining Armor said, everyone breathed a sigh of relief "It's a dragon, a slumbering dragon to be exact."

"What?!" everyone else gasped.

"Are you sure about that?" Thunderlane asked nervously "I mean, what if it's something else?"

"Twilight and I got a letter from Princess Celestia just a short time ago explaining everything." Shining Armor explained "And dragons can sleep for a very long period of time. 1,000 years to be exact."

"Boy, talk about getting your beauty sleep." Fancy Pants commented.

"Why doesn't Princess Celestia just send down a few royal guards to take care of the situation?" Soarin asked "Aren't they supposed to deal with threats to Equestria's security?"

"That would be 'Making a Mountain Out Of a Molehill' so to speak." Shining Armor explained "The dragon's not intentionally causing harm, but sending in the royal guards could provoke it into attacking. No armor in the universe can protect against a dragon's firey breath and sharp claws."

"Yeah, imagine me, except 1000 times bigger and stronger." Spike joked.

"Does Princess Celestia know where the dragon is located?" Big Macintosh asked "Cause otherwise, how are we supposed to help?"

"The smoke is originating from a nearby mountain just outside of town." Shining Armor explained "It's obvious that's where the dragon is."

"Sounds like a piece of cake to me!" Soarin boasted "We just go up there, show that dragon who's boss, and that's that!"

"Easy there, Soarin, we are suppose to _convince_ the dragon to sleep somewhere else. Not attack him." Shining Armor explained.

"Aw man, I've been itching for some action." Soarin complained "Oh well, I guess this will at least earn me some bragging points with Fleetfoot. I really don't know what Captain Spitfire sees in her. Yes she's fast, but she's also incredibly annoying, even more so than Rainbow Dash."

"Who's Fleetfoot?" Braeburn asked "You never mentioned her before."

"She's the Wonderbolt that most oftens tags along with Spitfire and I whenever we go places." Soarin explained "She's the fastest Wonderbolt of all with an ego to match. She has a rather inflated opinion of herself, and I get the feeling that if Rainbow Dash wasn't the mare she was, Fleetfoot would be all over me in an instant."

"Sounds like she and Rainbow Dash would get along swimmingly." Fancy Pants commented.

"Yes. Well, anyway" Shining Armor continued "I called you all here to inform you of the mission ahead. I'm not gonna lie, it's probably going to be difficult. But I'm confident that as long as we work together we should be able to pull it off without a hitch. Now, I want all of you to go home, pack your saddlebags with the appropriate supplies, and meet back here in half an hour! Can you do that?"

"Yes sir!" Big Macintosh, Soarin, Braeburn, and Fancy Pants replied.

"I guess." Thunderlane said reluctantly.

"Okay, Spike, did you finish the checklists?" Shining Armor asked.

"Yup." Spike replied.

"Good. You know what to do." Shining Armor instructed. Spike proceeded to give each of Shining Armor's friends a checklist. Said checklists had been created by his sister Twilight, and each of them indicated just what needed to be worn whenever one embarks on such a journey.

* * *

Soarin was the first one to finish with his preparations. His fellow Wonderbolts, including Fleetfoot, quickly collected everything he needed and loaded them into his saddle bag. After a final inspection from Captain Spitfire, Soarin was given the all clear to leave Wonderbolt Headquarters. And as he took off into the sky, Soarin strapped his flight goggles on, making sure they were nice and snug. "Let's, get, dangerous!" he shouted.

Preparations didn't take long for Big Macintosh either. His whole family, including Apple Bloom and Granny Smith, assisted him. His saddle bags felt quite heavy by the time they were done, but Big Macintosh was used to carrying such heavy loads. So the weight felt like nothing to him. And with a quick kick from his back legs, just to be sure they were working properly, he uttered his trademark "Eeyup." and set off.

One would think that Braeburn, being a stallion who left Ponyville on an extremly frequent basis, would not have a place of his own in the town. That was not true however, Braeburn owned a cozy little house on the outskirts of town. Far away from the hussle and bustle of the market place. And when he wasn't using it he rented it out a very nice couple, Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon, or as someponies called her "Sweetie Drops". Fortunately, Braeburn was a very organized stallion, after all he was always heard to say "Ma raised me to be a gentlecolt, and that's what I'll always be." So it didn't take him long at all to gather up the required supplies. He was incredibly excited, this sounded just like the sort of adventures he'd always dreamed of having as a child. "Hehehe" he chuckled in excitement, before quickly regaining his composure "I mean, grr! Let's rough em up!"

Fancy Pants' wife Fleur was more than a little concerned to hear that her husband had agreed to embark on such a dangerous quest. But she knew it was no use trying to reason with him, this was something he wanted to do, and no one was going to tell him otherwise. All she could do was help Rarity gather everything that was required for the quest. At last Fancy Pants was ready, and he headed out the door. But not before his wife gave him a good luck kiss. Fancy Pants smiled and boldly shouted "Onward!"

Thunderlane wasn't willing to take any chances. He knew he was going to hate himself, but he was determined to prove himself to his friends. If it meant facing down a gaint, scaly, fire breathing dragon, so be it. But that didn't mean he couldn't take steps to try and minimalize the risk to himself. So, in addition to obtaining what was needed, he made sure to load up on safety gear. A part of him knew he looked silly, but he didn't care. Reluctantly, he marched out the door. "I can't believe I'm actually going to do this." he said to himself.

* * *

"Glad to see you're all here." Shining Armor said, once all of his friends had gathered "I trust that each of you is prepared to face the dangers of this adventure?"

"Uh huh." Soarin, Big Macintosh, Braeburn, and Fancy Pants replied.

"Well, more or less." Thunderlane replied weakly.

"Good." Shining Armor said happily "Now listen carefully, we shouldn't be gone for too long, but I cannot stress enough that time is of the escence here. We should try to avoid any uneccesary risks, and avoid any diversions. The longer it takes us to reach the top, the farther that smoke will spread."

"Doesn't sound too difficult, we just gotta stick together." Big Macintosh stated.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Big Mac." Shining Armor replied "One thing I want you all to keep in mind, the higher up you go, the colder it gets."

"Don't worry about me, I'll be okay with my flight suit." Soarin said.

"Which is exactly why I had the rest of you, as well as myself, obtain something similar." Shining Armor explained "You probably noticed how brightly colored they are. That's to help make it easier to find one another on the off chance we get seperated. Speaking of which, no matter what, **NEVER** go off on your own! The mountain can be a very dangerous place if you're not careful, and going it alone increases the chance of injury or accidents!"

"I was wondering why you had those listed." Fancy Pants admitted "I knew they weren't just for show, but I couldn't figure out what purpose they would serve."

"Okay, before we set off, does anyone have any questions?" Shining Armor asked.

"I've got one, are you sure it's a good idea to bring Thunderlane along?" Soarin asked "I mean, no offense, but sometimes he can be afraid of his own shadow."

"I'm well aware of that." Shining Armor said firmly "But I would not ask Thunderlane to accompany us if I didn't think he could handle this assignment. I assure you that Thunderlane will play a very big role in regards to the success of this mission. Once again, you must remember that we are only trying to politely convince the dragon to sleep somewhere else, not provoke it into attacking. Now then, anymore questions?" No one said anything "Good. Let's move out!" And with that, the six stallions set off.

* * *

It wasn't long before they approached the base of the mountain, and began to climb. The thick black smoke was already spreading rapidly. Fortunately, it had yet to spread beyond Ponyville, and all the pegasi in Cloudsdale were working hard to keep it that way.

"I've heard tales that a dragon's cave is loaded with all sorts of jewels and riches." Fancy Pants commented "Hm, I wonder if I could perhaps convince the dragon to part with of them."

"Hey there Fancy Pants, welcome to my cave! Want a diamond?! Rrrrrrgh!" Braeburn said, and promptly laughed.

"Hopefully that won't be the case." Big Macintosh stated.

"I hope so too." Shining Armor replied "Thunderlane, you know Fluttershy better than the rest of us, and she's an animal expert. Any idea on what the dragon will be like?" Thunderlane didn't answer. In fact, Shining Armor now noticed that Thunderlane was not with the rest of the group.

Thunderlane was still at the base of the mountain, looking up. He didn't like what he saw. "It's so steep." he said, obviously stricken with fright.

"Well duh. It's a mountain. Mountains are supposed to be steep!" Soarin replied.

"Is something wrong, Thunderlane?" Shining Armor asked.

"N-no." Thunderlane lied.

"Then come on up here! What are you waiting for, an invitation or something?!" Soarin asked.

"Soarin, stop intimidatin; Thunderlane! You're just makin' things worse!" Big Macintosh said crossly.

"It's called tough love! Thunderlane's got to man up one way or another!" Soarin explained.

"I'm coming, just... give me a minute." Thunderlane responded weakly. With a gulp, he flapped his wings, and slowly flew up to join his friends. He was barely able to keep himself from fainting when the dragon let out a roar.

"Whoa!" Braeburn exclaimed "Sure am glad I don't have that for a wake up call."

"You and me both." Shining Armor replied "Now come on, we've got to make up for lost time!"

* * *

The journey up the mountain passed in relative silence for quite some time. Only occassionally did anyone stop. And even then, that was usually just for a minute or two.

Eventually, they reached a point where it became too cold to continue on without protective thermal suits. So they stopped, and one by one slipped them on. Each suit was a different color. Big Macintosh's suit was bright red, Braeburn's was bright green, Thunderlane's was bright yellow, Fancy Pants' was bright orange, and Shining Armor's was bright purple. Soarin laughed a little at the sight of them, but he was quickly silenced when Shining Armor threatened have Fancy Pants give Soarin's flight suit a makeover.

"According to the map we're half way there." Shining Armor said a short time later "So far so good. Everyone holding up okay?"

"Yeah." his friends replied, some more energetically than others.

"Alright. Stay close, and watch your step. If you fall, it's a long way down." Shining Armor said.

"Hey look, there's a gap up ahead!" Soarin exclaimed, and promptly flew over it.

"Wait a second, guys!" Shining Armor called. The others apparently didn't hear him, as Braeburn hopped across next. Followed by Big Macintosh, with a little coaxing. The same held true for Fancy Pants. Only Thunderlane refused to make the jump.

"Come on, Thunderlane, it's just a hop, skip, and a jump!" Braeburn called cheerfully.

"But, it's so wide!" Thunderlane protested.

"You'll be fine, you can do it!" Soarin said.

"Are you sure?" Thunderlane asked.

"Of course. I mean we're friends, and friends trust each other." Soarin explained.

"Well, okay." Thunderlane said nervously "Here goes. A hop."

"Yes, that's it!" Braeburn shouted "Go on!"

"A skip." Thunderlane said, and leapt into the air.

"Just don't look down!" Braeburn shouted. Shining Armor face hoofed the instant those words escaped Braeburn's mouth.

Sure enough, Thunderlane looked down. The sight caused him to forget the next step, so he shut his eyes and he prepared himself for a long fall. But all of a second later the fall had stopped. He opened his eyes, and saw that the "gap" was little more than a narrow little distance between two facing cliff sides. Hardly deserving to even be called a "gap".

"I was trying to tell you that earlier." Shining Armor explained "It's so small you can practically walk across it. The other guys were just blowing it out of proportion."

"Sorry." Soarin replied "I was just trying to have a little fun."

* * *

"My hooves are really starting to kill me." Fancy Pants complained "Feels like we've been walking for ages."

"I feel the same way, to be honest." Big Macintosh commented "How much farther, Shining Armor?"

"We're almost there, just hang on guys." Shining Armor said confidently "There's a fork in the road up ahead."

"Which path do we take?" Thunderlane asked nervously.

"Well, the one on the left would take less time." Shining Armor stated "But we're going to take the one on the right."

"What?! Are you serious?! You just said the one on the left was the shorter route!" Soarin shouted.

"I did say that, but I have a good reason for not going that way." Shining Armor explained "That path crosses through an area of the mountain prone to rockslides. The slightest sound or vibration could set off an unrelenting stream of falling rocks. And I dobut anyone here wants to be squashed flat."

Soarin sighed "Guess you have a good point there. Even though I could probably fly high enough to avoid the rocks."

"Well then, no point in standin' around here. Let's go!" Braeburn said happily "Lead the way, oh fearless leader!"

"I don't know about the whole fearless thing." Shining Armor stated "I'm really worried because so far this has been pretty easy. No major setbacks or delays at all. We're making great time. In fact, I'd say this is almost **TOO** easy."

"Ah you're just looking a gift horse in the mouth." Soarin suggested "All of what you just said simply proves you know how to think ahead. You already showed off your leadership skills when we were looking for the Elements of Harmony, and this is just further proof of how good of a leader you really are."

"You think so, huh?" Shining Armor asked.

"We know so." Fancy Pants replied "So throw those worries away, and let's get going."

"Well, alright. But I've got a bad feeling about all of this." Shining Armor said, as he and his friends set off again.

* * *

At last, the six stallions reached the top. A small cave was all that stood before them, and it was obvious to everyone what lurked inside it.

"This is it men!" Shining Armor said firmly "The dragon is right inside that cave."

"All we have to do now is go in there and get that dragon to leave!" Soarin boldly stated.

"Peacefully!" Shining Armor reminded him.

"I was just about to say that." Soarin replied.

"What are your orders, Shining?" Big Macintosh asked.

"They are as follows." Shining Armor explained "Soarin, I want you to start getting to work on clearing up the smoke. I'm sure the pegasi will appreciate that they're no longer fighting a losing battle."

"Consider it done!" Soarin said boldly, and flew up into the smoke.

"Fancy Pants, Braeburn, you guys be ready with a distraction in case we need it." Shining Armor instructed.

"Sounds good to me." Fancy Pants replied.

"Same here, now I'll have a chance to use this baby." Braeburn stated, and pulled out a rubber chicken. Shining Armor and Fancy Pants said nothing as he played around with it, like a dog plays with a chew toy.

"Big Macintosh, with your impressive bucking skills, you're the ideal pony to fend off the dragon should it attack. Keep in mind however, that you are only to defend yourself, and the rest of us." Shining Armor instructed.

"No worries, I can handle it." Big Macintosh said "They don't call me Big Mac for nothing!" To prove his point, he took out two apples he'd brought for a snack, tossed them into the air, and used his back legs to kick them as they came down. They hit a nearby tree, and splattered on impact.

"And what about me?" Thunderlane asked.

"Thunderlane, you'll play the most important part. You're going to assist me with my task." Shining Armor explained "The two of us should hopefully be able to convince the dragon to leave, and there won't be any need for Big Macintosh's 'apple fu', or Fancy Pants and Braeburn's 'distraction'."

"Uh about that" Thunderlane said nervously "I suppose now is a bad time to point out that I'm terrified of dragons!"

"I figured you weren't looking forward to this, but why didn't you say something earlier?" Shining Armor asked "I never would've asked you to come along if I knew about this from the beginning."

"A part of me, and I really am growing to hate that part, wanted to prove to everyone that I was useful. And apparently, it thought this was the best way to do it." Thunderlane explained "I can't believe I was stupid enough to listen to it!"

"Well, if it makes you feel any better. I'm kind of afraid of the dragon as well." Shining Armor admitted.

"You're just saying that." Thunderlane said crossly.

"No I'm not. Trust me, I would never lie to a friend just to make them feel better." Shining Armor said innocently "I already stated how unsure I was about our luck."

"But that's different." Thunderlane replied "Your fear is justified, mine isn't."

"What are you talking about? Your fear makes much more sense then mine." Shining Armor said sincerely "Listen, if you don't want to assist me, that's perfectly fine. I would never ask anypony to do something that I wouldn't do myself. If you're not willing to talk to that dragon, then I'll go it alone."

"I'm sorry Shining Armor, I really am." Thunderlane apologized "I should've spoken up sooner."

"Stop beating yourself up, Thunderlane." Shining Armor said kindly "It took a lot of guts for you to make it all the way up here before deciding you couldn't go on. I can respect that."

"But are you really sure you can convince the dragon to leave all by yourself?" Thunderlane asked.

"I'm not 100 percent sure, but I have to give it my best shot." Shining Armor confessed "At least that way I can't say I didn't try. Wish me luck."

"I don't think you'll need luck." Big Macintosh replied.

"Well, only one way to find out. Here goes nothing." Shining Armor said nervously, and he went into the cave. Fortunately it wasn't very dark, so he could see where he was going. And it didn't take long for him to find the dragon. His red coat constrated quite sharply with the walls of the cave.

Shining Armor gulped, and plucked up courage "Uh, excuse me, Mr. Dragon?" he asked. The dragon's eyes opened, and he let out a slight yawn. It was pretty obvious he wasn't very happy to have been woken up. "Sorry to disturb you during what I'm sure is a very good nap. But it's just, well, you're doing an awful lot of snoring. And whenever you do, you send out a cloud of awful black smoke." The dragon snorted, smoke blew out of his nostrails. Shining Armor coughed and sputtered as the smoke enveloped him "Like that." he said "So, I'm here to ask, if you would kindly leave and find someplace where your smoke won't be a health hazard to everyone in Equestria. You understand, right?"

The dragon rose, and paused for a moment. Shining Armor looked up with interest, had he actually gotten through that easily? The dragon then layed back down with another yawn, and blew more smoke into Shining Armor's face. Apparently he either didn't understand the situation, or he didn't care. Shining Armor hoped it was the former.

* * *

"So much for just talking him into leaving. I guess I don't quite have the same charm as Fluttershy." Shining Armor said glumly.

"Ah, don't beat yourself up. You gave it your darn best shot." Fancy Pants said "But a situation like this simply calls for a little more 'charm' if you will."

"Remember what's important Fancy Pants." Shining Armor called.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Fancy Pants replied "Here goes a pro in action." And with that he went into the cave. "Pardon me Mr. Dragon. I know you're probably trying to enjoy your beauty sleep, but I can't help but notice that you have some very fine claws. Topped only by your most magnificent scales. Truly you are a sight to behold. And a thing of beauty such as yourself shouldn't be holed up in a cave like this." The dragon seemed to consider what Fancy Pants was saying, and looked like he was about to leave. Then Fancy Pants made his mistake "Of course, I'd be more than happy to safeguard your treasure until you return." That comment instantly angered the dragon, who swiped all of the treasure he could into his claws, before angrily growling at Fancy Pants.

"Not my finest moment." Fancy Pants sighed "I'm ashamed of myself, I'm better than that."

"That doesn't make up for the fact that you made that dragon even more angry than he already is." Shining Armor said crossly.

"I'm aware of that thank you." Fancy Pants said with a hint of anger. His thoughts were soon interrupted by what sounded like a party blower.

Everyone turned their attention to Braeburn, who was wearing a gaint brightly colored present. He was also wearing a pair of sassy glasses, and had a bunch of balloon animals tied to him.

"Uh Braeburn, not that I mean to be rude, but you look ridiculous." Fancy Pants commented.

"That's exactly the point." Braeburn replied "As Pinkie Pie always tells me, sharing a laugh is the fastest way to win someone over. Once I've done that, getting him to leave will be a breeze." He waddled into the cave before anyone could point out how absurd that idea was. "Hello Mr. Dragon!" Braeburn called cheerfully. The dragon was not pleased to see Braeburn at all. A few seconds later, Braeburn crawled out of the cave. His outfit completed ruined. "Apparently he's not really into laughing, or smiling for that matter. And that claw of his packs a real wallop."

"Okay that's it, no more Mr. Nice Pony! That dragon just crossed the line!" Soarin said furiously "No one does that to my friends and gets away with it! Time for Mr. Dragon to learn a lesson he'll never forget!" And with that, Soarin flew into the cave. Everyone else panicked. Soarin's actions were sure to make things worse.

"Soarin, wait!" Shining Armor called "Don't do it!" But it was too late.

"Hey you! Yeah you!" Soarin shouted at the dragon. The dragon was surprised to see Soarin looking so angry. "You've got some nerve picking on my friends like that! We tried to nice, we tried to be peaceful. But now you've left me no choice! If you won't leave willingly, then I'll just have to make you leave! Taste the painbow!" Soarin kicked the dragon hard in the snout. That certainly got his attention all right, but not in the way Soarin would've hoped.

The dragon woke up all the way, and glared angrily at Soarin. Soarin was now starting to regret his decision, big time. "Uh, he he, is it too late for us to be friends?" he asked sheepishly. The dragon replied by letting out a fierce roar. The roar was so powerful it sent Soarin flying backwards, causing him to crash into his friends, who fell like bowling pins.

"Now you've gone and done it!" Big Macintosh said angrily.

"Uh-oh! Here he comes! Everypony run!" Braeburn shouted. But his warning came too late. The dragon emerged from the cave, and sweeped his firey breath. If it weren't for the suits they were wearing Shining Armor and his friends would've been burnt to a crisp. That wasn't enough to stop them from being pushed back.

Thunderlane,(who had taken shelter behind a rock at the last second) was horrified when he saw that the blast had completely incapicated his friends. This made him cross, so cross in fact that he forgot all about being afraid of the dragon. "How dare you!" he bellowed "Now you listen here Mr. Dragon! You may be big, but that doesn't mean you have the right to be a bully! You might think that just because you have sharp teeth, thick scales, and firey breath, you can do anything! But you're wrong. YOU DO NOT! EVER! HURT MY FRIENDS! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

The dragon was silent for a moment. No one had ever spoken to him like that before, let alone a pony that wasn't even one tenth his size. Then he spoke up "But that one with the blue suit kicked me in the snout, and it hurt!"

"That's not an excuse for your behavior, two wrongs don't make a right! You're bigger than him, and should know better!" Thunderlane scolded "Now then, what do you have to say for yourself mister?!"

Those words seemed to touch a nerve, because the dragon burst into tears. Thunderlane's friends were amazed, they never would've believed this was possible if they weren't seeing it for themselves.

"There, there. It's okay. You're not a bad dragon at all, you just made a bad decision." Thunderlane said kindly "And you should know that you shouldn't be sleeping where your snoring can become a problem for others. Now, go pack your things, it's time for you to leave." The dragon did just that.

"That was incredible." Shining Armor stated "And you thought you weren't brave."

"I know, I still can't believe I did that." Thunderlane replied "But right for now I just hope Rumble's holding up okay, This is the longest he's ever been foalsat."

"I'm sure he's doing just fine." Big Macintosh said "Trust me, I speak from experience."

"Hey Thunderlane?" Soarin asked as the group made their journey back down the mountain "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry for the way I treated you throughout this mission. I had no right to do that, and I really shouldn't have lashed out at you for your fears. Can you ever forgive me for the way I acted?"

"Of course." Thunderlane replied "Like I said with the dragon, you're not bad, you just made some bad decisions. What's important is that you feel sorry for doing them, and are willing to admit it. I wouldn't be a good friend if I wasn't willing to forgive you for something you clearly regretted. Just don't let it happen again."

"I can't make any promises, but I'll try." Soarin said honestly.

* * *

"Oh, thank goodness you're back." Fluttershy said once Thunderlane had returned.

"Did Rumble give you a hard time?" Thunderlane asked.

"Actually no, he wasn't a hooffull at all." Fluttershy confessed "In fact, I think the two of us really bonded."

"Where is he now?" Thunderlane asked.

As if to answer his question Thunderlane heard the sound of a toilet being flushed. "I'm done, Fluttershy." Rumble called.

"Good boy Rumble, don't forget to wash your hooves." Fluttershy replied.

"I won't." Rumble called "Thanks again for all you did."

"Don't mention it, it was my pleasure." Fluttershy said sweetly.

"Did he let you help him with wiping?" Thunderlane asked. Fluttershy nodded "Wow, Rumble's never let anypony do that. Not even me. You're really good."

"It was nothing, really." Fluttershy said "I'd be glad to be his foalsitter on any occassion."

"Well, I'll have to ask Rumble what he thinks." Thunderlane said. He didn't have long to wait for his chance. Rumble came out of the bathroom a moment later.

"Hey, big brother." Rumble said sweetly "You're back already?"

"Yup, and I've got a proposal." Thunderlane said, smiling brightly "Apparently, Fluttershy here tells me you behaved well while I was gone. Is that true?"

"You betcha. She's the greatest foalsitter ever!" Rumble said excitedly.

"In that case, how would you like Fluttershy to be your go to foalsitter from now?" Thunderlane asked.

Rumble was speechless "Do you really mean it?" he asked.

"Of course." Thunderlane said sweetly "As long as that's okay with you."

"Are you kiding?! Of course that's okay with me!" Rumble replied.

"Well then, congratulations Fluttershy, you've got the job!" Thunderlane said.

"Oh thank you big brother! Thank you so much!" Rumble said happily.

"No need to thank me." Thunderlane said sweetly "Now come on, let's go home. Just wait til you hear what your big brother did while Fluttershy was looking after you. It's quite a story."


	17. Chapter 17: The Sleepover

"Dag nab it! I didn't plan on coming back to Ponyville only for it rain!" Braeburn complained to himself. The instant he had returned from Appleloosa he had been greeted with the sight of rain clouds, and what appeared to be a doozy of a downpour. Lightning and thunder were not far behind, and had forced the earth pony to seek shelter in the safety of the Ponyville train station interior. All Braeburn could do now was sit around, moping and feeling miserable.

"Cousin Braeburn? Cousin Braeburn?" a voice called out, breaking Braeburn away from his thoughts.

"Huh, that's funny." Braeburn said to himself "I swear I can hear cousin Big Macintosh calling my name. But that's not possible. If I know my cousin as well as I do, I know he's not one to be out and about in the middle of a thunderstorm. The solitude must be gettin' to me."

"Cousin Braeburn, where are you?!" the voice called out again "I know you're here somewhere!"

"Okay, now I know for sure I heard **THAT**." Braeburn said to himself "But why would Cousin Big Macintosh be lookin' for me when it's so nasty outside?"

Suddenly, who should appear in the view of a nearby window, but Big Macintosh? He was dressed from head to hooves in a yellow rain poncho, and was holding an umbrella. Braeburn could hardly believe his eyes. Even so, he opened the door of the station, despite his better judgement.

"There you are!" Big Macintosh said sternly upon entering the interior of the station "I've been lookin' all over for you!"

"You have?" Braeburn asked.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied.

"But why?" Braeburn asked "It's wet, windy, and stormy outside. You should be back at Sweet Apple Acres, not wanderin' about lookin' for me."

"Granny Smith recieved your letter about your visit this mornin', and she got pretty worried when you didn't show up before the storm rolled in." Big Macintosh explained "So she sent me out to go look for you and bring you back here. She feared you might have gotten lost."

"Ah gee, I didn't mean to make Granny Smith worry so much." Braeburn said honestly "I remember how much she panicked the one time I was foalsittin' Apple Bloom when she was a baby, and she disappeared on me while I was usin' the bathroom. Granny never lets me forget that. That's probably why she stopped lettin' me foalsit."

"If you think that's bad, you haven't seen anythin' yet." Big Macintosh said, resisting the urge to chuckle at the embarassing story Braeburn had told him. Granny Smith had actually forgiven Braeburn for that panic attack, but Braeburn didn't know this. She planned to tell him eventually, but she couldn't resist messing with Braeburn every now and then. After all, ever since Appleloosa had been founded, Braeburn had visited less and less often.

"Granny Smith's gonna be real ticked off with me isn't she?" Braeburn asked.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied, chuckling a little "But don't worry, I'll stop her if she tries to bury you six feet under."

"That's not funny, cousin Big Macintosh." Braeburn said furiously "Let's not forget who knows about a certain somepony's interest in sleepin' with stuffed animals, even though he's a fully grown stallion."

"Hey! Everypony has their secrets!" Big Macintosh snorted "Besides, I've grown out of it. Mostly. Now come on, this storm ain't gonna let up anytime soon. And the longer we stand around here talkin', the more we'll keep the guys waiting."

"What do you mean?" Braeburn asked as Big Macintosh hoofed him the umbrella, and the two of them set off for Sweet Apple Acres.

"Well, since Soarin's on vacation, and Shining's Armor in Canterlot with Fancy Pants and Spike for a week, Thunderlane and I thought it would be a good idea to have a sleep over." Big Macintosh explained.

"A sleepover, really?" Braeburn asked "Aren't we a bit old for that sort of thing?"

"Oh, come on cousin Braeburn." Big Macintosh said innocently "There's no age limit to sleepovers, not between friends at least."

"I don't know." Braeburn replied nervously.

"It'll be fun, a sort of guys only night so to speak." Big Macintosh suggested "We'll play games, tell ghost stories, and even make smores. And let me tell you, Granny Smith may be old, but her recipes for homemade smores are simply to die for."

"Well why didn't you say that in the first place?" Braeburn asked "Come on, let's go! Those smores sound so good I can almost taste them!"

"Slow down Braeburn!" Big Macintosh called as Braeburn took off "There's plenty of time!"

"Yes, but the sooner we get there the sooner we can eat those smores!" Braeburn replied, and continued running as fast as his legs would let him. Completely ignoring the numerous puddles he was splashing his way through.

" _And yet somehow he's able to live on his own in a town in the middle of a desert?_ " Big Macintosh thought to himself.

* * *

By the time the two of them arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, the wind was hollowing and the rain was coming down hard. Lightning flashed, and thunder clapped. The storm seemed to be getting stronger by the minute.

"Here we are." Big Macintosh said, as he and Braeburn approached the front door "Before you go inside, make sure you ain't bringing any mud in with you. That stuff isn't easy to wash out once it reaches the floorboards."

"Don't worry, I made sure not to step in any mud puddles." Braeburn said cheerfully "My hooves are as clean as a whistle. Now let's get inside. This storm sure looks like it's shapin' up to be rather nasty. I just hope the pegasi know what they're doin'."

"Relax. Rainbow Dash is captain of the weather team. I'm sure she has everything under control." Big Macintosh replied, and knocked on the door.

Granny Smith was there to greet them. "So, you finally decided to show up, huh Braeburn?" she asked "You let anymore foals nearly fall into the toilet?"

"Hey, for all you know Apple Bloom could've just been tryin' to get a head start on her potty trainin'!" Braeburn said crossly.

"Sure sure, never mind the fact that she could've been flushed!" Granny Smith scolded.

"But she wasn't, and that's all that matters!" Braeburn retorted.

"Give it a rest, Granny, I think Braeburn learned his lesson from that experience." Big Macintosh said, defusing the situation and giving Granny Smith a knowing wink to indicate that he didn't approve of her behavior.

"Indeed he did." Granny Smith replied "Besides, it's in the past. Now don't just stand there, come on in!" Big Macintosh did so happily, but Braeburn was much more reluctant.

Perhaps this sleepover wasn't such a good idea, if all it would do was bring him into more arguements with Granny Smith. He'd been lucky enough to avoid her during the Apple Family reunion, but now he only had Big Macintosh to protect himself. Which begged the question of just where the heck Applejack was?

"Applejack must've been invited to spend the night somewhere." Granny Smith said to herself "Cause there's no way she's foolish enough to stay outside on a night like this."

"I was just about to ask where Cousin Applejack was." Braeburn stated.

"The last we heard, she told us she was goin' out to help prep the park for the storm." Big Macintosh explained "Haven't heard a word about her whereabouts since, but she can take care of herself."

"And what about Cousin Apple Bloom?" Braeburn asked.

"She's up in her room, workin' on her homework." Granny Smith explained "You, Big Mac, and your friend Thunderlane get the new cider cellar all to yourselves for your little slumber party. It's actually pretty cosy down there."

"I'll be the judge of that." Braeburn said with a laugh.

* * *

As it turned out, Granny Smith wasn't lying. Not only was the cider cellar cozy, but it was also rather large. On top of that, it was connected to not only the outside, but also the house, and the barn. It had been specifically built that way so that the cider stored there could be easily accessed at any point.

"Braeburn!" Thunderlane exclaimed happily "So glad you could make it!"

"Aw shucks, it was nothing." Braeburn said sweetly "But could you perhaps stop hugging me? You're kind of crushing me."

"Woops! Sorry about that." Thunderlane apologized "I'm just so excited to have you here."

"Really?" Braeburn asked.

"Yeah. The last time I saw you was when we had to deal with that dragon." Thunderlane explained "You left for Appleloosa the very next day, and you've been gone for quite some time."

"Sorry about that, guess I need to start writin' more often." Braeburn said sincerely "How's Rumble been doin'?"

"He's been doing great! He especially loves spending time with Fluttershy." Thunderlane said with a smile "In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if he sees Fluttershy as something of a motherly figure because of how sweet she is."

"And let me guess, he's staying over at her place tonight?" Braeburn asked.

"Uh-huh, and I'll bet he and Fluttershy are having a wonderful time." Thunderlane replied.

"Well, now that you're both here I think this sleepover can officially begin." Big Macintosh spoke up.

"Can we start with the smores?" Braeburn asked "Cause I really want to taste them!"

"Not yet. How about we start off with a little bit of 'Truth or Dare'?" Big Macintosh suggested "The rules are simple, if you say truth you have to respond honestly to any question anyone else asks you. And if you say dare, you have to do whatever you're dared to do. If you don't do either, you're out."

"Sounds alright to me." Thunderlane nodded "How about you, Braeburn?"

"Oh, alright." Braeburn sighed "Just don't ask me anything too embarassin' if I pick truth, understand?"

"Yes sir." Thunderlane replied.

"I understand perfectly." Big Macintosh nodded "So then, I'll go first. Truth or Dare, Thunderlane?"

"I think I'll go with Truth." Thunderlane said instantly "Ask away."

"Okay, since we're just beginning I'll go easy on you." Big Macintosh said, and began to think of a question. After a moment of consideration he asked "Why exactly do you like spending so much time with Fluttershy?"

"That's simple. Fluttershy is so kind, so sweet, and so caring." Thunderlane answered "Plus, she's amazing with animals."

"I might've guessed." Big Macintosh said sweetly "Okay, Thunderlane, now it's your turn."

"Alrighty" Thunderlane said, and turned to Braeburn "Truth or Dare, Braeburn?"

* * *

The game of "Truth or Dare" went on for a little while. Eventually, Big Macintosh ended it when Braeburn very nearly got caught after being dared to steal one of Apple Bloom's bows. He still couldn't believe he'd managed to hide it from Granny Smith. For some reason, he felt like she was watching him. But he didn't say this to the others, thinking they would just laugh and dismiss the idea.

"Can we make the smores now?" Braeburn asked "I'm startin' to get hungry." The response to his question was a sudden clap of thunder, and the lights went out.

"Hey, who killed the lights?" Thunderlane asked "Please, turn them back on."

"Not right now, because now it's time for scary ghost stories." Big Macintosh said in a spooky voice, as he lit a lantern.

"Ghost stories?" Thunderlane asked nervously.

"Eeyup. It wouldn't be a sleepover without em." Big Macintosh explained.

"I don't know about that." Braeburn commented.

"Don't tell me you're scared." Big Macintosh teased.

"Scared? Me? Of course not!" Braeburn said boldly "I'm just, worried about Thunderlane, that's all."

"I'll be fine, I think." Thunderlane replied.

"Good." Big Macintosh said with a smile "Cause this story is guranteed to give you a fright. Heck, first time I heard it, it was terrifying enough to scare even **ME**!"

"Oh boy!" Thunderlane said nervously, scooting closer to Braeburn.

"Now, let me see if I remember this correctly." Big Macintosh said, and began to tell his story.

* * *

The story lasted for quite a while, and by the time it began to wrap up, Braeburn and Thunderlane were all but hugging each other for security.

"And then, when the last pony thought she was safe from harm. The olden pony suddenly walked up to her, and said in her screchy old voice 'Whose got my rusty horseshoe?!'. And that mare was never seen, or heard from, ever again." Big Macintosh narrated.

There was another clap of thunder, and Thunderlane was barely able to restrain himself from screaming. "That was really scary." he said nervously.

"It is at first, but once you start hearin' it enough you realize how silly it really is." Braeburn commented "So, are we gonna get to the smores now?"

"One more thing, and then we'll make em." Big Macintosh promised "I trust you all have a sleepin' bag and a pillow?"

"Uh-huh." Braeburn and Thunderlane nodded.

"Good, cause it's time for a pillow fight!" Big Macintosh proclaimed.

"Oh goodie!" Thunderlane cheered, and hurled a pillow straight at Big Macintosh. "That's for tellin' that ghost story!"

"Oh, you're gonna regret that, Thunderlane!" Big Macintosh shouted, and launched a pillow at Thunderlane, who dodged it.

"You couldn't hit the broadside of a barn!" Thunderlane taunted, only for another pillow to suddenly strike him. "Lucky shot, Big Macintosh!"

"That wasn't me!" Big Macintosh stated "I swear!"

"Yeah right, and next you'll be expecting me to believe it was the one hoofed pony!" Thunderlane said crossly.

"I wasn't goin' to say that!" Big Macintosh stated.

"Likely story!" Thunderlane said angrily. Just then, another pillow struck him.

"See? It's not me." Big Macintosh explained.

"But if you're not the one throwing them, who is?" Thunderlane asked.

"Who do you think?" Big Macintosh asked.

"All's fair in love, war, and pillow fights!" Braeburn shouted, flinging pillows at both Big Macintosh and Thunderlane.

"You're a dead stallion for that, Braeburn!" Thunderlane bellowed, as he and Big Macintosh each grabbed a pillow and prepared to strike back against Braeburn.

* * *

The pillow fight raged on for quite a while, despite there only being three participants. Eventually, it ended, in a three way tie. Much to the surprise of everyone involved.

"That was fun." Braeburn said, nearly out of breath.

"Yeah. We should do that with the other guys, assuming we can invite them to the next sleepover." Thunderlane suggested.

"Interestin' idea." Big Macintosh commented "But for now, let's move on to the final thing."

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Braeburn asked.

"Eeyup. Time for smores." Big Macintosh replied.

"Finally! I've been waitin' all night for this moment!" Braeburn shouted.

"Settle down Braeburn, first thing's first." Big Macintosh explained "We've gotta make the smores before we can eat em."

"I knew that." Braeburn commented.

"Well then, you're welcome to help out. So long as you're okay with doing what Granny Smith tells you to do." Big Macintosh stated.

"Did you say Granny Smith?" Braeburn asked.

"Sure did." Big Macintosh nodded.

"On second thought, I think I'll just wait until the smores are ready." Braeburn said nervously.

"Nice try Braeburn, you ain't talking your way out of this one." Big Macintosh said, and dragged Braeburn upstairs "Now come on!"

"Well, guess it's been nice knowin' me." Braeburn sighed, admitting defeat and preparing himself for whatever Granny Smith tried to do to him.

" _Okay Granny, now's your chance to make things right with Braeburn. After all, he_ _ **IS**_ _family. Even if he is a total goofball._ " Big Macintosh thought to himself.

"Finally decided you're ready for those smores?" Granny Smith asked.

"Eeyup. Braeburn here can hardly wait." Big Macintosh replied "But I'm sure with your help he'll do fine. Especially since there's somethin' I think you'd like to tell him."

"Indeed there is." Granny Smith nodded "Come on, Braeburn! Time's a wastin', so let's get bakin'!"

"You're..not goin' to kill me?" Braeburn asked.

"Now why in tarnation would I do that?" Granny Smith chuckled "It's not like you did anythin' truly awful."

"So, you're not still mad with me for the whole close call with Apple Bloom thing?" Braeburn asked nervously.

"Course not. Heck, I wasn't even mad at you to begin with." Granny Smith explained "Turns out you were right about Apple Bloom. Few weeks after that incident she was out of diapers, much faster than I ever expected."

"Really?" Braeburn asked.

"You betcha." Granny Smith said happily "Besides, I remember a certain little colt who actually **DID** get flushed, on purpose."

"Who are you talkin' about?" Braeburn asked, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks.

"Why you of course." Granny Smith chuckled "Don't you remember? You and Big Macintosh were playing truth or dare as foals, and you dared him to flush you. And he did. He told me afterwards that you enjoyed it, and that you wanted to flush him. But he refused. I still have a photo of the toilet, with your first hat floatin' in it, because it was too big to fit through the pipes. That's how I knew Big Macintosh wasn't lyin'."

"Granny, you're embarassin' me!" Braeburn whinned.

"All in good fun Braeburn." Granny Smith chuckled "After all, now that you're off livin' in Appleloosa I rarely get to see you. And I certainly ain't gettin' any younger."

"If you missed me that badly, all you had to do was write." Braeburn said.

"I tried, but I didn't know where you lived." Granny Smith acknowledged.

"Well, I'll see to it that I correct that mistake." Braeburn said honestly.

"Good, good. Now why don't we stop with the talkin' and get to the bakin'?" Granny Smith asked.

"It's like you can read my mind, Granny Smith!" Braeburn said happily.

"Then let's get to work!" Granny Smith shouted.

* * *

Now that Braeburn knew Granny Smith no longer had it out for him he could really enjoy himself. And before long, time began to fly. Soon, the smores were ready. And Braeburn enjoyed eating them with Big Macintosh and Thunderlane.

After that, it was time for bed. And despite the ghost story, sleep came easily for everyone.

The following day dawned bright and sunny, and all traces of the storm from the night before had completely vanished. And shortly after breakfast had finished, who should show up at the front door, but Applejack?

"Well it's about time, where the hay have you been?" Granny Smith asked.

"I spent the night at Twilight's place with her and Rarity." Applejack confessed "And let me tell you, you would not believe what happened."

"After everythin' I've seen in all my years I doubt anythin' you've been through could top it." Granny Smith said "But by all means, go ahead and tell me."

"Well, I should warn you, it's goin' to be a long story." Applejack stated.

"I've got time for it, and so does everyone else. Let's hear it." Granny Smith encouraged.

"Well, it all started when I was helpin' to prep the park for the storm." Applejack said, and she began to tell her story.


	18. Chapter 18: Zecora, The Odd Enchantress

"Ah, what a glorious day." Shining Armor said to himself, marveling at the fine weather that been around since shortly after the sun rose.

"Rainbow Dash must've gotten up early for once and cleared all the clouds away." Spike commented.

"Wouldn't surprise me in the least if she did so because the rest of the weather team kept yaking her ear off about it." Shining Armor chuckled "It's incredible how much time she spends sleeping. And when she's not sleeping she's usually attempting some daredevil stunt. If I ever start acting like her please smack me in the face, hard if you have to."

"Relax, that would **NEVER** happen." Spike reassured Shining Armor "You're smart enough to not be reckless."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Spike." Shining Amor said kindly "I sure have missed having you by my side."

"Hey, what are friends for?" Spike asked "Guys like us have to stick together."

"Except for when I catch you making goggly eyes at Rarity." Shining Armor teased "You know, if you have a crush on her you can just admit it."

"I do not have a crush on Rarity!" Spike huffed "I just, can't stop looking at her, that's all."

"It's nothing to r embarassed about Spike." Shining Armor replied.

"Easy for you to say, you don't have a mare that consumes your waking thoughts." Spike said crossly.

"Well actually, I do." Shining Armor admitted "But it's been so long since I've seen her."

"Who are you talking about?" Spike asked.

"Princess Cadence." Shining Armor explained "She used to be Twilight's foalsitter, and let me tell you, she was absolutely gorgeous. Not to mention, she was the adopted niece of Princess Celestia. And she was much nicer then that royal pain, Prince Blueblood. But ever since I've moved to Ponyville I haven't had the chance to see her. It wouldn't surprise me if she's moved on, and found someone else."

"Considering the fact that, Twilight told me how often you two liked to make out, I doubt Cadence has forgotten about you." Spike reasured Shining Armor.

"I hope you're right Spike." Shining Armor sighed "Because as bad as your crush is I think mine is even worse. I've even had dreams about the two of us getting married and living in a crystal castle."

"Wow, I guess that _is_ pretty bad." Spike admitted.

"Yeah." Shining Armor said. Then he began to notice something. Despite the beautiful weather, nopony seemed to be out and about. In fact, if Shining Armor didn't know any better, he would've thought he had somehow stumbled into a ghost town of some sort. "Where is everypony?" he asked.

"Beats me." Spike shrugged.

"There must be a reason." Shining Armor pondered "But what?"

"Is it some sort of holiday?" Spike asked.

"Probably not." Shining Armor stated "Considering how hyper-organized Twilight is I dobut we would miss such an important date."

"Does my breath stink?" Spike asked, belching slightly.

"No more than usual." Shining Armor said "And did you really need to do that?"

"Sorry." Spike apologized.

"It's alright. Just, don't do that again without a warning." Shining Armor said firmly.

"Got it." Spike replied.

"I still don't have an answer for my question." Shining Armor went on "What could it be?"

"Maybe it's, zombies!" Spike said nervously.

"Zombies? Get serious, Spike!" Shining Armor retorted "Everyone knows zombies don't exist."

Suddenly, from out of the blue a voice called out to Shining Armor. "Psst. Shining Armor, over here. Quickly." To Shining Armor the voice sounded like Pinkie Pie, except much softer.

"Did you hear that, Spike?" Shining Armor asked nervously.

"Hear what?" Spike asked.

"Psst. Shining Armor, come here. Quickly!" the voice called out again.

"Okay, I _know_ I heard that." Shining Armor said, looking all around.

"Shining Armor! In here, quickly! Before _she_ sees you!" the voice called yet again. This time it was accompanied by the appearance of Pinkie Pie, who was standing at the doorway of Sugarcube Corner. What reason could she have for getting Shining Armor's attention?

Determined to find out just what was going on, Shining Armor trotted over to Sugarcube Corner, and was suddenly pulled inside. For some reason, all of the lights were off.

"Oh, thank goodness I found you in time." Pinkie Pie said, a hint of relief in her voice.

"Pinkie?! What's going on here? And what are you doing all alone in the dark?" Shining Armor asked.

"I'm not all alone in the dark, silly." Pinkie Pie replied.

"What do you mean?" Shining Armor asked.

"Ahem." a familiar voice said. Shining Armor looked around, and found himself surrounded by all of his friends, as well as Apple Bloom.

"Guys?" Shining Armor asked.

"Hello." Braeburn replied.

"What in the world of Equestria is going on here?!" Shining Armor asked, completely confused.

"Zecora, that's what." Soarin explained.

Shining Armor was still confused "Who or what is this Zecora? And what does it have to do with all of this?" he asked.

"Take a look for yourself, if you dare." Big Macintosh said, pulling back the curtains on one of the windows.

Shining Armor looked out, and in the distance he saw a strange figure. Whether it was a he or a she Shining Armor couldn't tell, the figure's face was obscured by a brown hood of some sort. Suddenly, the figure stopped pawing at the ground and glared directly at Shining Armor. All of his friends, as well as Pinkie Pie, Spike, and Apple Bloom, flinched at the sight.

When the figure was certain no one was looking, it removed its hood. Revealing a head of white fur covered in black stripes. Judging from the appearance, the figure appeared to be female. But what was a female zebra doing in Ponyville?

"Well." Fancy Pants encouraged, breaking the silence.

"Well what?" Shining Armor asked.

"Surely you saw why everyone is so terrified of her." Fancy Pants explained.

"I can't say I do." Shining Armor said honestly "I see nothing that makes her look like a threat."

"But those stripes, they aren't natural. Nopony would ever wear such clashing colors." Fancy Pants commented.

"That's because she isn't a pony." Shining Armor explained "She's a zebra, and those stripes are anything but a fashion choice. As a matter of fact, she's born with them."

"How do you know what a zebra is?" Big Macintosh asked.

"I've seen them in some of the books Twily reads." Shining Armor explained "The only thing I'm really curious about is, if she's been living in Ponyville all this time, why haven't I seen her around before?"

"That's the thing." Braeburn gulped "She doesn't live in Ponyville."

Shining Armor was confused "But if she doesn't live in Ponyville, then where _does_ she live?"

"She lives in The Everfree Forest." Big Macintosh stated, looking rather nervous.

"What?!" Shining Armor gasped "Impossible!"

"No, it's true. Several ponies can easily confirm that." Soarin said "Heck, I've even see her enter and exit that forest several times."

"I guess that explains the hood." Shining Armor stated "But then, if she lives in The Everfree Forest, why does she come down here?"

"Hay if I know." Braeburn confessed.

"None of you know anything about her?" Shining Armor asked his friends.

"Can you blame us?" Fancy Pants asked "Her living place, it just isn't natural."

"Clouds move." Soarin comented.

"Plants grow." Big Macintosh continued.

"And animals thrive." Thunderlane stated.

"All on their own!" Soarin, Big Macintosh, and Thunderlane finished all at the same time. Fancy Pants looked about ready to faint.

"And that creepy enchantress Zecora lives there doing her, creepy voodoo stuff." Braeburn went on "Why, she's so wicked I even made up a song about her."

"Ahem." Pinkie Pie said, casting a faint glare in Braeburn's direction.

"With some help from Pinkie Pie of course." Braeburn acknowledged. "And this is how it goes."

"Oh joy." Shining Armor replied sarcastically, as Braeburn began to sing:

 _She's an evil enchantress, and she does evil dances._

 _And if you look deep in her eyes, she'll put you into trances._

 _Then what will she do? She'll mix up an evil brew._

 _And then she'll gobble you up, in a big tasty stew._

 _SOOOOOOOO, WATCH OUT!_

Braeburn concluded his little 'song' by standing on one of the tables, his front hooves rised up high. He was panting wildly.

"Wow, that's...catchy." Shining Armor complimented, unsure of what else to say.

"Thanks, it's a work in progress." Braeburn explained.

"It sounds ridiculous if you ask me." Apple Bloom commented "For all we know Zecora could actually be nice."

"I'd like to believe that myself, Apple Bloom." Big Macintosh replied "But she ain't exactly makin' herself look good by doin' of all this stuff."

"Well I agree with Apple Bloom." Shining Armor stated "Unless there's something about this I don't understand. So why don't you all tell me just what it is you've actually seen Zecora **DO**?"

"Well, at least once a month she comes down here from The Everfree Forest." Soarin explained.

"You don't say." Shining Armor replied sarcastically.

"Then, she approaches the shops." Fancy Pants continued.

"Oh no, not the shops!" Shining Armor replied in an obviously fake dramatiac tone.

"And then, she just kind of, digs at the ground." Thunderlane concluded.

"Good gracious!" Shining Armor replied, in the same tone as before "I'm sorry, but none of that is actually incriminating. It all sounds like you're just scared of her because she's different."

"That's not true!" Soarin snapped.

"Well maybe if somepony were brave enough to actually approach Zecora, we would know the truth!" Shining Armor suggested.

Unheard by anyone Apple Bloom said "I'm brave." Deciding that Shining Armor was right she slipped away from Sugarcube Corner while no one was looking.

"She's completely creepy." Braeburn said "I've heard someponies say she eats hay."

"Braeburn, you do realize that you and I eat hay as well, right?" Shining Armor asked.

"Of course, I was referring to the _evil_ way Zecora eats hay." Braeburn explained.

"There's _no_ way to eat hay evily!" Shining Armor said crossly "Now you're just making stuff up."

"But what about the digging? Surely that must be proof enough that she's up to something." Soarin suggested.

"Maybe she's just looking for innocent creatures?" Thunderlane suggested.

"And why would she be doin' that in the middle of Ponyville?" Big Macintosh asked.

"It was just a suggestion." Thunderlane said sheepishly.

"A very poor one if you ask me." Big Macintosh said "Right, Apple Bloom?"

There was no reply. "Apple Bloom?" Big Macintosh called. Again, there was no reply. "She's gone!" Big Macintosh exclaimed.

"What?!" everyone else gasped.

"You mean, she's out there with, Zecora?" Thunderlane gulped.

"Probably." Big Macintosh nodded "Oh man, Applejack is gonna kill me when she finds out about this!"

"There's no time to waste!" Shining Armor said firmly, taking charge of the situation "We must find Apple Bloom, at once! Spike, you and Pinkie Pie stay here, in case Apple Bloom returns!"

"Can do!" Spike replied.

"Yes sir, boss!" Pinkie Pie replied happily.

"Good." Shining Armor said "The rest of you, come with me! Apple Bloom couldn't have gotten far!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Apple Bloom was trying to do exactly what Shining Armor had suggested. Follow Zecora. But although she thought that most of the other ponies were being too paranoid about Zecora, she was still nervous. She tailed the zebra at a distance, extremly worried about what might happen if she was discovered. Maybe Zecora wasn't an evil enchantress, but chances were she still didn't like being stalked like some wild animal. The fact that she lived in The Everfree Forest of all places made it all the more obvious she prefered to be alone.

" _This is the craziest thing I've ever done._ " Apple Bloom thought to herself " _I just hope Big Mac and the others aren't right about Zecora. Cause if they are, well, I don't even wanna think about what might happen._ "

Eventually, Zecora approached the edge of The Everfree Forest, and ventured into it. Reluctantly, despite repeated warnings from her family, Apple Bloom entered the forest. It didn't take long for her to spot Zecora.

Before Apple Bloom could go any further however, a familiar voice called out "And just where do you think you're goin', young mare?!" Apple Bloom gasped.

"You get back here this instant!" Big Macintosh shouted "Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you could've gotten yourself into?!"

Zecora, aware of the comotion, stopped right in her tracks. The ponies couldn't see her face, as she had pulled up her hood the moment she entered the forest. But they heard her loud and clear as she shouted out "Beware! Beware, you pony folk! For those leaves of blue are not a joke!"

"Was that supposed to scare us?" Soarin taunted "Cause it didn't work."

"You keep that cryptic nonsense to yourself, you hear me?!" Big Macintosh shouted.

Zecora didn't seem to care what Soarin and Big Macintosh had just said, as once again she said "Beware! Beware I say!" and she slowly disappeared into a rising mist.

"It's you and your lame curses that better beware!" Soarin snapped back.

"Will you guys knock it off?! She's already gone!" Apple Bloom shouted.

"Apple Bloom, you and I need to have a little talk!" Big Macintosh said crossly "Just what do you mean by runnin' off on me like that?! You could've gotten yourself killed!"

"I'm sorry I just-" Apple Bloom began.

"Sorry doesn't fix it!" Big Macintosh snapped "Just wait til Granny Smith hears about this! You'll be in big trouble!"

"I'm just glad that Zecora didn't place some kind of nasty curse on her." Fancy Pants commented.

"You guys, I told you before!" Shining Armor said crossly "There's no such thing as curses! They're just a bunch of nonsense!"

"Big words coming from a guy like you!" Soarin stated.

"Oh come on, you can **NOT** be this thickheaded!" Shining Armor said, face hoofing "There's a difference between curses and the magic of unicorns. Unicorn magic is real, it's a talent. It's something you're born with for crying out loud! Curses are the exact opposite. They're smoke and mirrors. Illusions. They're meant to decieve and scare! Curses have no real power. They're just conjured up by potions and incantations, and they're nothing more than urban legend!"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I've come to learn that there are some things in life that have no explanation." Big Macintosh stated "So just you wait, Shining Armor. I get the feeling you're goin' to learn that urban legends just might be true. And when that happens, don't come cryin' to me. Now, I'd better get Apple Bloom home before she wanders off on me again."

"Curses, as if." Shining Armor said mockingly. But deep down, a part of him wasn't so sure curses were made up. What if curses actually _were_ true? That was a thought that tormented him to no end. And as a result, when he finally fell asleep, he was treated to a dream unlike any other.

* * *

The next day dawned as bright and as sunny as the previous day. Hardly a sign of things to come.

Shining Armor stumbled awake, feeling very groggy. He had not slept very well last night, and his mane easily reflected just how out of it he really was. "Boy, that was some dream." Shining Armor said to himself, yawning slightly.

Troting over to his bedroom mirror, Shining Armor quickly got a good look at his mane, and how messy it was. Remebering the dream, and the events from yesterday, he chuckled to himself "Maybe Zecora cursed my hair." He proceeded to light up his horn, only to find that, for some reason, it wouldn't spark. Something was not right. Shining Armor's horn had never failed to light up since he completed magic kindergarten. Pulling back his mane a bit, Shining Armor gasped when he discovered the source of his problem. His horn now lay limp, felt extremly soft to the touch, and was covered in the most fillyish pink spots.

Now, Shining Armor was normally a very calm and collected pony, who rarely lost his cool. Even when he had been subjected to some of the harshest training imaginable (when he volunteered for the royal guard), he had managed to keep his emotions in check. But a situation like this, which defied all logic explanation, was too much for him to take. He screamed at the top of his lungs. He was really gald the only ones who heard him were Spike, and his sister Twilight. If somepony like Rainbow Dash heard him shriek, he would never live it down.

"What's wrong, B.B.B.F.F?" Twilight asked "Are you hurt?"

"My horn!" Shining Armor complained "Just look at it!"

"I'd rather not, it looks pretty messed up." Spike said, trying, and failing to hold back a laugh.

"It's not funny, Spike!" Shining Armor said furiously "My horn was perfectly fine when I went to bed, and when I woke up it was like this. Someone, or something, is responsbile for this! And I want to know what!"

"There's got to be a book in the library that has the answers." Twilight suggested "Why don't you come downstairs and we'll see what we can find?"

"Well, it's not like there's anything else I can do in this state." Shining Armor said, slowly regaining his composure "Let's get to work!"

* * *

Several minutes passed, but Shining Armor and Twilight failed to find anything that could explain what had happened to Shining Armor's horn, or how to cure it (if a cure was possible).

"Arrgh! This is ridiculous!" Twilight groaned "There's got to be a logic explanation for this, but none of the books I've read have the answer!"

"Well what about this one?" Spike asked, holding up a book. The title was _Super Naturals_.

"Spike! 'Super Naturals' refers to things like curses and hexes, and voodoo stuff like that!" Twilight said angrily "That's not going to tell us what we need to know!"

"I don't know, Twilight, I think Spike might be on to something," Shining Armor suggested "As I recall, Sherlock Hooves once famously said 'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.' I don't want to believe that we're actually dealing with curses. But if we can't find anything else then curses is pretty much the only explanation left."

"Well, I guess you're right." Twilight said reluctantly "But something tells me this **ISN'T** a curse! I just wish I knew what it actually was!"

"It's ah pfurse!" Braeburn shouted, having arrived at the library just a moment ago.

"Uh, what was that?" Spike asked.

Shining Armor quickly noticed the problem. Braeburn's tonuge appeared to a bit larger than usual, and was covered in all sorts of sickly green spots. "Braeburn? How did this happen to you?"

"It's pee pah of Zthecora! Sthe put a cursthe on me!" Braeburn complained, spewing spit everywhere.

"Hey, say it, don't spray it!" Spike protested.

"Sothy." Braeburn apologized.

"Ow! What he's trying to say-ow! Is that someone-ow! Put a curse on us-ow!" Soarin explained, as he kept smacking into the outside walls with a series of audiable thuds "And I'll give you three gueses as to who's responsible-ow!" A moment later, Soarin crashed through the library door.

"Are you alright, Soarin?" Shining Armor asked.

"Barely." Soarin groaned "For some reason, the moment I woke up this morning my wings started flaping upside down. And because of that, every five seconds I'm crashing into something. And it's all thanks to that lousy zebra and her curse."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Soarin." Fancy Pants said reluctantly "Just look at my hair." He proceeded to blow his hair, which had become incredibly shaggy, out of his face. Spike screamed. Shining Armor tried not to laugh.

"Well, I hate to say I told you so, Shining Armor, but I told you so!" Big Macintosh said in a high pitched voice. The reason for this quickly became obvious. Big Macintosh had literally shrunk in size, to the point where he now had to stand on Apple Bloom's back just to be seen.

"Big Macintosh?" Shining Armor asked.

"More like Little Macintosh if you ask me." Spike chuckled.

"I don't like to state the obvious, but I'm pretty sure we all know who's behind this!" Big Macintosh said crossly "And this is no laughin' matter! We've all been cursed!"

"Not all of us." Shining Armor pointed out "Thunderlane over here seems to be perfectly fine."

"Indeed, he doesn't seem to be cursed." Fancy Pants acknowledged "Or perhaps he has been cursed, but he hasn't told us yet."

"Thunderlane? Are you okay?" Shining Armor asked. Thunderlane nervously shook his head, but said nothing. Shining Armor suspected something was up, but he didn't know what "Is there something wrong with you?" he asked. Thunderlane nodded his head nervously. "Would you care to tell us what it is? I mean, we can't help you if we don't know what's troubling you." Shining Armor explained. Thunderlane's only response was another shake of his head. Shining Armor was confused "So you're not gonna tell us at all?" Thunderlane nodded his head again. "Yes you're not gonna tell us? Or yes you are gonna tell us? Come on, give me a sign!" Shining Armor replied.

Big Macintosh lost patience "For cryin' out loud, spit it out!" he said sternly "What's wrong with ya?!"

Thunderlane sighed, and said "I really don't wanna talk about it." in an incredibly high pitched girly voice.

Spike couldn't help himself, and burst into a fit of laughter. "This is hilarious, I mean look at yourselves! We've got to come up with some good names for all of you. Let's see, how about: Hairy Pants, Crashin, Tounge Tied, Little Mac, Thundergirl, and...uh...I got nothin'. I mean seriously, how am I suppose to work with a name like Shining Armor?"

"Oh hardy har har." Shining Armor said sarcastically "Joke all you want, Spike, but this is serious. Something happened to us, and we need to find out what. And the more you sit around joking, the more you test the patience of my friends and I. So get back to looking before you make someone say or do something they'll regret."

"Okay, okay, don't be such a nag." Spike groaned, and went back to searching.

"Well, since it's obvious who planted this curse on us, I think it's obvious who we need to find to undo it." Soarin groaned.

"Soarin, If I've told you once, I've told a hundred times. There's no such thing as curses!" Shining Armor said crossly "I hate to sound like a broken record, but they don't exist! They're just made up!"

"Well, I agree with Soarin!" Big Macintosh spoke up "I don't wanna believe Zecora would do somethin' like this to us, but there's only one way to find out! We head into that forest, and find out whether or not that zebra is responsible for all of this!"

"Yeah! Even if we have to force her to remove this hex!" Fancy Pants chimed in.

"Hexes aren't real either!" Shining Armor complained. This led to a barrage of complaints and criticisms from everyone except Spike (who was too busy trying to come up with a good joke name for Shining Armor), and Apple Bloom.

" _This is all my fault._ " Apple Bloom thought to herself " _If I'd never followed Zecora into The Everfree Forest in the first place, none of this would've happened. I've got find a way to fix things, and I think I know who can help me._ " Once again, while no one was looking, Apple Bloom slipped away.

This time however, Apple Bloom wasn't able to escape completely unnoticed. "Now just where does that filly think she's wanderin' off to this time?" Big Macintosh asked himself, and slipped into Apple Bloom's mane. Apple Bloom didn't notice.

"Look, I don't care what you say Shining Armor!" Soarin stated "The time's come for us to pony up and confort Zecora directly! Who's with me?!"

"Ah am!" Braeburn shouted.

"And so am I." Fancy Pants replied.

"Uh, I don't know. I mean, it's awfully dangerous in that forest." Thunderlane said nervously. Spike let out a chuckle.

"And what about you, Big Macintosh?" Soarin asked, there was no reply "Big Macintosh?"

"He's gone!" Braeburn exclaimed.

Fancy Pants screamed "Somepony must've stepped on him!" Everyone began checking their hooves, looking for a red smear. They found nothing.

Then an awful thought struck Shining Armor "Or maybe sat on him?" he suggested. Everyone now began checking their rears, but they still din't find anything.

"He must be inside Fancy Pant's shaggy hair!" Soarin suggested "Someone check!"

"Oh! Ow! Watch the hair!" Fancy Pants complained, as Braeburn searched his shaggy mane for any sign of Big Macintosh "Haven't you ever heard of personal space Braeburn?"

"Am sorry." Braeburn apologized, but continued his search. He found nothing.

"Apple Bloom's gone too!" Twilight exclaimed.

"I'll bet you anything they went to find Zecora!" Soarin said firmly.

"Well in any case, we should probably go looking for them before they get into trouble." Shining Armor suggested "There's no time to waste! Come on men, let's move out!"

"Slow down!" Fancy Pants complained "I can barely see where I'm going with my hair like this!"

Soarin groaned. His earlier crash landing entrance had left him pinned beneath a ladder "A little help here please!" he said, as kindly one pinned beneath a ladder could sound.

"Oops! Sorry." Thunderlane apologized "Come on Braeburn." With Braeburn's help, Thunderlane was able to free Soarin. Soarin was still having trouble controling his wings. "Uh, aren't you coming too, Spike?" Thunderlane asked.

"Spike isn't going anywhere until he's found the cure." Twilight explained "Right, Spike?"

"Huh? Oh yes, of course." Spike replied, but in secret he was still trying to come up with a good joke name for Shining Armor.

* * *

"Now if I were a zebra living in the middle of a creepy forest where would I be?" Apple Bloom asked herself.

"You're not goin' to find out!" Big Macintosh shouted, poking out from his hiding place in Apple Bloom's mane "You've gone far enough! Now turn around and march that little flank of yours out of this forest right now! You hear me?!"

"No!" Apple Bloom said defiently.

"No?! You can't ignore a direct order from your big brother!" Big Macintosh said crossly "Now do what I say!"

Apple Bloom didn't respond. She mearly scooped Big Macintosh up with her mouth, and placed him on a nearby leaf. "Sorry Big Macintosh, but you ain't my big brother anymore." she said teasingly.

"Don't be that type of pony right now!" Big Macintosh said angrily.

"Oh, I am _so_ gonna be that type of pony right now!" Apple Bloom replied, and began to walk away.

"Hey! You can't just leave me here all alone!" Big Macintosh shouted.

"Relax. Once I've found the cure for your sudden shrink problem I'll come back for you." Apple Bloom reasured Big Macintosh "That is, if I don't forget where you are." And she ran off laughing.

"That's not funny, Apple Bloom!" Big Macintosh said crossly. Apple Bloom didn't reply. "Apple Bloom, you come back here right this instance or so help me I'll give you the grounding of a life time!" Apple Bloom still didn't reply. "Don't make me tell Granny Smith about this, she won't be as easy on you as I'm bein'!" But it was no use, Apple Bloom had already left. "Aw pony feathers, looks like I'm stuck here." Big Macintosh sighed to himself.

* * *

"Come on, guys, we've got to find Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh!" Shining Armor shouted.

"Why oh why did they have to go into The Everfree Forest?" Fancy Pants complained.

"Hurry! Time is of the escence!" Shining Armor ordered.

"Easier said than done." Fancy Pants commented, as he tried to keep a decent line of vision.

"Hey, wait for me!" Soarin shouted, struggling to keep up with the rest of the group. Suddenly, his wings caused him to make a sharp left turn.

"Soarin! Oh thank Celestia you're here!" Big Macintosh said happily, emerging from Soarin's mouth "I don't have time to explain, I've got to find Apple Bloom, stat!"

"Well what do you want me to do?" Soarin asked.

"Just do what you've always been doin'." Big Macintosh explained, tieing a makeshift lasso around Soarin's snout "Giddyup!"

"Hey, I didn't agree to this!" Soarin protested.

"I don't like it either but time's a wasting." Big Macintosh retorted "So quit talkin and start flyin."

"Alright, alright." Soarin said crossly.

"YEEE-HAW!" Big Macintosh shouted, as Soarin took off. However, he soon noticed that Soarin was flying in the wrong direction "Other way, Soarin!" he shouted.

"Sorry, but my wings have a mind of their own right now." Soarin apologized.

Meanwhile, Shining Armor, Fancy Pants, Thunderlane, and Braeburn had reached a mysterious (not to mention creepy looking) hut that seemed to lay smack dab in the middle of nowhere.

"So **THIS** is where Zecora lives." Shining Armor commented.

"Plis place plooks horrible!" Braeburn pointed out.

"Oh my, you're right Braeburn." Fancy Pants acknowledged "Nice decorations, if you're into creepy voodoo stuff."

"Not this again. Do I even have to say it?" Shining Armor complained.

Before the ponies had a chance to react, they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of Zecora. Through an open window they could hear the zebra chanting something, while looking over some sort of bubbling pot.

The chant sounded familiar, at least to Braeburn. "Sthe sthtole my sthong! Shthe shtole mm mm!" Braeburn complained.

"You're saying she stole your song?" Fancy Pants asked. Braeburn nodded.

"Oh Braeburn, that doesn't sound at all like your song." Shining Armor stated.

Braeburn tried to prove his point by singing the song again, but he quickly realized that his current "afflication" made that impossible. Reluctantly, he turned to Thunderlane, and begged _him_ to sing the song instead.

Thunderlane sighed, and began to sing while Braeburn provided accompanying visuals:

" _She's an evil enchantress, and she does evil dances._

 _And if you look deep in her eyes, she'll put you into trances._

 _Then what will she do? She'll mix up an evil brew._

 _And then she'll gobble you up, in a big tasty stew._

 _SOOOOOOOO, WATCH OUT!_

"Admit it Shining Armor. Your eyes don't decieve you." Fancy Pants said firmly "You must admit, that everything you see here, is proof that Zecora is evil!"

"I really don't want to believe it." Shining Armor sighed "I can't deny that what I've seen makes Zecora look pretty guilty. But what if we're wrong? Who knows, maybe she's just making soup?"

"Mmm! Ah yes, the perfect temperature for ponies, I presume." Zecora said suddenly, unaware of the fact that she was being watched "Now then, where is that little Apple Bloom?"

"Oh she's making soup alright!" Fancy Pants gasped "She's making Apple Bloom soup!"

"What?! That's ridicuolous!" Shining Armor exclaimed "Zecora isn't doing that! Right?"

"Are you sure of that?" Thunderlane asked.

"Well... no." Shining Armor admitted "I don't know. As a matter of fact I don't know what to do. But I can tell you all what we're **NOT** going to do! We're not going to start screaming like a bunch of chickens with our heads cut off!" His statement fell on deaf ears, as Fancy Pants, Thunderlane, and Braeburn, all started screaming.

"Hey!" Shining Armor snapped "I thought I said we **WEREN'T** going to panic?!"

Big Macintosh and Soarin were hovering overhead and heard the screaming. "Hold on guys, help is on the way!" Big Macintosh shouted, and whipped the lasso, thus instructing Soarin to make a nosedive. Which he did.

The two of them crashed straight through the front door of Zecora's hut, creating quite the comotion. Zecora began shouting various phrases in a language that no one could understand.

Big Macintosh, meanwhile, was trying to control Soarin as best he could. "Whoa there, Soarin! Slow down!" he shouted.

"I'm trying to!" Soarin shouted back.

" _Leave to it Soarin to create a problem._ " Shining Armor thought to himself, as he reluctantly entered the hut with his friends "What are you up to, Zecora?!" Shining Armor asked.

"Ponies!" Zecora gasped "What is this you..."

Suddenly, Soarin crashed into her pot, spilling its contents onto the floor.

Zecora was extremtly upset "No!" she shouted "You ponies know not what you do! Now you've gone and spilled my precious brew!"

"Answer my question, Zecora!" Shining Armor shouted "What are you up to?! I don't want to believe you've cursed us all, but your actions and statements are making you look pretty guilty!"

"You made me look ridiculous." Fancy Pants complained.

"You made me _sound_ ridiculous." Thunderlane added.

"And you made me speak ridiculous." Braeburn wanted to add, but he couldn't, thanks to his tounge.

"How dare you!" Zecora snapped "You invade my home, ruin my work! And yet you dare to accuse _me_ of being a jerk?!"

"No one's calling you a jerk, yet." Shining Armor tried to explain "But please, you have to tell me what's going on! Did you or did you not put a curse on us?!"

"She obviously did!" Soarin said crossly "And now she's gonna uncurse us!"

"Ponies, it is very unwise to venture down this road." Zecora threatened "Your words and actions will make my anger explode!"

"Tell me! What's going on, and where's Apple Bloom?!" Shining Armor asked "Tell me now, before I lose what little sense of reason I have left!"

"Hey, Zecora, I'm back." Apple Bloom called "I've got all the ingredients you sent me out to get. What in Equestria is goin' on in here?"

"Apple Bloom!" Big Macintosh gasped "You're okay!"

"Of course I'm okay, why wouldn't I be?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Because Zecora cursed us, and was gonna cook you up for lunch." Big Macintosh explained.

"You've got it all wrong, Zecora's friendly." Apple Bloom explained.

"So,this _isn't_ a curse?" Shining Armor asked.

"Nope." Apple Bloom nodded "It's all just a big misunderstandin'."

"What do you mean?" Fancy Pants asked.

"If you will all remember back, the words I spoke yesterday were quite exact." Zecora explained.

"What are you taliking abo- of course!" Shining Armor realized "It was a warning. But what were you trying to warn us about?"

"About a blue plant, goes by the name of poison joke." Apple Bloom explained "A bunch of that stuff grows not too far from the forest entrance."

"The plant is a lot like poison oak." Zecora explained "Except the results are like a practical joke."

"And what in the hay does **THAT** mean?" Big Macintosh asked.

"It means that this plant does not wish to breed wrath. All it wants to do is cause a laugh." Zecora explained.

"Can someone please talk normally, because I can't understand what she's trying to say when she speaks in rhyme all the time." Big Macintosh asked.

"I think what she's trying to say is that yesterday, when we ran into the forest to save Apple Bloom, we ran into the poison joke." Shining Armor explained "And that's what caused all of our little problems."

" _Little_ problems? Very funny Shining Armor." Big Macintosh said crossly.

"But what about the caludron?" Soarin asked.

"And the chanting?" Thunderlane asked.

"And the creepy decor?" Fancy Pants asked.

"They are treasures of the native land where I am from." Zecora explained "This one here speaks 'hello', and this one speaks 'welcome'."

"Not very welcoming if you ask me." Fancy Pants commented.

"And those words I chanted were from olden time." Zecora explained "Something you ponies call a 'nursery rhyme'."

"But I heard you say something about how the caludron was at the perfect temperature for ponies." Shining Armor stated "What could you possibly have meant by that?"

"That was a pot of boiling water, and it wasn't intended for me." Apple Bloom explained "It's for all these herbal ingredients Zecora sent me out to collect. The cure for poison joke is actually pretty simple. You just gotta take a bubble bath with the ingredients mixed into it."

"Strange, none of the books I looked in had any information about either the plant or the cure." Shining Armor explained.

"Well here is the book that contains the remedy." Zecora said, closing the book and revealing the title to be _Supernaturals: Natural Remedies and Cure-alls That Are Simply Super_ "A shame you lack it in your local library."

"How could I have been so stupid?! The answer was under my nose the whole time." Shining Armor groaned "I should've taken a closer look at that book instead of having Spike look through it. And to think I could've saved us all this bother."

"Well, look on the bright side. Your oversight allowed us to discover that Zecora was friendly." Soarin said honestly "So in a way, everything worked out for the better."

"I guess, but I still feel pretty stupid for making such a mistake." Shining Armor said bluntly.

"It's alright, we all make mistakes." Big Macintosh stated "And I think all of us made a mistake by jumpin' to conclusions about Zecora."

"Uh-huh." Soarin, Fancy Pants, Thunderlane, and Braeburn replied.

"Zecora, I'm terribly sorry for letting things esclate so far." Shining Armor apologized "And, even though we probably don't deserve it now, would you be willing to mix up another batch of that herbal cure for my friends and I?"

Zecora smiled "Mix it up I certainly will. Yet I am missing an herb from Ponyville." she explained.

"And whenever Zecora comes into town to pick it up, all the stores and shops are 'mysteriously' closed." Apple Bloom reminded them.

"Well, I think we can fix that. Right guys?" Shining Armor asked. His friends all nodded.

* * *

Thanks to the help of Shining Armor, Fancy Pants, Big Macintosh, Braeburn, Soarin, and Thunderlane, the ponies of Ponyville quickly began to learn the truth about Zecora. The Mayor even awarded her honorary citizenship, which Zecora turned down. She prefered to remain in The Everfree Forest, practicing her craft, and lending her skills as a witch doctor free of charge.

As for Shining Armor and his friends, they were soon cured of the poison joke's effects. And because of what they had been through, Twilight wrote a report to Princess Celestia about not judging someone based on how they looked.

Zecora still comes to Ponyville only to pick up various herbs and plants for her brews. But the ponies of Ponyville now know, that Zecora isn't an evil enchantress trying to curse them, she's an admirable enchantress, willing to offer her assistance whenever it is needed.

She is never lonely, for Shining Armor, Twilight, and Apple Bloom, stop by frequently for tea and tell her all the news. And sometimes, Fluttershy seeks Zecora's help when dealing with the various creatures that live in The Everfree Forest.

As for Spike, he quickly learned his lesson about cracking jokes at inopportune moments when he was forced to reshelve all the books in the Golden Oaks Library all by himself.


	19. Chapter 19: Changing Seasons

Not long after the Zecora incident, winter came to Ponyville. Before long there were days on end, when dark clouds filled with snow could be seen everywhere, and for the next three months Ponyville became a winter wonderland, just like the rest of Equestria.

During that time Shining Armor and his sister Twilight celebrated their first Hearth's Warming together since Shining had left for the royal guard, and Twilight had left to become Celestia's student. Hearth's Warming Day was a truly wonderful day in the Golden Oaks Library.

Throughout the rest of winter, Shining Armor and Twilight would frequently spend time with each other, or with their friends. Whether it was ice skating, snowball fighting, snow angel making, or igloo or snowpony building, they enjoyed themselves. Afterwards, they would warm up with some delicious hot coco from Sugarcube Corner.

But all good things must come to an end eventually, and after a while someponies did start to get a little bit tired of the snow. So, as the third month of winter drew to a close, Twilight and Shining Armor learned a surpising fact. Unlike cities such as Canterlot (which magically changed the seasons), Ponyville (because it was founded by earth ponies), cleaned up winter the old fashioned way. They even went so far as to give the cleaning operation its own special day, Winter Wrap Up Day.

Twilight was excited to learn about such a day, and vowed to help contribute to it without the use of her magic. Spike didn't think it was a good idea, but Shining Armor told Twilight to go ahead and try anyway. If nothing else, Twilight would learn that magic didn't hold all the answers to life. As for Shining Armor himself, Mayor Mare specificially wanted him to assist with the massive amounts of paperwork, that needed to be filled out as the clean up was carried out.

When Winter Wrap Up Day finally arrived, Twilight woke up bright and early. Too early in fact, for she ended up waking up before Celestia had even raised the sun. But Twilight was too excited to go back to bed and sleep. Fortunately, the same wasn't the case with Shining Armor and Spike.

As soon as the sun rose up Shining Armor stumbled awake. He really wished he could help contribute to Winter Wrap Up, especially since all of his friends were pitching in. Soarin was helping to clear away the clouds, Braeburn was part of a team that skated across frozen ponds and lakes to break them up and make them easier to melt, Big Macintosh was helping the planting team, and Thunderlane was working to get things ready for the birds that had flown south for Winter. But orders were orders, and Shining Armor was not about to disobey them.

After a hearty breakfast, Twilight, Shining Armor, and Spike set off for Town Hall, where everyone was gathering. Even if Spike wouldn't stop complaining about tired he was feeling.

"Thank you very much for coming everypony." Mayor Mare smiled "I'm glad to see you've all come here so bright and early, hopefully that's a sign of good things to come. You all know that no one pony has a job more important than the rest, for we need everypony's help to wrap up winter, and bring in spring."

Everyone cheered. "Now, you all have your vests and have been assigned to your team. Please go to either Rainbow Dash, Applejack, or Sparkler for your instructions." Mayor Mare continued "Now let's try to do even better than last year, and have the quickest Winter Wrap Up ever!"

Once again, everyone cheered. "Oh, this is so exciting." Twilight said eagerly.

"I can tell you're all fired up about this." Shining Armor nodded "I'm sure you'll do great on whatever team you're assigned to."

"You think so?" Twilight asked.

"I know so." Shining Armor replied "I just wish I could help out too."

"But you are B.B.B.F.F." Twilight reassured Shining Armor "You're helping behind the scenes to make sure everything flows smoothly. And that's just as important as any other job."

"Thanks for the encouragement Twily." Shining Armor said happily.

"Alright, everypony." Mayor Mare instructed "You know the drill. Go find your team leader, and get galloping." And with that, Winter Wrap Up had begun.

* * *

Shining Armor watched as everyone went off to do their various tasks, and he wished more than anything that he could be out there with them. Alas, here he was, preparing to sort through stacks of paperwork. Mayor Mare had assured him that his job was just as important as any field job, but Shining Armor couldn't help but feel like the employee of a business that got, as the phrase goes 'kicked upstairs'. He just hoped that the rumors he'd been hearing about how long it took Ponyville to wrap up winter weren't true.

"Ah, Shining Armor. Glad you're here." Mayor Mare greeted.

"Hello Mayor." Shining Armor replied, somewhat reluctantly "I'm ready to get started."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that." Mayor Mare nodded "Let's not waste any time and get to work. We've got a **LOT** of paperwork to sort through."

"Just great." Shining Armor said sarcastically.

"Relax, I'll help guide you through it." Mayor Mare said honestly "It's pretty simple once you've gotten the hang of it."

"Really?" Shining Armor asked.

"Yes indeed." Mayore Mare replied.

* * *

A few hours seemed to tick by, rather slowly, once Shining Armor started his job. Most of the paperwork was pretty simple, and mearly explained what guidelines each team was required to meet. These forms were then distrubted to the team leaders so they could monitor their progress.

Mayor Mare explained that if weren't for the fact that there had been some 'issues' in the past with lazy teams, or miscomunications, she would scrap all the paperwork and just trust the teams to do things on their own terms. Heck, if it weren't for the paperwork Mayor Mare made it known that she would take part in the cleanup process herself. She personally favored the plant team, but considered herself capable of helping any of the three teams if the need ever arose.

"How do you manage to put up with this year after year?" Shining Armor asked "There's so many forms, and I'm pretty sure only half of them really need to exist."

"I think pretty much the same way, but everytime I try to propose changing things up even just a little I'm always shot down." Mayor Mare explained "Like it or not, the ponies would rather have an overly complicated system, rather than no system at all."

"I don't really understand the logic behind that." Shining Armor explained "Especially because I'll bet that's at least somewhat responsible for the rumors that this town always wraps up winter late."

Mayor Mare paused in her work and looked away, as if she were ashamed of something.

"Was it something I said?" Shining Armor asked.

"I guess there was no way this could stay secret from you and your sister forever." Mayor Mare sighed "Those aren't rumors."

"So then, this town really does have that problem?" Shining Armor asked reluctantly.

Mayor Mare sighed. "Yes." she confessed "It's been a problem that's been going on since this town was first founded I'm afraid. I really have tried to help streamline the process, and make things flow smoother. But it's a losing battle I'm sorry to say. As far as these ponies are concerned, tradition is more important than getting things done on time. Even Manehattan doesn't have this problem, and they have an even larger population than this town."

"Wow, I had no idea." Shining Armor said honestly.

"Indeed. It is unfortunate." Mayor Mare said glumly "If I wanted to make a difference I should've been born back when it was possible to change ponies minds about the process."

"You mean none of Ponyville's other mayors made an attempt to change things so winter could be wrapped up on time?" Shining Armor asked.

"Yes." Mayor Mare confessed "For a time it wasn't really a problem, and it just meant an extra hour or two of winter. But it got worse as time went by, and ponies stopped caring about it. I've been constantly trying to inspire the town into wanting to get it done on time for a change, but I guess I've failed at that."

"I wouldn't say that, at least you're trying." Shining Armor said.

"Perhaps, but I don't think I'm trying hard enough." Mayor Mare said somberly "Perhaps if I'd been born several decades ago I could've become mayor and corrected the problem before it was too late. Alas, I've been mayor of this town for only a year at most. And yet I've barely been able to do anything at all."

"No one could've forseen any of the events that have taken place over the past few months." Shining Armor encouraged "Things like the return of Nightmare Moon and the Ursa Minor rampage caught everyone by surprise, even me."

"But I also wasn't able to do anything when Gilda or Zecora showed up." Mayor Mare sighed "And in Zecora's case, I really had no excuse. I could've been the one to help Zecora, and make it so that ponies weren't afraid of her. But you and your friends ended up doing it instead."

"So, in the end things worked out for everyone." Shining Armor stated "And with your help Zecora is pretty much welcome by everyone."

"Still, I feel like I'm not really living up to my role as Mayor of Ponyville." Mayor Mare sighed, and looked out the window. She could already see ponies starting to argue about things such as how quickly to melt the snow. "Just great, there's arguing already." she said with a groan "Now I'm going to have to go sort it out. And the worst part is, all this arguing and squabbling is going to set Ponyville back even further."

"GO!" Applejack shouted.

"STOP!" Fluttershy shouted.

"Ugh! Can't you make up your minds?!" Rainbow Dash groaned.

"Oh! What in Equestria are all you arguing about?" Mayor Mare asked crossly "This sort of bickering foolishness is the reason why we were _late_ for spring _last_ year, and every year before that. I was seriously hoping that my amazingly inspirational speech would urge everyone to do better than last year, but now it looks like we're going to be later than ever. I mean just look at this catastrophe. The ice scorers made the ice chunks too big to melt; ourt nest designer is horrendously behind, we need several hundred, and Rarity's only made _one_ , and don't even get me started on all the clouds in the sky, the icicles on the trees... This isn't good, not at all!"

"We're trying our best, Mayor!" Thunderlane shouted.

"Well I'll tell ya one thinh" Applejack spoke up "it's gonna be all to pieces disastrous if we can't get our seeds all planted soon."

"Chillax Applejack, we're bustin' our chops as fast as we can." Rainbow Dash replied "Soarin's been a big help."

"No, not _fast_ , we have to wake the animals _slowly_." Fluttershy explained.

"Uh, AJ? We've got a problem." Big Macintosh said nervously.

"Oh good gravy, don't tell me!" Applejack groaned "That darned Caramel went and lost the grass seeds again, didn't he?"

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied, wishing that such a statement wasn't true.

"Dang it, Caramel!" Applejack shouted "You had **ONE** job!"

"Rainbow Dash, oh thank goodness I found you!" Soarin said, panting slightly "Ditzy Doo went _north_ to get the _southern_ birds."

"Not again!" Rainbow Dash facehoofed "Didn't that featherbrain learn her lesson last year when she went west?"

"Stop this at once!" Mayor Mare complained "We don't have time to argue! It's almost sundown! Spring is going to be late, again! And that meas another year of scandal and shame! If only we could be more _organized_."

"Organized you say?" Shining Armor asked "I think I know just the pony for the job."

"And who would that be?" Mayor Mare asked.

"My sister, Twilight." Shining Armor explained "Organization is right up her ally."

"And you think she'll agree?" Mayor Mare asked.

"I know she'll agree." Shining Armor smiled.

* * *

And he was right. Thanks to Twilight, there was finally someone who could organize every aspect of Winter Wrap Up and streamline the process in a way that made everyone happy. Because of this, it was no surprise when she was appointed All Team Organizer for all future Winter Wrap Up Days.

"I can't thank you enough for getting your sister to sort out this mess." Mayor Mare said to Shining Armor the next day "Thanks to her we FINALLY got winter wraped up on time."

"It was nothing, I'm glad I could help." Shining Amor said modestly.

"Even so, I owe you big time for this one." Mayor Mare said honestly "If you ever need any sort of legal favor I might be able to grant it."

"I can't ask you to do that, Mayor." Shining Armor replied "What would everypony else think?"

"Considering your reputation I'm sure no one would mind." Mayor Mare stated "Besides, what's the point of having connections in the political world if you can't pull a few strings here and there?"

"There's no way to talk you out of this is there?" Shining Armor sighed.

"Nope." Mayor Mare smiled.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to hope there never comes a time when I'll actually need that favor." Shining Armor said reluctantly.

"Time will tell." Mayor Mare said.


	20. Chapter 20: Running of the Leaves

At Sweet Apple Acres, a most unusual and interesting contest of strength was being held.

"Give it up, Big Macintosh, you can't win." Soarin taunted, struggling with all his might.

"This match isn't over yet, Soarin." Big Macintosh replied, also struggling.

"You may have won the last match, but this time I _will_ defeat you." Soarin boasted "I've been practicing."

"You can practice all you want, but you'll never be able to best me when it comes to hoof wrestlin'." Big Macintosh taunted.

"That's what you think." Soarin replied.

"Man, this hoof wrestling match is so intense." Spike commented.

"I know, look at em go." Thunderlane added "Talk about your clash of titans."

"They're both so strong." Fancy Pants stated "They seem evenly matched."

"Yeah, but cousin Big Mac's gonna win like he always does." Braeburn shouted "The only reason why he hasn't done so already is because he loves toyin' with his opponets. I should know, him and I used to hoof wrestle quite a bit when we were kids. I've got the sores to prove it."

"Strength always has been a boastin' point for both Big Macintosh and Soarin." Shining Armor nodded "Pass the popcorn, please."

"Sure thing, Shining Armor." Braeburn replied "Don't forget to save some for me."

The hoof wrestling match went on for quite a while with neither side refusing to give in and accept defeat.

"Take em down, Big Macintosh!" Applejack cheered.

"Show em what you're made of, Soarin!" Rainbow Dash cheered.

"Ooh, this is so exciting!" Pinkie Pie commented.

"I'm just glad it's not me." Fluttershy stated "I wouldn't last five seconds."

"Same goes for me." Rarity added "If there wasn't anything else to do I wouldn't even be here, though I admit this is pretty entertaining. Much better than those wrestling shows Sweetie Belle and her friends are always talking about."

"Indeed. This is the real deal, no acting." Twilight commented "And much less violent."

"Just give up, Soarin, you can't win!" Big Macintosh said smuggly.

"Never!" Soarin replied "I'll never give up! I will defeat you, just you wait."

Suddenly, Soarin felt his grip weakening, and felt himself being overpowered by Big Macintosh. He tried to fight back and resist, but Big Macintosh's hoof refused to budge as he went for the pin. "1...2...3! I win!" Big Macintosh proclaimed.

"Yes!" Braeburn, Applejack and Apple Bloom cheered.

"No!" Thunderlane. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo shouted. They could not believe their eyes.

"That's another victory for Big Macintosh." Pinkie Pie explained, having been tasked with keeping score "And that gives him his 5th victory in a row."

"This is impossible." Soarin panted, feeling very exhausted "I did not just lose!"

"I'm afraid you did, Soarin." Big Macintosh said, also panting "But you gave me a darn good workout."

"I'll say." Shining Armor commented "That was really intense."

"Glad you think so." Big Macintosh said happily.

"Well, this has been fun, but I must be going." Soarin said, glancing at the nearby clock tower "My next show may not be for another hour, but after a match like that I'm gonna need to shower quite thoroughly."

"I'll probably need to do the same." Big Macintosh replied "Just let me know when you're feeling up for another rematch. Who knows, maybe next time you'll actually win?"

"One of these days, I swear I'll make you eat those words, Big Macintosh." Soarin said, somewhat furiously, as he flew off.

"That was quite a show you put on there Big Macintosh." Shining Armor commented.

"Thank you." Big Macintosh smiled, wiping the sweat from his brows "I must admit, Soarin's been getting better. I actually thought he might win for a change. And I think he almost did."

"Yeah, well he didn't." Shining Armor stated "But he seemed awfully saddle sore about losing to you."

"He's a high level athlete. Losing to me, even in a friendly competetion is a big blow to his pride, and his ego." Big Macintosh explained "But compared to how he once was he's actually a pretty good loser. In the end, he knows it's all in good fun. But there _was_ a time where he forgot about that lesson, and so did I."

"Really?" Shining Armor asked.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied "It's quite an interestin' story actually."

"I don't think you've ever told me it before." Shining Armor pondered.

"Funny, I could've sworn I did." Big Macintosh stated "Then again, I've told the story so many times I've probably lost track of who's heard it, and who hasn't."

"Well, why don't you just tell me the story anyways, just in case?" Shining Armor asked.

Big Macintosh was silent for a moment, and appeared to be deep in thought. Then he said "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you the story again."

"Please do Big Mac." Apple Bloom pleaded "My friends and I have been itchin' for new ways to try and get our cutie marks, and perhaps your story can help." By friends, Apple Bloom meant both Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. The three of them called themselves The Cutie Mark Crusaders, or The CMC for short. They were dedicated to obtaining their cutie marks by any means necessary, which often meant they got themselves into trouble. Needless to say, they were a constant source of headaches.

"Well, alright." Big Macintosh said "But I should warn you, it's a long story."

"I'm listening, and so is everypony else." Shining Armor stated. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Okay then." Big Macintosh stated "Listen carefully."

And this is the story Big Macintosh told them:

* * *

Many years ago, before either Twilight or Shining Armor ever would've thought of living in Ponyville, Big Macintosh was only now starting to obtain some relief from his applebucking duties. This was because his sister Applejack was finally old enough to help him in the fields. Apple Bloom wasn't quite old enough to attend school yet, but she was old enough to only need an occassional eye kept on her.

Ivory Script Mare had yet to be elected mayor, and Ponyville was little more than a small town where everyone knew each other.

Big Macintosh and Soarin actually didn't know each other, or at least they didn't until one faithful autumn day.

Winter was only a few weeks away, and Big Macintosh and Applejack were working hard to get Sweet Apple Acres ready for the off season. They'd had an exceptionally good bumper crop this year, that meant there was a ton of apples that needed to be harvested.

But somehow, it seemed like quite a few apples were disappearing. Something that Big Macintosh and Applejack were very concerned about. If they didn't find some way to stop whoever or whatever was responsible, they could very well go under. And so it was that on that faithful autumn day, Big Macintosh and Applejack were patrolling the orchard, trying to track down the apple thief.

"Do you see anythin' yet, Big Macintosh?" Applejack asked.

"Eenope." Big Macintosh replied "What about you?"

"Why do you think I'm askin' you? I haven't seen anythin' either." Applejack explained "But we've got to keep looking, we owe it to ourselves and to Granny Smith to find out what in tarnation's going on."

Then, Big Macintosh heard a sound. A sound that he had never heard before. The sound of heavy snoring, and it seemed to be coming from one of the trees. As Big Macintosh got closer to the tree, the snoring grew louder and louder. Finally, when Big Macintosh was standing directly in front of the tree's trunk, the snoring was so loud that Big Macintosh could barely hear himself think. He looked up into the tree, and saw a light blue pegasus stallion with a darker blue mane and tail resting on one of the tree's branches, a trail of apples lay directly beneath him. He was of course Soarin, but Big Macintosh didn't know that yet.

"Hey, Applejack!" Big Macintosh called "I think I've found the cause of our mysterious apple disappearances. Come take a look."

When Applejack came over to where Big Macintosh was, and saw what he could see, she quickly realized what was going on. But they didn't know for sure, yet.

"So what's your plan, Big Mac?" Applejack asked.

"I'm glad you asked." Big Macintosh said with a smile, and whispered his next course of action into Applejack's ear.

"Are you sure that's gonna work?" Applejack asked.

"Positive." Big Macintosh said, trying not to chuckle "I don't know who that guy is, but he's about to be in for a rude awakening." And with that, Big Macintosh turned around, and kicked the tree with his rear legs.

The vibrations shook the tree quite thoroughly, and were enough to knock the pegasus stallion out of his naping place. He hit the ground with a thud. Needless to say, he was not happy about being woken up. "Hey, what's the big idea?!" he complained "I was in the middle of an incredibly relaxing power nap!"

"Sorry to wake you up, but you just so happen to be napin' on Sweet Apple Acres property." Big Macintosh explained.

"So? I don't see what the big deal is." the pegasus stallion said with a shrug.

"The big deal is that you've been helpin' yourself to some of our apples, and that's cutting into our profits!" Applejack said crossly "You apologize this instant you lazy pegasus!"

"I am not lazy!" the pegasus stallion snapped "I'll have you know that I'm a high class athlete."

"Oh yeah?!" Applejack asked.

"Yeah! In fact, I just so happen to be Co-Captain of the one and only Wonderbolts!" the pegasus stallion boasted.

"Really?! Well, where's your flight suit then?" Applejack asked.

"I left it back at H.Q." the pegasus stallion explained "If you need any proof, just look at my goggles."

Applejack did so. Sure enough the words _Property of Soarin, Co-Captain of The Wonderbolts_ appeared on them. "So, your name's Soarin, I take it?" Applejack asked.

"You got that right!" Soarin nodded.

"Well then Mr. Soarin, how's about puttin' that big mouth of yours to good use by answerin' a little question?" Applejack asked "Are you the one who's been eatin' apples from these here apple trees?"

"Maybe." Soarin said half heartedly.

"Don't play dumb with me, tell me the truth!" Applejack said crossly "I won't ask again!"

"Applejack calm down, remember what Granny said about your temper." Big Macintosh said sternly, then he turned to Soarin "I apologize for the way my sister's been actin'. But are you the one responsible for the disappearance of so many apples from these parts in the past few days?"

"And what if I am?" Soarin asked.

"Look, I think we may have gotten off on the wrong hoof." Big Macintosh apologized "My name's Big Macintosh, and this is my sister Applejack. And this here is our home, Sweet Apple Acres. We live on it with our Granny Smith and our little sister Apple Bloom. Applejack and I harvest the apples that grow from these here apple trees, and sell them in town to make money so that we can survive during the winter months. We've had an exceptionally good crop this year, and we're really hopin' to make more money than we usually do. But with you eatin' the apples from these trees before we can harvest them, you're kind of hurtin' our profits."

"Well I'm sorry if that's the case." Soarin said sincerely "But I just had a few apples, that's all. I'm sure that with all the apples still left you can easily make enough money to last you until Spring."

"That may be, but I'd still like some sort of compensation for your unintentional unsympathetic act." Big Macintosh stated.

"No way! I don't have to do anything!" Soarin protested "It's not my fault I'm so hungry. I promise I won't eat anymore apples, but please, just leave me alone."

"I'm afraid I can't. Those apples are our livelyhood, and if you don't stop eatin' them you'll literally eat my sisters, Granny Smith, and I out of house and home." Big Macintosh explained "If you won't willingly pay for them then I'm pretty sure Granny Smith will happy to have an extra hoof around the farm for the rest of Autumn."

"You're not the boss of me!" Soarin said crossly "I'm not doing anything and you can't make me!"

"Oh yeah?!" Applejack asked "Well we'll just see about that! You'll change your tune really fast once you get a taste of old Bucky McGillicuddy and Kicks McGee!"

Applejack raced forward, preparing to give Soarin more then just a piece of her mind. But Big Macintosh put a hoof in front of her, and stopped her. "I have a better idea." he said, and turned to Soarin "You said it yourself you're a high class athlete, right?"

"Ah, I see you were paying attention." Soarin nodded "Yes, that's right. And your point is?"

"As I'm sure you're aware, the anual Runnin' of The Leaves just so happens to be tomorrow." Big Macintosh explained "So, the two of us are going to enter that competetion. If I win, you'll do what I say for the rest of Autumn. And if you win, I'll let your little bit of apple thievin' go unnoticed. Does that sound fair enough to you?"

"Of course." Soarin replied "I'll smoke you in that race for sure."

"Not so fast!" Big Macintosh stated "There's a catch. In order to make things fair you'll need to compete with a little 'handicap'."

"What do you mean?" Soarin asked.

"You'll beat me for sure if you fly." Big Macintosh explained "So tomorrow, you can compete, but you must do so without using your wings. If you don't, then it counts as an automatic forefit on your part."

"No way!" Soarin said crossly "I'll never let that happen!"

"So, do you accept my challenge?" Big Macintosh asked.

"You're on!" Soarin replied eagerly "But I should warn you, you're out of your league. And when I smoke you and take first place in The Running of The Leaves, you'll wish you'd never made this agreement!"

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Soarin!" Big Macintosh warned.

"It'll take a lot of luck on your part to beat me!" Soarin boasted, and flew off.

Applejack was worried "Are you absolutely sure you know what you're doin', Big Macintosh?" she asked.

"I'm pretty sure." Big Macintosh replied "At the very least I'll have a fair chance."

"And what if you lose?" Applejack asked.

"As long as it's fair there's not much I can do." Big Macintosh stated "We'll just have to wait, and see what happens."

* * *

On the inside, Big Macintosh felt awfully nervous. The Running of The Leaves was a very difficult race, and only the best of the best competed. He'd only run once before, and several times he'd nearly been left in the dust. Making it into fifth place was a feat in and of itself. Was he really certain he stood a chance against a Wonderbolt? The Co-Captain no less?

The next day dawned bright and sunny, perfect weather for racing. Most of the racers had already taken their places at the starting line by the time Big Macintosh showed up.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, welcome to the annual Running of The Leaves. My name is Pinkie Pie and I'm your new official p-eye-in-the-sky announcer. I look forward to seeing all the excitement and action that this race brings." Pinkie Pie called from aboard a hot air balloon "As everypony knows, The Running is a very important tradition. For without it, the autumn leaves of Equestria would _never_ fall. So get ready, ponies because The Running of the Leaves will begin in three minutes!"

"Well, look who decided to show up!" Soarin boasted, swooping down from above "I almost expected you to chicken out. You've got a lot of guts, I'll give you that much."

"Alright, enough is enough." Big Macintosh replied "Let's keep this a nice, friendly, _clean_ race. Understand?!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Soarin stated.

"Remember our little deal." Big Macintosh reminded Soarin "You're not allowed to use your wings, period!"

"Please, I could win this race with both wings tied behind my back." Soarin boasted.

"Oh really?" Big Macintosh asked "Why don't you prove it?"

"You don't mean-" Soarin asked nervously.

"I sure do. Tie your wings up good and tight." Big Macintosh replied "That way you won't be 'tempted' to use them if you start to fall behind. Consider this an insurance policy."

"There is no way I'm agreeing to that!" Soarin complained.

"You don't have to agree to it if you don't want to." Big Macintosh said honestly "But if you do so, the deal's off."

Soarin sighed "Okay, fine! I'll do it, but I won't like it."

"Never said you had to." Big Macintosh stated.

* * *

"I look ridiculous!" Soarin complained, once Big Macintosh had finished tying up his wings with a rope.

"I think not." Big Macintosh chuckled "All trussed up like a turkey. A turkey that can't fly to be precise."

"You must think you're **SO** funny." Soarin snapped "Well, enjoy your little moment of victory. Because even without my wings I'm still gonna beat you!"

"We'll just see about that." Big Macintosh replied "Let's do this!"

"Alright racers, take your positions!" Pinkie Pie called "The Running of The Leaves will begin soon."

"Remember Soarin, win or lose, it's all in good fun." Big Macintosh called.

"And don't you forget about your promise." Soarin reminded "Cause once I win I don't wanna hear any complaints. No one likes a sore loser."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Soarin. Pride goes before a fall." Big Macintosh said cautiously.

"Enough chit chat, you're going down!" Soarin boasted.

"All right, ponies, are you all ready?!" Pinkie Pie asked. Everyone nodded "Okay then, you know the rules. On your marks, get set," A bell rang out, and the race began.

"And they're off!" Pinkie Pie called "Welcome to the official coverage of The Running of the Leaves! I'm your new host, Pinkie Pie, and it's my job to bring you all the action and excitement of the race itself! Despite the title, the leaves don't do any of the actual running. That's left to the ponies down below. Those lazy leaves, I can't believe they need the running of the ponies to make them fall. I can fall on my own without any help."

Big Macintosh quickly tuned Pinkie Pie out, as he focused on the race. He knew that even without wings, Soarin would be a tough opponent. In a constant of strength Big Macintosh was sure he could win, but when it came to something like running, that was another story. Despite that, Big Macintosh was determined to win no mater how hard it might seem. And perhaps, because of that determination, he began to pull into the lead after only a little while.

But Soarin was close behind, and he looked every bit as determined as Big Macintosh. Even so, Big Macintosh couldn't resist teasing Soarin a little bit. "Not so tough without your wings to back you up huh, Soarin? Looks like you're all talk and no shock."

"This is far from over Big Macintosh, I'm just warming up!" Soarin boasted "The real competetion starts now!" As if to make himself heard, Soarin began to speed up.

"Wait a minute, mares and gentlecolts, hold your horses!" Pinkie Pie called "It looks like Soarin is catching up to the frontrunner, Big Macintosh! Talk about upsets, I was sure Big Macintosh had this one in the bag! Perhaps I spoke too soon."

"You didn't really think you'd could beat me _that_ easily did ya?" Soarin teased, as he passed Big Macintosh by.

Big Macintosh was about to respond, when he suddenly felt his front legs give way. He was unable to stop himself from stumbling and falling, as the crowd of racers (and Soarin) overtook him. "Whoa!" he cried, as he fell to the ground. He quickly picked himself up, he wasn't hurt, but he _was_ upset. "I don't believe it." he grumbled to himself "Soarin just tripped me, on purpose no less. And after I told him it was all in good fun too!" Quickly realizing what he was saying Big Macintosh stopped himself "No no, don't assume things Big Macintosh. You're better than that. Soarin's not the kind of guy to stoop so low."

Big Macintosh looked around a little bit, and found the source of his problem. A rock, that was laying in the path of the race. Apparently he hadn't noticed it, having been so caught up in the heat of his competetion with Soarin. Needless to say, he was glad no one was around to witness such a thing. "How embarassin'." he said to himself "Tripped over a rock. And to think I thought it was Soarin. I better not let this happen again. Just hope I'm not too late to get back into things."

* * *

Fortunately, Big Macintosh managed to, somehow, quickly make up for lost time. In no time at all he had managed to overtake most of the racers. Soarin, however, remained just ahead of him, leading the pack. But as luck would have it, Big Macintosh somehow managed to overtake Soarin as well. "Hey, Soarin!" he called out as he retook the lead "See you at the finish line!"

"I don't believe what I'm seeing folks!" Pinkie Pie cried "After a huge setback, Big Macintosh has somehow managed to regain his lead! He's at the head of the pack! He's the pick of the litter! The cat's pajamas! Wait, why would Big Macintosh do with some kitty's pajamas? That wouldn't be very sporting of him. In fact, it doesn't sound like him at all."

"Not so fast, Big Macintosh!" Soarin called, closing in on Big Macintosh "This race isn't over just yet!"

"For me it isn't, but for you it certainly is!" Big Macintosh teased, and surged ahead. Inadvertly causing his tail to knock Soarin to the ground in the process. It happened so fast that even Pinkie Pie didn't see it.

Unfortunately, Soarin did, and he was not happy about it. "Whoa!" he cried, as he hit the ground "I don't believe this! After all that, Big Macintosh can't even follow his own rules! And to think I thought he actually meant this was all in good fun. I should've know he'd find a sneaky way to cheat."

Soarin realized what he was saying, and one part of him continuiously tried to discourage the thoughts that entered his head. But the other part refused to listen. "This may be just a game" Soarin said ominously to himself, glancing at his wings "but the rules have changed. Watch out Big Macintosh. You wanted to play dirty? Well guess what?! Wish granted!"

* * *

"Welcome back to the action, Ponyvillians." Pinkie Pie called "It's me Pinkie Pie again. And what's this?! It looks like Soarin is trying to catch up to Big Macintosh. I don't personally see how ketchup can help him in this competetion, now if this were a veggie dog eating competetion it might make em nice and slippery, but I prefer mustard. And pickles. And speaking of pickles, it looks like Big Macintosh has found himself in quite the pickle, as Soarin passes him by."

"What?!" Big Macintosh exclaimed, as Soarin passed him by.

"Hey look, Pa" Soarin boasted "no wings!" He had managed to use a tree trunk as a catapult to slingshot himself forward at a breakneck speed. Now he was back on the ground, and running on his own four hooves.

"And as the race enters the beautiful White Tail Wood, Soarin overtakes Big Macintosh and soars back into the lead." Pinkie Pie narrated "It looks like Soarin's going to win this thing!"

"What's the matter, Big Macintosh? Can't keep up?" Soarin taunted, chuckling as Big Macintosh tried to catch up, before flinging a tree branch into Big Macintosh's path.

"Ugh." Big Macintosh grunted, as the tree branch smacked him "Wait a minute! Soarin!" Soarin's only response was to blow a raspberry. "That cheater!" Big Macintosh gasped "He did that on purpose! Oh, it's on now! If it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he's gonna get!" Deciding to do what Soarin had done, Big Macintosh grabbed the tree branch. Two could play at this game.

" _Nice one, Soarin._ " Soarin thought to himself " _That'll show him who's boss!_ " Unfortunately, it wasn't long before Big Macintosh caught up to him.

"So you wanna play dirty, Soarin?" Big Macintosh asked "Let's see how you deal with **THIS**!" As Big Macintosh passed some nearby buckets full of tree sap, he kicked them, causing the buckets to spill their loads onto the path. Unfortunately, one of the trees also held a bee hive, and when he kicked it the bees angrily began to buzz around Soarin.

The bees proved to be quite the motivator, allowing Soarin to run faster than he had ever run before. He didn't stop, until he dove into a lake just outside of Whitetail Wood. Once he was certain the bees were gone, he took off again. Up ahead was a sign that told the racers which way to go. Seeing an opportunity for sabotage, Soarin delibertly let the other racers get ahead of him, before he switched the direction of the sign. It now pointed in the other direction, which lead to a steep slope. "I'm sure to win now." Soarin laughed, as he set off to close the gap with ease.

Just as Soarin had hoped, Big Macintosh didn't suspect anything about the direction the sign was pointed in. And even as he raced uphill he was certain that he could still catch up.

"Wait, what's this?! It seems Big Macintosh has wandered off course." Pinkie Pie called "There aren't any trees up here at all. Why would he run in that direction?"

" _I don't get it,_ " Big Macintosh thought to himself " _the sign said to go this way._ " Then it hit him. "Soarin! That dirty rat!"

"Hey, Big Macintosh" Pinkie Pie called "Need a lift?"

"You betcha." Big Macintosh replied "I've got a score to settle with Mr. Sabotage!"

* * *

Soarin was shocked when he saw Big Macintosh desecend back into the race from the hot air ballon "What the hay?!" he said crossly "I thought you said no flying?!"

"I said no _wings_." Big Macintosh explained "Never said anythin' about flyin'."

"Well mares and gentlecolts, I must say that this has been perhaps the most interesting Running of The Leaves in Equestrian history." Pinkie Pie called "But I think this one's gonna go down in the books not for the running, but for the _lack_ of running. At least between Big Macintosh and Soarin. But now, as we head into the final stretch, the two stallions are neck and neck. It's Big Macintosh! No, it's Soarin! No, it's Big Macintosh! No, it's-"

Big Macintosh bumped into Soarin.

"Oh no he di'int!" Pinkie Pie called.

Soarin bumped right back into Big Macintosh.

"Oh yes he di'id!" Pinkie Pie called.

"Hey, cut it out, Soarin!" Big Macintosh complained.

"No, you cut it out!" Soarin protested.

"You started it!" Big Macintosh snapped back.

"Oh yeah?! Well even if that's not true, I'm gonna finish it!" Soarin shouted.

"Oh no you won't!" Big Macintosh replied "Not on my watch!"

"Oh yes I will!" Soarin shouted. This made Big Macintosh cross, he tried to grab Soarin by the tail, but he ended up unraveling the rope that held Soarin's wings in place. Soarin's chance had come "That's it! All bets are off!" Soarin shouyred.

"Oh no you don't! You're not weasling your way out of this one!" Big Macintosh protested, grabbing Soarin before he could flap his wings and fly off. The two began to tussle with each other, kicking up dust as they went at it.

"It's too close to call folks!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed "As we approach the finish line it looks like it's Big Macintosh! No wait, it looks like it's Soarin! No wait, now it looks like it's Big Macintosh! I can't tell!" And she was right. Even as the cloud of dust that surrounded the two stallions rolled across the finish line, no one could tell who had come out on top.

"Yes, I won!" Soarin proclaimed, once the fighting had stopped.

"No way, _I_ won!" Big Macintosh protested.

"No, _I_ won!" Soarin protested.

"And the results are in!" Pinkie Pie announced "Big Macintosh and Soarin have tied!"

"Tied for first?!" Big Macintosh and Soarin exclaimed.

"For last." Pinkie Pie explained "Sorry guys, but it looks like everyone else beat you across the finish line. And I was so sure one of you was going to win. If that isn't the mother of all upsets I don't know what is."

"So, who won?" Soarin asked.

"A mare by the name of Bon-Bon, and this was her first year." Pinkie Pie stated "She started off in the back, but at the end she shot into the lead like a pony cannonball! 'Whoosh!', and she went from near last to first in a matter of seconds!"

"I don't believe it. We lost to a newbie!" Soarin exclaimed.

"Ain't that a kick in the flank?" Big Macintosh grumbled.

"How could this happen?" Soarin asked "We started off so strong. When did we fall behind?"

Big Macintosh sighed "Probably when we started horsin' around and tried to sabotage each other. We got so obessed with cheatin' we allowed the others to pass us by."

"Guess we weren't very good sports." Soarin said glumly "And the sad thing is, everyone who watched this race will know that. We'll be the laughing stock of the town for weeks."

"Serves us right for losin' sight of what was really important." Big Macintosh stated.

"What do you mean?" Soarin asked.

"The spirit of competetion and fair play." Big Macintosh explained "When we started tryin' to cheat, we were no longer acting like good sports. Winnin' that way would've given us a victory we wouldn't have deserved."

"You know, now that I have time to think about it, you're right." Soarin said with a sigh "And the sad thing, it all started with me. I was too stubborn to realize that you would **NEVER** cheat. Like you said earlier, it was just a game. But since neither of us won, or even came close to winning, what are we going to do about our little deal?"

"The deal's off, you've proved yourself to be a worthy opponent." Big Macintosh said kindly "Even if I'd won it wouldn't have been right for me to force you to help out just because of a misunderstanding. I'm sorry I got so carried away."

"I'm sorry I was so cross." Soarin apologized "Is it too late for us to be friends?"

"I don't think so." Big Macintosh smiled "And you wanna know what?"

"What?" Soarin asked.

"Because of our constant attempts at trickery, not all of the leaves fell from the trees." Big Macintosh explained "So whaddya say, friend? Feel like having another run, just between the two of us?"

"Of course, I'd love a chance to stretch my legs." Soarin said with a smile "Come on, those leaves aren't gonna shake themselves loose! And I'll bet I can get more leaves then you."

"You're on!" Big Macintosh said playfully, and with that the two stallions set off into the sunset, running side by side.

* * *

"And from that day on, Soarin and I were the best of friends. And we vowed never to let the events of that race happen ever again." Big Macintosh said, as he finished narrating his story.

"Wow, that's quite a story." Shining Armor stated "I had no idea your friendship went that far back."

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied.

"Very impressive story Big Macintosh" a familiar voice called "I'm glad to see you still remember the events so clearly."

"Soarin? Is that you?" Big Macintosh asked.

"You betcha!" Soarin said happily.

"What are you doin' here, Soarin?" Big Macintosh asked "I thought you had a show to perform."

"Turns out I was mistaken." Soarin explained "The next show isn't for another day. So after showering, I decided to come back and see what you might be up to. I sure wasn't expecting you to retell the story of our first encounter."

"Even after all these years, you still remember it too?" BIg Macintosh asked.

"Of course." Soarin smiled "It's hard to forget the one time where I was truly knocked off my pedastal. And it's even harder to forget the wonderful friend I made afterward."

"You're a good friend in deed, Soarin." Big Macintosh said warmly "And you always will be. I mean it."

"Aw shucks." Soarin said with a smile, blushing slightly.


	21. Chapter 21: Stallions and The Seamtress

At Carousel Boutique, Rarity was just putting the finishing touches on a vest of her own design. The suit in question was being made for her boss, Fancy Pants, in preparation for the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala. He had originally planned to design the vest himself, but Rarity had insisted on doing it as a way to thank Fancy Pants, for looking after her sister Sweetie Belle and her friends a few weeks back.

Fancy Pants tried not to be too demanding, even though Rarity told him he was perfectly entitled to demand whatever he wanted. Ever since he and Rarity had opened Carousel Boutique, Rarity and her sister had practically become part of his family. In a sense Rarity was almost like the daughter Fancy Pants never had. He never told anyone about this, for personal reasons.

"There we go, a fine piece of work if I do say so myself." Rarity said happily "So Fancy Pants, what do you think?"

"It's nice. You've really outdone yourself Miss Rarity." Fancy Pants commented "I must say, this vest is probably one of the finest creations you've ever whipped up."

"Oh you're just saying that." Rarity replied "The suit _is_ nice. But I'm sure it's not _that_ nice."

"I really mean it." Fancy Pants stated "Everything about it just screams perfection. The colors are bright but not too bright. The fabric feels soft to the touch. The stiches are well hidden to the point where you can barely see them. The jewelery provides the perfect amount of elegance and grace. And the matching tie compliments the vest to a t. You've truly outdone yourself."

"Well I'm glad you think so." Rarity said with a smile "Customer satisfaction is something I truly pride myself on. Once again, I must thank you for letting me take on this opportunity. I don't know where I'd be today if I hadn't met you."

"I'm sure you'd do just fine on your own." Fancy Pants said honestly "You really just needed help getting your hooves off the ground. Just look at how far you've come in such a short span of time. You're practially an expert at dress making, and you're well on your way to learning how to manage the store. Dare I say, you could manage without me. Perhaps I ought to test that theory sometime."

"I'm honored that you think so highly of me, but I'm not sure if I'd be ready to take on such a big responsibility just yet." Rarity replied "Maybe after The Grand Galloping Gala has come and gone I'll feel ready."

"If that's how you feel then I won't burden you with managing the store until then." Fancy Pants stated "But if you ever change your mind, just let me know."

At that moment, the door to Rarity's bedroom/workshop opened, and the bell attached to alert Rarity to a new customer rang out. "I wonder who that could be?" Rarity asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Fancy Pants replied "I wasn't expecting any customers to stop by today."

"Oh, hello Rarity. Haven't seen you in a while." Shining Armor greeted "Big Macintosh and I were just passing by, and thought we'd stop to chat with Fancy Pants for a bit."

"Sorry if we interrupted your work." Big Macintosh said, noticing the vestt on a nearby ponyquin, and the outline for a potential dress tacked to a wall.

"Interrupting? Oh, don't be silly. I always have time for you. Any friend of Fancy Pants is a friend of mine." Rarity explained "Besides, I've just finished stiching together Fancy Pants' vest. I haven't time to get started on any new projects, yet."

"Oh, then we'll just leave." Shinng Armor said politely "I'm sure you don't get many opportunities like this, and we'd hate to cut into your personal time."

"Nonsense, I always have time for friends." Rarity smiled "What can I do for you?"

"Well, since you asked" Shining Armor said, and pulled out an old vest "could you fix this button for me? I was going to see if Twilight had any books on the subject, but I figured this was something best left to an expert like you."

Rarity very nearly cringed at the sight of the worn out old vest "What you do need this for?" she asked.

"Well, it's going to my outfit for The Grand Galloping Gala." Shining Armor explained "Despite being Captain of The Royal Guard I don't have access to formal attire, and I'd look pretty silly wearing my captain's uniform. This is the nicest outfit that still fits me, especially since a new vest would cost a month's worth of pay."

"But you can't possibly wear this old 'thing' to The Gala." Fancy Pants stated "You'd stick out like a chocolate bar at a swimming pool."

"What you need is a brand new suit." Rarity continued "And I shall gladly take on the task of designing one for you free of charge."

"Oh, you don't have to do that Rarity." Shining Armor suggested "I guess my captain's uninform wouldn't be that bad to wear. Besides, I'm not really comfortable accepting favors that I didn't ask for."

"It's no trouble, really." Rarity assured Shining Armor.

"Miss Rarity's outfits are extremly high quality. Rivaled only by the likes of Canterlot fashions." Fancy Pants added.

"And it shouldn't take me long to have it ready." Rarity smiled.

"Well, if there's really no way to talk you out it, then I guess you've got yourself a deal." Shining Armor stated "And perhaps, you could make somethin' for my sister since she'll be goin' to The Gala too."

"I'll see what I can do." Rarity said honestly, then she turned to Big Macintosh "I know you're a stallion of simple tastes, so I'm going to assume you don't want me to design something for you to wear to The Gala, right?"

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied "In fact, Applejack and I were just planning on sprucin' ourselves up a bit. Knowing my sister, she'll probably end up wearin; her old work duds."

"As 'interesting' as that might sound I'm afraid The Grand Galloping Gala is an event that all but **DEMANDS** formal attire." Rarity explained "So, unless you have something that can fit the bill, I'm afraid you'll only attract laughs, and not customers, to your stand."

"I really don't have much use for fancy stuff." Big Macintosh stated "But maybe you could use my sister's work duds as a base to design somethin' that's a bit more fancy, but still fairly simple."

"That shouldn't be too hard." Fancy Pants said.

"I love a challenge." Rarity said with a smile "I accept. That's two vests, and two dresses, plus my one."

"Incoming!" a familiar voice called.

"Sounds like he's right on top of us." Shining Armor stated.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied "And he should be in coming in for a landing in 3, 2, 1."

Sure enough, Soarin came crashing through the roof of Carousel Boutique, and didn't stop until he colided with the ponyquins. He was a bit dazed, but unharmed.

"Ah Soarin, how nice of you to _drop_ in." Fancy Pants said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Are you okay, Soarin?" Shining Armor asked "That was some fall you took."

"I'm fine." Soarin said, rising to his hooves "Sorry about the mess. I've been working on my tricks in preparation for The Grand Galloping Gala. Guess I still need more practice."

"I'll say." Big Macintosh chuckled.

"Well, I was planning on stopping by here anyway." Soarin stated.

"Oh really? And what would a stallion like you be doing in a place like this?" Big Macintosh asked.

"Spitfire says I need a new vest for The Grand Galloping Gala." Soarin explained "I figured this place was probably my best bet."

"Couldn't you just wear your flight suit?" Big Macintosh asked.

"I asked Spitfire the exact same question." Soarin said with a sigh "And she said no."

"If it's a vest you need I'm sure I can design one for you Soarin." Rarity smiled "In fact, I think I'll make vests for Thunderlane and Braeburn as well. And if they agree, dresses for Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie."

"That's a big order to fill Rarity." Shining Armor commented "Are you sure you're up for it?"

"I'm positive." Rarity said with a smile "And once I'm done, perhaps we could put on a fashion show."

"That would be lovely!" Fancy Pants said happily "And we could drum up a lot of business for Carousel Boutique."

"Well, so long as everyone agrees I'm all for it." Shining Armor stated.

"Good, a fashion show it shall be." Rarity said, grinning from ear to ear as she set to work.

"So, let me see if I've got this straight." Big Macintosh said "You've got to create five different vests and five different dresses, as well as a dress for yourself?"

"Indeed." Rarity replied.

"That's a total of 11 different orders to work on!" Big Macintosh exclaimed.

Rarity smiply chuckled "Oh Big Macintosh, you make it sound as if it's going to be hard."

* * *

Sure enough, Rarity had each of the vests completed in no time at all. Needless to say, everyone was surprised. Especially because, when they arrived, Opal seemed to be quite chipper. The usually grouchy cat was lovingly brushing up against the suits. Even Thunderlane couldn't recall a time where he'd seen Opal **THAT** happy.

"Like what you see, boys?" Rarity asked "I made each vest specifically with your styles and personalities in mind. For example, Shining Armor, your vest defies all those naysayers who said military and fashion didn't mix. Just look at how elegeant, yet commanding it is. Tell me Big Macintosh, does your vest not just simply scream 'Southern Grace'? Soarin, your vest is so sleek you'll be the envy of every mare, wheter you're on the ground or in the sky. It took me forever to find something that contrasted nicely with your dark coat Thunderlane, but it I think it 'suits' you nicely. And look Braeburn, your vest matches your coat down a t. You're sure to attract attention at The Gala. So tell me, what do you all think of them?"

Now, one would think that the only natural response to the seemingly impressive vests that Rarity had designed, would be praise and admiration. That was not what happened. Instead, there was an akward silence. As if though the five stallions were trying desperately not to say anything.

"Is there something wrong with the vests?" Rarity asked "You can tell me. We're friends after all."

"Well, they're 'something' I guess." Shining Armor said nervously.

"Oh, I love 'somethin''." Braeburn said rather unenergetically "In fact, 'somethin'' is my favorite. Really."

Rarity didn't seem to be buying a single word of what the stallions said.

"They're, nice." Thunderlane said "Honest."

"Oh for the love of, mine's just not as 'cool' as I thought it would be!" Soarin blurted out, breaking the silence. Everyone else looked at him as if though he'd just kicked an innocent puppy for no good reason. "What? She asked for my opinion." Soarin said in response.

"I see." Rarity said with a sigh "Well, fear not. These are just the prototypes. I'm more than happy to make any and all necessary changes to satisfy you guys. And they won't cost you a thing."

"Now Rarity, you really don't have to do this." Big Macintosh spoke up.

"Big Macintosh is right." Shining Armor added "I mean, you're the expert on this. Who are we to decide what's truly fashionable?"

"You don't have to lie to make me feel better." Rarity stated "In business, the customer is always right."

"But you've already done more than enough for us as it is." Thunderlane protested "It wouldn't be right to ask you to do even more."

"They kind of have a good point." Soarin added "I'm fine with my vest not really being all that cool. I can live with it."

"I'm sorry, but I won't take no for an answer." Rarity said firmly "I know these vests aren't up to snuff with the standards you have, and I can't ask you to lower them just because you feel sorry for me. It wouldn't be right. I'll redo all of them until you're 100% absolutely satisfied."

"Well, if you're really sure that's what you want to do then I guess we won't stop you." Shining Armor said reluctantly "But keep in mind, you're the expert when it comes to fashion. You should follow your instinicts, even if we feel they may be wrong."

"Relax" Rarity said kindly "just leave everything to me." Once the stallions had left, under her breath she added "What have I gotten myself into?" Unfortunately, Rarity knew she had come too far to back out.

* * *

A few days later, Rarity called Thunderlane back to Carousel Boutique. "Hello Rarity." Thunderlane called "You wanted to see me?"

"Indeed I did. I've got good news." Rarity said proudly "Your new _new_ suit is ready Thunderlane. I've completely revised it from top to bottom and I know you're going to love it. So try it on, and tell me what you think."

Thunderlane did so and looked at himself in the mirror. He wasn't sure, but it looked to him like the vest hadn't been changed all that much.

"Well?" Rarity asked "I'm all ears."

"I... love it." Thunderlane said half heartedly.

Rarity didn't buy it for a second "Oh, you're just saying that. Tell me what you really think."

"No, no. I mean it, really." Thunderlane said nervously "It's uh... nice. You've done a good job."

"'Nice'?" Rarity asked.

"Yeah, nice." Thunderlane nodded.

"Look Thunderlane, if you don't like it you can just tell me." Rarity said kindly "Like I said before, the customer is always right."

"Oh, but I **DO** like it. Really." Thunderlane said nervously.

"Like it or love it?" Rarity asked.

"Uh, can't I just say both?" Thunderlane asked nervously.

"Come on, which is it?" Rarity asked "Like it, or love it?"

"Please stop asking me this, I..." Thunderlane protested.

"Just tell me what you really think Thunderlane, I really want to know." Rarity said firmly.

"No, that's okay. I really don't have a problem with it." Thunderlane said nervously.

"Tell me." Rarity said, getting right up into Thunderlane's face.

"No, it's fine. Really it is." Thunderlane said, backing up.

"Come on, tell me!" Rarity said crossly.

"I said I like it." Thunderlane said nervously.

"Tell me, tell me, tell-me-tell-me-tell-me!" Rarity said. Thunderlane wasn't sure but it looked like Rarity was about to snap.

"Well, all right. Since you really wanna know that badly." Thunderlane said, and promptly inhaled "The armscye's tight, the middy collar doesn't go with the shawl lapel, the hems are clearly machine-stitched, the pleats are uneven, the fabric looks like toile, you used a backstitch here when it clearly called for a topstitch or maybe a traditional blanket stitch, and the overdesign is not reminiscent of Italian style even in the slightest." Rarity was speechless. "But, uh... you know... um, whatever you want to do is fine." Thunderlane finished "You're the expert on this subject after all."

"Are you sure you're okay with this Rarity?" Shining Armor asked "I really think you might be going too far with all of this."

"Nonsense Shining Armor." Rarity said, trying not to convey how stressed she really was.

Shining Armor sighed "Well, if you're sure."

"I am." Rarity replied "Tell me what you want me to work on."

"Okay." Shining Armor sighed again "The stars on my belt should be as accurate as possible. Remember, it needs to look like the actual seal of the royal guards."

* * *

Just like she had done when designing the originals, Rarity worked nonstop until the vests were exactly waht her friends wanted. Even if some of them felt like they taking advantage of Rarity's generoisty. Needless to say, by the time she was finally done, Rarity was exhausted. And in her personal opinion, the suits she designed looked completely awful. But she'd said it herself that the customer was always right. So like it or not, she had to be okay with how they looked if her friends thought they were fine.

"Alright. It wasn't easy, but I did it. I did exactly what each of you asked for. Now please don't hold back, tell me what you really think. If they're still not what you wanted I can make any necessary changes." Rarity stated, looking rather worn out.

"Oh my!" Shining Armor exclaimed "You did all of that?"

"Yes I did." Rarity said, putting on a smile for the sake of her friends.

"I think you hit the nail on the head with my vest." Thunderlane said happily.

"My vest was already pretty cool, but you made it look even cooler!" Soarin stated.

"I don't think I've ever seen a vest like that before." Big Macintosh said honestly.

"It's exactly what I asked for!" the five stallions all said at once.

"Thank you so much Rarity." Shining Armor said kindly "You really didn't have to do any of this, but I'm sure my friends and I are glad that you did. If there's ever anything we can repay you please let us know."

"That won't be necessary." Rarity replied "Though I appreciate the offer."

"So, are you as happy with the suits as we are Rarity?" Braeburn asked "It's only fair to ask you that after all."

Rarity paused for a moment, considering what to say next. Then she said, reluctantly "Well, I'm... happy that all of you are happy. I'm just relieved to finally be done. I'm incredibly exhausted."

At that moment, Spike came running in with important news. "Oh Rarity, you are never gonna believe this!" he exclaimed "Have you ever heard of Hoity Toity?"

"Hoity Toity? The glamorus, bigwig, hotshot fashion critic in Canterlot?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Uh-huh." Spike nodded "He heard all about Rarity's fashion show."

"Really? How convinent." Shining Armor stated, he and Fancy Pants promptly cast a glare at Spike. They knew all too well about his crush on Rarity. They wouldn't put it past him to behind Hoity Toity's sudden knowledge of Rarity's fashion show.

"Okay, so maybe I just so happened to mention it to him." Spike confessed "The point is, he's coming all the way over from Canterlot to see your work Rarity! I'm not making this up!"

"You know Hoity Toity?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Well, to be more precise I know this guy, who knows this guy, who knows this guy, who knows this guy" Spike began to explain.

"Get to the point!" Fancy Pants said crossly.

"Well to make a long story short, I know this guy who's part of a long link of ponies that know other ponies, and so this one guy knows this guy's cousin, and this guy's cousin just so happens to know Hoity Toity." Spike finished "Back in Canterlot, being the only dragon admist a population of ponies really attracted a lot of attention."

"I see." Fancy Pants nodded.

"Hoity Toity sounds like a very important pony in the world of fashion." Big Macintosh commented.

"Indeed he is." Shining Armor explained "He's part of a trio of Canterlot fashion celebrities. The other two are Photo Finish, and Sapphire Shores."

"Sapphire Shores, the pony of pop?" Braeburn asked.

"The very same." Shining Armor explained "Growing up in Canterlot I heard all about them."

"I see." Soarin stated "Bet that means you could sell a ton of dresses to Hoity Toity, huh Rarity?"

"That would really boost business!" Thunderlane exclaimed.

Rarity however, sounded quite nervous. She knew the vests weren't very good, but she held her tounge. "Hoity Toity's coming _here_ , to see _these_ dresses?" she asked.

"You betcha!" Spike said happily "Get ready to have all your dreams come true Rarity!"

"Yay me." Rarity muttered under her breath.

* * *

The fashion show, needless to say, was a complete disaster. The less that could be said about it, the better. Shining Armor and the others unfortunately realized, too late, that what they wanted to have added onto their vests, weren't very fashionable. Hoity Toity wasn't very forgiving towards Rarity, and neither was the crowd that had flocked to the fashion show.

Despite Fancy Pants' reassurance that there would be other opportunities, Rarity became depressed. Nothing could cheer her up, and she was convinced her fashion career was over.

Shining Armor and his friends felt pretty bad about Rarity's condition, realizing that they were to blame for it. Some of them felt more guilty about it than others.

Even so, they knew they had to do something as the days ticked by without any sign of improvement.

"Rarity? Are you in there?" Braeburn asked, knocking on the door to Rarity's room "It's me, Braeburn. The guys and I want to apologize for messin' things up for you."

"There's no need to apologize. This was my own fault." Rarity complained.

"Are you okay? You haven't come out of your room for days now." Braeburn said "We're all worried about you."

"I'm never coming out! I can't show my face in Ponyville ever again, not after that terrible fashion show!" Rarity wined "I used to be somepony. And I used to be respected. I once made dresses. Beautiful, beautiful dresses! But now, thanks to my generoisty, everypony is laughing at me. I'm nothing but a laughing stock!"

"Rarity, you're not a laughing stock." Shining Armor reassured her.

"Hate to break to you but I think the town itself begs to differ." Soarin commented.

"Will you be quiet?!" Shining Armor said crossly "Rarity please, come on out and talk to us. Everyone is worried."

"Leave me alone!" Rarity shouted back "I just vant to be alone! I want to wallow in... whatever it is that ponies are supposed to wallow in! Do ponies wallow in pity? Oh, listen to me, I don't even know what I'm supposed to wallow in! I'M SO PATHETIC!"

"Well this is just great." Shining Armor said sarcastically.

"Beatin' ourselves up about the role we played in this won't get us anywhere." Big Macintosh stated.

"So then, what ARE we gonna do genius?" Soarin asked "Got any bright ideas?"

"Uh... panic?" Thunderlane suggested.

"That's your answer for everything." Soarin complained "And that won't get us anywhere."

"Well, I do know one thing." Big Macintosh said firmly "We can't just leave Rarity like this. We've got obligations as her friend, and as Fancy Pants' friend, to put things right."

"And we've got to act fast." Braeburn added "Or poor Rarity will become a crazy old cat lady!"

"But she only has one cat." Shining Armor replied.

"Give her time, and anythin' could be possible." Braeburn explained.

"So, what's our next move?" Soarin asked.

Shining Armor didn't answer right away, he was busy looking through the small seeing hole that granted a glimpse of Rarity's room. Tacked up to a wall at the other end of the room, was the design for a dress. Shining Armor could only assume that it was Rarity's own dress for The Grand Galloping, which she had never gotten around to designing. Upon seeing it, Shining Armor knew what to do. "Okay guys." he whispered, leading them away from Rarity's room "Here's what we're gonna do. Listen carefully."

* * *

Rarity had no idea that Shining Armor and his friends were up to something, and if even she did she probably wouldn't have cared. Right now she was contemplating a very important and very serious option. "Exile" she muttered to herself "I guess technically I'd have to move away in order to live in exile. But where would I go? And what would I pack? Oh, it's going to take me forever to do all of that packing. What exactly are you supposed to pack when you go into exile anyway? Are you supposed to pack warm? Or maybe you're suppose to pack light?"

Rarity's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar meow. From the looks of things, the sound appeared to be coming from outside. Now that Rarity thought about it, she hadn't seen Opalescence all day. Opening up her window to take a better look, Rarity searched despartely for the source of the meowing. Suddenly, she spotted Opal, clinging frantically onto a nearby tree branch. "Huh? Opal?" Rarity asked, completely confused. All Opal could do was meow, as she held on for dear life.

"Opal, how in Equestria did you get up there?" Rarity asked "Don't you worry. Just hang on, you poor dear! Mama's coming!" Rarity wasted no time in rushing outside, still wearing her pajama robe and matching slippers.

"Hey Rarity." Soarin called, sitting in the same tree branch as Opalescence. Rarity quickly realized what was going on, needless to say she wasn't happy.

"What do you think you're doing, Soarin?! Stranding my poor Opal in a tree like that!" Rarity shouted.

"Well, how else were we gonna get you out here to show you _this_?" Soarin asked.

"What is it?" Rarity asked, then she saw something on the ground in front of the tree. She couldn't believe what it was "It's not... You..." Rarity gasped.

"Surprise!" Braeburn shouted "We took the liberty of all pitchin' in and finishin' your dress for you."

"All thanks to Thunderlane and his freaky knowledge of sewin'." Big Macintosh said honestly.

"Rumble's always tearing holes in his clothes. Between you and me I think he does it on purpose." Thunderlane explained "So, do you like it?"

"Like it? Like it?!" Rarity asked "What do you all think?"

"Oh, you don't like it." Thunderlane said saddly.

"No, I'm afraid I don't like it. Not one little bit." Rarity said crossly.

Shining Armor and his friends were disappointed. Their attempt at cheering up Rarity had failed.

"I LOVE IT!" Rarity exclaimed happily. Everyone was happy. "I must say, you stallions did an absolutely amazing job. It's every bit what I imagined it to be."

"Hey, we just followed your brilliant design." Thunderlane explained.

"Something we should've let you do all along when you were making our suits." Shining Armor stated "Those first suits you designed were perfect. We should've just been satisfied with them as they were, especially since you were the expert."

"We're all so very sorry." Braeburn apologized "Clearly, fashion is not our callin'."

"I'll say." Soarin said "You worked oh so hard to make our vests exactly the way we wanted them. And let's face, we all saw how well **THAT** turned out."

"Oh I forgive you all." Rarity said kindly "I told you before that the customer is always right. You were perfectly entitled to demand only the best."

"Well, that's mighty kind of you. Even though the blame rests squarely on our shoulders." Big Macintosh nodded.

"But sadly, that doesn't change the fact that my whole career is ruined!" Rarity said sadly.

"About that," Shining Armor stated "I think we found a way to fix that as well."

"What do you mean?" Rarity asked.

"Let's just say I 'pulled some strings' so to speak." Shining Armor explained "But I managed to convince Hoity Toity to come back for a private fashion show with your first batch of suits."

"Really?" Rarity asked.

"Yup." Shining Armor nodded "Being Captain of The Royal Guard has its uses. It ain't just a title after all."

"All right, I haven't got all day." Hoity Toity said firmly "Let's get on with it shall we? I hope this won't be a waste of my time. I don't think I need to mention how fortune you are, that your friend made me reconsider my decision to forget about you."

* * *

Luckly for Rarity, the second fashion show turned out to be much better than the first. Thanks in no small part to the lesson Shining Armor and his friends had learned. When you try to please everypony, you often end up pleasing nopony. And when somepony offers to do something nice for you, you really shouldn't look the gift horse in the mouth. But most importantly, there are some things best left to the professionals. And even when you might think you know better, it's usually best to let the expert handle things.

"Brava! Brava! Magnifico! Encore!" Hoity Toity cheered, once the fashion show had concluded. Needless to say, he was impressed.

Rarity, for her part, was overcome with joy "Oh, thank you. Thank you! Oh, thank you so much!" she said happily. Her fashion career was back on track, and it had nowhere to go but up. And Fancy Pants and the other stallions couldn't be happier.


	22. Chapter 22: Conflicted Feelings

It may have already been an hour, but the adrenaline rush of falling to what had looked like his death still made Soarin's heart race. He was so glad the prize of the Best Young Flyers competetion, a day out with him and the other Wonderbolts, had been postponed to tomorrow. Soarin really needed the chance to calm down before he spent an entire day with Rainbow Dash. And he knew just who could help him with that, his friends.

"Boy, you guys should've been at the Best Young Flyers competetion." Soarin said, resting up in a spare bed at Golden Oaks Library "You missed out on a lot."

"I really would've loved to come, Soarin." Shining Armor stated "But someone needed to stay behind and look after the library while Twilight was away."

"I'd have been there in a heartbeat if I didn't have to take on Applejack's chores." Big Macintosh explained "But Granny gets really ticked if someone's not workin' the fields, and Apple Bloom just isn't old enough to do it yet."

"First Gilda and now this, I'm missin' out on all the good stuff!" Braeburn complained "Appleloosa's a nice place. I just wish they didn't keep needin' me to come back and help with construction."

"A last minute customer dropped by Carousel Boutique." Fancy Pants stated "I must say that I'm ashamed of the way Miss Rarity conducted herself when she had her new wings. But I'm glad she learned her lesson, and that nopony got hurt."

"Because Fluttershy was away I couldn't ask her to foalsit Rumble." Thunderlane explained "He claims he's old enough to be left home alone, but Mom and Dad don't believe him. He's been getting better at staying out of trouble though, so perhaps I'll stick up for him next time. It's not like he's a foal that isn't even out of diapers."

"Hey, I'm not complaining or anything," Soarin said crossly "In fact, I'm kind of glad you guys weren't there to see me make a fool of myself."

"We heard about what happened Soarin." Shining Armor admitted "There's nothing to be ashamed of. In the end everything turned out all right. That sonic rainboom sounds like it was a sight to behold. Come to think of it, that might be the unexplained event that led to Twilight's 'impressive' feat of magic. That 'performance' is what made her Princess Celestia's student in the first place."

"It was a beauty, even if I was focused on clinging to Rainbow Dash for dear life." Soarin stated "But that's not the only reason why I came here."

"What do you mean?" Shining Armor asked "After what you went through, I would've thought you wouldn't think about anything else."

"Well, think again." Soarin briefly chuckled "In any case what I'm more concerned about is the fact that Rainbow Dash won. Because that means she gets the grand prize."

"And what would that be?" Braeburn asked.

"The winner gets to spend a day with me and the other Wonderbolts, including Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Misty Fly." Soarin explained.

"And Rainbow Dash was the winner if I'm not mistaken." Fancy Pants finished.

"You got that right." Soarin nodded "And now you know what my real reason for coming here was."

"Still can't stop thinking about Rainbow Dash huh?" Big Macintosh teased.

"I don't know how or why, but I can't get her out of my mind. It's driving me nuts!" Soarin complained "Sometimes I really like her, and other times I feel like I wanna give her a good kick where Celestia's sun don't shine. I haven't felt this way about any other mare, not even Spitfire."

"Wow, I didn't know you had it that bad." Thunderlane said sincerely.

"I know. Love can be a very weird thing." Soarin admitted.

"Don't let Spike hear you say that." Shining Armor stated "Heck, don't let Rarity hear you say that. The two of them seem to have their own ideas of how love works. Not that I judge them for it, or anything."

"It's never been this bad before because it wasn't until today that Rainbow Dash had a chance to spend time with me." Soarin went on "And I'll be honest, when the competetion began, I didn't think she was going to win."

"So, you've come to us hoping that we'll be able to help you?" Shining Armor asked "That's kind of a tall order."

"I know it is, but you guys have to try. I'll do anything." Soarin pleaded.

"We can try, I guess." Shining Armor said reluctantly, turning to the others.

"I'm not too sure about this." Thunderlane replied nervously "This feels like something Soarin should be seeing a shrink about."

"It's nothing serious, yet." Shining Armor explained "It's ultimately just girl trouble."

"As in, Soarin's havin' a tough time sortin' out his feelings for a certain somepony?" Big Macintosh asked.

"More or less." Shining Armor stated.

"And you think we can help him?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Yeah, what if we make things worse?" Braeburn asked.

"We have to at least try." Shining Armor explained "Soarin is our friend. And as the old saying goes, a friend in need is a friend in deed."

Big Macintosh, Braeburn, Thunderlane, and Fancy Pants sighed. They figured it was worth a shot.

"So, what's your big plan to help me?" Soarin asked.

"Well, the best way to solve the problem is to discover the root of it." Shining Armor explained "And the best way to do that is to start from the beginning."

"What do you mean by that?" Soarin asked. Needless to say, he was confused.

"A good place to start in this case, would be when you first met Rainbow Dash." Shining Armor explained "Think you can do that?"

"No promises, but I can try." Soarin said with a sigh.

"That's all we can ask for." Shining Armor smiled "Just be honest, and let it all out. Hopefully, once you do, you'll feel better."

"If you say so." Soarin sighed again "Apparently, from what little she's told me, Rainbow Dash has always seen The Wonderbolts as her idols. Their shows are the one thing she remembers most fondly from her childhood. Especially because she never knew her birth mom, and her birth dad and foster mom divorced while she was still young."

"Wow, I never knew." Shining Armor said, his mouth hung open for a moment "But we're not here to talk about Rainbow Dash's past."

"I know. I know." Soarin admitted "I figured I should get that out of the way before we go any further."

"You may continue." Fancy Pants encouraged.

"Well, I joined The Wonderbolts about half a decade after Spitfire took over as Captain." Soarin explained "In fact, Spitfire was the one I have to thank for making it onto the team. The two of us were childhood friends, but after high school we didn't see each other as often. This was because Spitfire left to join The Wonderbolts at the first chance she got, while I decided to relax and go on an Equestria wide tour."

"That's, fascinating." Big Macintosh commented "But what does that have to do with Rainbow Dash?"

"The first time I met Rainbow Dash was while I was on tour." Soarin continued "I stopped in Ponyville to rest, before heading back to Cloudsdale. While I was in Ponyville, Rainbow Dash was taking over as the new head of the Ponyville weather team. It was quite surprising actually, because she was a lot younger than most of the previous weather captains. Some ponies weren't sure she would be up to the job. I wasn't one of them, but her attitude still quickly rubbed me the wrong way."

"And let me guess, that's when your conflicting feelings for her began." Braeburn spoke up.

"Actually no." Soarin stated "At that point, as far as I was concerned, Rainbow Dash wasn't anything special. She did tell me about her hero worship of The Wonderbolts, but a lot of ponies held The Wonderbolts in high regard, so I thought nothing of it."

"Are you gonna get to the actually helpful stuff or not?" Thunderlane asked "You're making this very difficult you know."

"Patience guys, I'm just getting to the important part. There were a few things we needed to clear up first." Soarin explained "Now, I'll skip ahead to after I joined The Wonderbolts and became Co-Captain. As I said before, that was about half a decade after Spitfire took over as Captain. I started seeing Rainbow Dash at almost every show, but I still didn't think that much of her."

"So, when did that change?" Shining Armor asked.

"I'd say, about a year before you and your sister moved to Ponyville Shining Armor." Soarin stated "Though I can't give you the exact date."

"Wasn't asking for it." Shining Armor said honestly.

"Anyway, I was enjoying a day off after an exciting show in Ponyville, and figured a little nap wouldn't hurt." Soarin continued "Just as I was starting to doze off, I saw Rainbow Dash racing right past me. She didn't seem to notice me, in fact she seemed to be in a hurry. Which I found odd."

"What did you do?" Thunderlane asked.

"Being the curious stallion that I was, I decided to follow her." Soarin explained "I knew something was up, because normally Rainbow Dash would relish a chance to stalk one of her idols."

"I see, continue." Shining Armor stated. He was currently busy jotting down notes, based on what Soarin was telling him. So far, he didn't have anything that really provided him with an answer to Soarin's problem.

"I followed her for a while, and I saw that she was carrying something. I couldn't see what it was because she was clutching it tightly." Soarin continued.

"So, what happened next?" Big Macintosh asked.

"Well, Rainbow Dash didn't spot me, so she landed." Soarin went on "Her destination, as I soon discovered, was Fluttershy's cottage. As it turns out, it was Fluttershy's birthday, and Rainbow Dash had taken time off from her job so she could buy Fluttershy a present. And I thought, that was really sweet of her. Especially considering how she normally acted."

"Did Rainbow Dash ever find out about this?" Fancy Pants asked.

"No. And I think that's when I started to develop such conflicted feelings for her." Soarin explained.

Shining Armor continued to jot down notes as Soarin spoke, and constantly kept looking over them. "I think I know what the problem is." he said at last.

"You do?" Soarin asked, rather unsure of what his friend was going to say next, and whether or not it would be helpful.

"Indeed I do." Shining Armor nodded.

"So, what's the problem, and what do I have to do to make it not be a problem?" Soarin asked.

"The problem itself is rather simple." Shining Armor explained, looking over his notes "Your feelings of confliction stem from the way you've seen Rainbow Dash. At times she seems really sweet, and extremly loyal. But at other times, she seems rather obxinous and bossy. And it confuses you, because you're not used to seeing anypony who's so twofaced."

"It's really that simple?" Thunderlane asked.

"I second that emotion." Soarin said reluctantly.

"Yes, it is." Shining Armor explained "My best guess as to why she's like that, is because she's the type of pony that craves attention. As such, she tries to establish herself as something to worshipped and idolized, and she thinks the best way to do that is to simply show how awesome she is. Because of this, she is very afraid of failing, and of anypony seeing that she has a soft side."

"I think anypony could've deduced that Shining Armor." Big Macintosh said, somewhat crossly.

"But I think I may know why she has such a longing for attention of any sort." Shining Armor went on "I think it stems from the fact that her childhood was so rough. I mean think about it, she never knew her biological mother, and her biological father and foster mother divorced while she was still young. I don't know about you, but a childhood like that would make me desperate for attention. Because I would want to make sure I wasn't being neglected or ignored."

"That's some sound logic." Braeburn commented.

"Thank you Braeburn." Shining Armor said with a smile "I pride myself on a job well done."

"What about the solution to my problem?" Soarin asked "What do I have to do? Tell me."

Shining Armor's mood quickly changed "Unfortunately, the solution is not as simple as the problem." he said with a sigh "It's actually quite complicated."

"Why? What could be so complicated about it?" Soarin asked.

"The fact of the matter is, I don't really have a solution ." Shining Armor admitted "The solution is going to have to come from you."

"What do you mean by that?" Soarin asked reluctantly.

"You have an entire day to spend with Rainbow Dash tomorrow." Shining Armor explained "Use it as an opportunity to get to know her better. Understand how she works, and what makes her tick. Then you can decide for yourself how to handle her."

"That's it?" Soarin asked.

"I'm afraid so." Shining Armor stated.

Soarin sighed "Well, thanks anyway. I guess I'll just be going." he said, and took off to prepare for the next day.

"Well, I tried." Shining Armor said, somewhat glumly.

"We all did Shining Armor." Big Macintosh reassured him "Like you said, Soarin's gonna have to figure out the solution on his own."

"I still wish we could've done more to help him." Shining Armor confessed.

"There was nothing more we could've done Shining Armor." Fancy Pants stated "We did all we could, the rest is up to Soarin."

"I know, but I still feel like we let him down." Shining Armor sighed.

"No we didn't." Thunderlane said honestly "We got Soarin's hoof in the door, now he just needs to finish what we started for him."

* * *

As it would turn out, the advice given to him by his friends proved to be useful to Soarin. Rainbow Dash spent a lot of time with him, Spitfire, and Fleetfoot, and whenever he had the chance, he tried to better understand her.

By the end of the day, Soarin felt that, at the very least, he no longer had conflicted feelings for Rainbow Dash. He wasn't quite ready to try and get romantically involved with her just yet. Especially not when he still had to sort how he felt (in terms of romance) about Spitfire.

But now he no longer found Rainbow Dash so annoying. In fact, as much as it pained him to admit it, he thought she was kind of cute. It was true what they said, life works in mysterious ways.


	23. Chapter 23: Aftermath and Rumors

It had been a stressful couple of hours for Fancy Pants, who had learned from Shining Armor, that Rarity had been kidnapped by a trio of creatures called Diamond Dogs.

Fancy Pants had only heard stories about them, but from what he had heard, he was incredibly concerned for Rarity's safety. If only he had known that her favorite gem hunting spot just so happened to be on Diamond Dog turf. He would've tagged along to make sure she was safe. But there was no way he could've known. And now it was too late.

Yes, Sapphire Shores' order was the perfect opportunity for Rarity to work on her own, but at no point did that involve Diamond Dogs. And Spike was just a baby dragon, there was only so much he could do to help.

All Fancy Pants could do was hold down the fort at Carousel Boutique, with his wife, Fleur De Lis.

"I've never seen you so upset dear." Fleur commented. "You need to relax, all that stress is not good for you."

"How can I rest when my assistant is in danger, and there is nothing I can do to help her?" Fancy Pants asked "If I had just known about this earlier I'd head down there, and give those Diamond Dogs a piece of my mind. As a matter of fact, I'd give them much more than that. I was once a champion middle weight boxer in my college days, and I think I still have a few moves stored in my memory."

"You wouldn't last five minutes with those ruffians." Fleur told him "They'd gang up and dogpile you before you could ever throw a punch."

"I'd like to see them try." Fancy Pants stated "Just because I'm a gentleman, does not mean I cannot defend myself. I've been in tougher situations and come out without a scratch."

"That's because you got lucky." Fleur explained "You'd do more harm than good going off to fight the Diamond Dogs now. Rarity's friends have already gone after those ponynappers. And they won't rest until Rarity is safe and sound."

"I don't doubt that they'll suceed." Fancy Pants commented "But Rarity has been working with me for a long time now, and she's like family to me. I really feel like I should be doing more to help her. If it was you down in those holes, I'd risk my life if necessary in order to save you."

"I know that dear." Fleur replied "However, the situation is already being taken of care as we speak. And when Rarity gets back, she is going to feel much better knowing that she doesn't have to worry about you risking your life on some crazy sense of honor."

"You're right, I guess." Fancy Pants sighed.

"Glad you think so, now relax." Fleur reassured him, and began to massage his back "Just take it easy. Rarity will be back before you know it."

"I hope you're right." Fancy Pants said with concern.

"I know I'm right." Fleur replied. And indeed she was.

* * *

Rarity returned a short time later with cart loads of gems. More than enough to complete Sapphire Shores' order. Much to the surprise of Fancy Pants and Fleur. And they were quite surprised when she told them how she was able to outwit the Diamond Dogs. Needless to say, they couldn't believe it. And neither could any of Fancy Pants' friends.

All the same, it was true. And thanks to Rarity, Ponyville was safe from surprise ambushes and jewelry thefts by The Diamond Dogs. For the time being anyway.

For a week following the event, Rarity worked on the order that Sapphire Shores had given her. All the while, word of her supposedly impressive feat began to spread. Apparently, The Diamond Dogs had quite a problem for many citizens of Ponyville, and now that Rarity had seemingly frightened them off, Ponyville was eternally grateful.

Despite that, Rarity's friends continued to worry that the event might have shaken her up a bit. Even though Rarity reassured them all that she was perfectly fine.

One bright and sunny day, about a week following the 'Diamond Dog Incident' as it was now being called. Shining Armor stopped by Carousel Boutique.

"Oh, hello Shining Armor. So good to see you again." Fancy Pants said with a smile, as he opened the door "Please. do come in."

Shining Armor did so without hestiation.

"Would you like some tea?" Fancy Pants asked "I could certainly go for a cup of it myself."

"Tea sounds nice." Shining Armor replied.

"Got any preferences?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Not really. Whatever you can whip up is good." Shining Armor stated.

"Very well then. I'll just mix up my normal brew." Fancy Pants said, and prepared the kettle "It'll take some time to make."

"That's alright." Shining Armor explained "That's not the reason why I came here."

"I know why you're really here." Fancy Pants replied "You're still concerned about Rarity, aren't you?"

"Somewhat." Shining Armor said reluctantly "It's you I'm more worried about."

"Whatever do you mean?" Fancy Pants asked nervously "I'm perfectly fine."

"That's what I'm sure you think, and normally I wouldn't doubt you." Shining Armor said with a sigh "But unfortunately, Fleur has told me that you're still on edge."

"Oh, she did huh?" Fancy Pants asked.

Shining Armor nodded "I'm afraid so. And she specifically asked that I talk with you about it."

"I don't need help if that's what you're implying." Fancy Pants boldly proclaimed.

"I'm not saying you do, but I'm not saying you don't either." Shining Armor explained "There's only one way to know for sure."

"And what would that be?" Fancy Pants asked, unsure of what Shining Armor would suggest next.

"You and I are just going to have a little chat as friends." Shining Armor explained, following a moment of silence.

"Okay." Fancy Pants said, sighing with relief "What do you want to talk about? We can talk about anything really. Maybe you'd like to hear more about Sapphire Shores. Or perhaps you'd like to know how well Carousel Boutique is doing. With all the publicity generated from Hoity Toity, we're getting a lot of new customers."

Shining Armor sighed, this was going to be a lot harder than he initially thought. But he owed it to Fleur to at least try. "I wanna talk more about the Diamond Dog incident."

Those words quickly changed Fancy Pants' mood. He clearly wasn't interested in talking about such a thing. "Why do you want to talk about that?" he asked nervously, his left eye twitching a bit "There's nothing to talk about. I'm perfectly fine. Miss Rarity is back safe and sound, those ruffians have been dealt with, everything is as it should be."

"I believe there is." Shining Armor stated "It's been a while, but you still seem rather shaken up. And if Fleur of all ponies thinks there's something bothering you, then she's probably right."

"Fleur really knows me that well huh?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Indeed she does, especially because of how long you two have been together." Shining Armor said honestly "I can still remember how much of a stir your wedding caused. It was all anypony was talking about for weeks afterwards."

"That's because it was a truly high class event, not unlike The Grand Galloping Gala." Fancy Pants stated, looking fondly back on the memories "I spared no expense to make everything the way Fleur wanted it. And that old saying is true, money can't buy happiness."

"Truer words were never spoken." Shining Armor nodded "But we're getting off topic here. I know that was probably your plan, but it's not going to work."

"Look Shining Armor, I promise I'll be fine eventually. It's only been a week." Fancy Pants pleaded "Just give me time and this will all be a fond memory."

"I'm sorry, but Fleur tells me you haven't talked at all about what happened that day. The only way you'll be able to put it behind you is if you talk about it." Shining Armor said reluctantly.

"I've told you already that there's nothing to talk about." Fancy Pants replied "Like I said before, it's only been a week. Give me time, and I'll move on like everyone else."

"Fancy Pants please," Shining Armor pleaded "just talk. You'll feel a lot better once you do, and we won't have to keep doing this."

Fancy Pants was silent for a moment, then he sighed "There really is no alternative is there?"

"I'm afraid there isn't." Shining Armor said somberly "So, are you finally ready to talk?"

"Indeed I am." Fancy Pants replied "But first, I believe the tea is ready." And indeed it was. Fancy Pants brought the kettle over and poured some into a cup. He did the same thing twice, once for Shining Armor, and once for himself.

"Okay, are you ready to begin?" Shining Armor asked, after taking a sip of his tea.

"Yes." Fancy Pants nodded "Where should I start?"

"How about from where the problem originated?" Shining Armor suggested.

"You mean, the gem shortage?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Yes." Shining Armor nodded "Start from there."

"Alright, I'll try my best." Fancy Pants said honestly "Keep in mind, I may not know everything about what went down that day."

"All I can ask for, is for you tell me what you know." Shining Armor explained "So, what exactly made Rarity realize she was running low on gems?"

"Well, it all started when Sapphire Shores made an unexpected stop at Carousel Boutique." Fancy Pants stated "I know this, because Miss. Rarity told me herself about the visit. Apparently, all that publicity from Hoity Toity has really payed off. Anyway, Sapphire Shores is currently in the midst of preparing for an Equestria wide tour. Because of that, she wanted something absoltely outstanding to wow her crowd."

"That's Sapphire for ya, the only thing that she's more interested in than her sensational music career, is her taste in fashion." Shining Armor said. Chuckling slightly, before regaining his composure.

"So, from what I understand, Miss. Rarity showed her a dress she had just finished, which had gems attached to it in pretty much every spot possible." Fancy Pants explained "And Sapphire loved it. She loved it so much that she not only decided to take the dress itself, but also a few more done up in other gems. Apparently for costume changes or something."

"And that's why Rarity decided to bring Spike along and go gem hunting, correct?" Shining Armor asked.

"Correct." Fancy Pants nodded.

"That was when Rarity was ambushed, kidnapped, and taken underground." Shining Armor explained "And when that happened, Spike went to go get Twilight and the others. And they all set off to try and rescue Rarity. That's when you and Fleur first learned about what had happened, am I right?"

"Indeed you are." Fancy Pants said reluctantly.

"So, while Twilight and the others were busy trying to rescue Rarity, what were you and Fleur doing?" Shining Armor asked.

"Well, we kept Carousel Boutique open." Fancy Pants explained "No other customers came in during that time however."

"What else did you do?" Shining Armor asked "Be honest with me."

"Do I really have to tell you?" Fancy Pants asked "I mean, I've told you a lot already. Haven't I?"

"Nothing really useful." Shining Armor admitted "In order for this to work I need to know exactly what you did during the time Rarity's friends were trying to rescue her."

"Really?" Fancy Pants asked.

"I'm afraid so." Shining Armor said reluctantly "But I have a feeling you'll feel a lot better once you've confessed."

"You really think so?" Fancy Pants asked nervously.

"Of course." Shining Armor said with a smile "After all, what are friends for?"

"Very well then, I guess." Fancy Pants sighed "I pretty much just spent that time worrying about Miss. Rarity. I know I probably should've done something more productive, but I couldn't help myself."

"Something tells me that's not all." Shining Armor said sternly "I'm not asking for a full hour by hour description of what you were doing, but I would like to know more."

"More about what?" Fancy Pants asked.

"What you did during the time you spent worrying about Rarity, more specifically, how you felt when the news first reached your ears." Shining Armor explained.

"Well, I spent my time only partially worrying to tell you the truth." Fancy Pants admitted "Much of my time was spent devising various plans to go down there, and teach those Diamond Dogs a lesson. A real good lesson at that."

"And that was all that you did from the moment you learned of Rarity's fate?" Shining Armor asked.

"No." Fancy Pants stated "I'm ashamed to admit it, but when I first heard the news I was terrified."

"Why is that?" Shining Armor asked.

"I've heard rumors about The Diamond Dogs." Fancy Pants explained "From what I hear, they're vicious, mean, and unforgiving. They lay in wait to snatch unsuspecting ponies, who they then use as slaves in their underground mines."

"Good heavens!" Shining Armor exclaimed.

"It get worse." Fancy Pants continued "According to some rumors, they work ponies to the point of exhaustion. All the while making them pull heavy carts, or dig until their hooves are red with scratch and bruise marks. And any ponies that refuse to work, get thrown into pits to rot away. Meanwhile, they don't let ponies eat or drink until the day's work is done, or the ponies have no energy left to move."

"Is that all?" Shining Armor asked.

"For the most part." Fancy Pants nodded "But some rumors go so far as to say that The Diamond Dogs steal gems of all sorts from other ponies, with the intended purpose of luring the ponies to their turf so they can be kidnapped. So, with ponies saying such dreadful things about them, could you really blame me for being so worried? If they had ever done anything to Miss Rarity I would never have been able to forgive myself."

Shining Armor said nothing for a moment, then he smiled "Well, from what Twilight and her friends told me, those ponies are wrong. And you really should know better than to listen to rumors Fancy Pants."

"Why is that?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Because in reality, more than half of those rumors aren't true. The Diamond Dogs are nothing more than incompitent idiots." Shining Armor explained "Just ask Rarity. The instant she started whining nonstop they were begging for her to be taken back. And before that, she had them treating her like she was their queen."

"Really?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Yes, really." Shining Armor said, chuckling quite a bit "How else do you think she managed to get her hooves on all those gems? They didn't just come out of nowhere you know."

"To be honest, the thought never crossed my mind." Fancy Pants admitted "Maybe if I'd thought of that, I would've realized just how silly those rumors were."

"Probably." Shinng Armor nodded "But at least you learned your lesson now."

"Indeed I did." Fancy Pants smiled "That's the last time I let rumors confuse me. I can't believe I ever listened to them in the first place. It feels like the poison joke incident with Zecora all over again."

"Well, at least this time the rumors weren't so farfetched, unlike with Zecora." Shining Armor explained "If you're still in doubt, why not head to that field of holes The Diamond Dogs once called home."

"They're not around anymore?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Not since Twilight sent a report to Princess Celestia about them." Shining Armor replied.

"I thought Twilight only sent friendship reports to Princess Celestia." Fancy Pants said, obviously confused.

"She does for the most part, but every now and then she sends a report about something important to the security of Equestria." Shining Armor explained "She did the same thing with Zecora, though I helped her out since she was still getting to know Zecora at the time."

"I see." Fancy Pants nodded "But if Princess Celestia is aware of those Diamond Dogs, I don't think anypony has anything to worry about." And indeed they didn't. Thanks to Princess Celestia, The Diamond Dogs, like with Nightmare Moon, and the numerous other disasters that befell Ponyville, soon became nothing but a distant memory. At least to everyone except Rarity and Fancy Pants.


	24. Chapter 24: Trouble in Appleloosa

"Seriously, I can't thank you guys enough for comin'." Braeburn said enthusiastically "You're gonna love Appleloosa! I gurantee it!" He had been very excited when he recently told his friends that Appleloosa, although still not quite completed yet, was ready to start recieving visitors.

Soon afterward, he arranged for them to visit. And so, the six stallions were traveling across the desert in a train. Twilight and her friends, as well as Spike, had promised to visit as well, but their train didn't leave till a later date.

"I sure hope so." Soarin replied "Especially since you said this town's been under construction for quite a while now."

"A wise pony once told me that good things come to those who wait." Big Macintosh spoke up "Besides, when you're designin' and buildin' an entire town it's important not to rush through the process. What's worth doin' is worth doin' well. That's what I always say."

"Those are some pretty wise words there Big Macintosh." Thunderlane chimed in "I, for one, just hope the towns ponies are friendly."

"I'm pretty sure they are." Fancy Pants reassured Thunderlane "After all, they've been working together to build this town for over half a year now. Something that would no doubt be impossible, if they were all at each others throats all the time."

"It sure was nice of you to do this for us Braeburn." Shining Armor said kindly "I must admit, a change of scenery can be nice every now and then."

"I knew you'd think so." Braeburn replied with a smile "Appleloosa promises to be quite the tourist destination once it's completed."

"So, where are we gonna be staying once we arrive in town?" Soarin asked "You said it yourself, the hotel isn't finished yet."

"You'll all be sleepin' over at my house." Braeburn explained "It's quite nice. And there's plently of room."

"Oh Braeburn, you didn't have to do that." Shining Armor said honestly "You could've just waited until the hotel was completed before inviting us."

"I could've, but that would've meant waitin' even longer to show you all the sights of AAAAAAAAAppleloosa!" Braeburn replied "And boy does this town have sights to see. I have so much to show you once we arrive!"

"A tour huh?" Fancy Pants asked "Sounds interesting. I didn't know you were appointed the town's tour guide."

"I wasn't." Braeburn explaned "It's just something I like to do. My real job, outside of overseeing the construction, is being the right hoof stallion of the town's law enforcer, Sheriff Silver Star."

"Wait, you mean, you're **NOT** the sheriff?" Soarin asked. Braeburn shook his head "But I thought for sure that was the job you were assigned."

"I don't recall ever saying anythin' that implied that." Braeburn replied "Besides, I'm a lover, not a fighter. In my opinion, violence just tends to lead to more violence. That being said, I'm willin' to admit there can be times where violence is the only solution, but those times are few and far in between."

"Wow, I had no idea you felt that way, Braeburn." Thunderlane commented, needless to say, he was shocked.

"Well, now you do." Braeburn stated "That's part of the reason why I didn't take up the role of sheriff. I want the citizens of Appleloosa to be able to solve their problems peacefully."

"Uh Braeburn," Shining Armor said with concern "not that I mean to interrupt, but what exactly are those buffalo doing so close to the train?"

"What do you mean?" Braeburn asked.

"Just take a look for yourself." Shining Armor stated. Everyone raced over to the same window Shining Armor was looking out of. Sure enough, an entire herd of buffalo were roaming only inches away from the train car. At any moment, it looked like they might ram into it.

The buffalo didn't seem to be aware that they were being watched, and continued roaming, as if they were trying to do something. What that something might be, no one knew.

Several tense minutes passed, before the buffalo slowly began to back away. Before long, they had disappeared in a cloud of dust.

"That was way too close for comfort." Big Macintosh stated.

"I'll say." Thunderlane spoke up "I thought for sure they were gonna ram straight into this car."

"Well I'm glad they didn't." Fancy Pants said with relief.

"Just what were they trying to do?" Soarin asked.

"I don't know." Shining Armor replied "I hope they were just attracted by the loud noise the train was making."

"They weren't." Braeburn admitted with great reluctance "This isn't the first time they've been spotted so close to Appleloosa."

"It isn't?" everyone else asked.

Braeburn sighed "I'm afraid so." he admitted.

"You mean, you've known about this?" Shining Armor asked.

"Yes." Braeburn said with a sigh "For a long time actually. And it's quite serious."

"Really? How so?" Soarin asked.

"You'll understand better once we arrive in Appleloosa." Braeburn explained "Speaking of which, it looks like we've arrived." Sure enough, the train pulled into the Appleloosa Train Station a short time later.

* * *

"So, where to first?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Follow me." Braeburn said somberly. Braeburn led them all to a ledge overlooking an apple orchard on the outskirts of town.

"You never mentioned anythin' about this in any of your letters." Big Macintosh stated, as he and the others looked around. "And I should know, I got quite a few of em over the months."

"That's because, if I did, Granny Smith would've never stopped worryin' about me." Braeburn said with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" Shining Armor asked "Is there something you wish to tell us?"

"It's complicated, and part of me thinks it's really stupid, but I'll try my best to explain." Braeburn said with great reluctance "Apparently, the entire town of Appleloosa is land that was once populated by a tribe of buffalo."

"You mean, like the ones we saw on the train?" Soarin asked.

"The very same." Braeburn answered "Apparently, they didn't mind havin' ponies take over land that they had little use for. Which is how Princess Celestia was able to obtain permission for Appleloosa to be built in the first place."

"I had no idea." Shining Armor stated.

"Nothing is more complicated than the world of Canterlot politics." Fancy Pants replied "Take it from someone who was once a part of it, the less you get involved with it, the better off you'll be."

"Anyway," Braeburn continued "this here apple orchard was planted almost the instant construction on this town began. Without it, we wouldn't be able to survive out here. Unfortunately, it seems that the land this orchard was planted on, was the native 'stampedin' ground' for the buffalo tribe."

"'Stampeding ground'?" Shining Armor asked.

"It's an ancient cultural tradition of the buffalo." Thunderlane explained "At least, from what I've heard."

"That's what the buffalo say." Braeburn replied "And because of that, they've been causin' trouble."

"What sort of trouble?" Big Macintosh asked.

"Part of the reason why construction of this town has taken so long, is because the buffalo keep attacking the trains that bring the building materials." Braeburn explained "They've also attacked trains carrying food and medical supplies. We've tried to work things out with them, but they keep demandin' that we cut down the orchard. And even though we've told them that we need the orchard to survive, they refuse to listen. It's gettin' to be a real problem."

"I had no idea." Shining Armor admitted "Why didn't you mention this sooner? I'm sure if Princess Celestia knew about this, the situation would already be resolved."

"That would require breaking through the barriers and hurdles established by the Canterlot nobility." Fancy Pants stated "And trust me when I say, there are a lot of them. It could take weeks, or even months, before Celestia could obtain permission to do anything. After all, it's only a border dispute, not actual war."

"Not yet it isn't." Shining Armor said omniously "But if someone doesn't do something soon war may come just the same. Especially if anything happens to this orchard."

"I know, and that's what worries me." Braeburn admitted "I'm still hopeful that this conflict can be resolved peacefully, but as the days pass, the situation just keeps looking bleaker and bleaker. And I can't help but wonder 'What if war **DOES** break out? What will happen to us then?' So you can see why I've been keepin' this under wraps."

"I can understand how you feel, Braeburn." Shining Armor stated "But this is serious. You said it yourself, the situation continues to get worse. It's only a matter of time before someone sets off the powder keg and things spiral out of control. Someone's got to do something before that happens."

"The question is 'what sort of somethin'?'." Braeburn replied "'What can be done to solve the problem before war breaks out?'. And until we know the answer to that, there's not much we can do."

"Still, doing something is better than doing nothing." Shining Armor said firmly "If worse comes to worse at least you won't be able to say you didn't try. Besides, you can't let things go on like this! Sooner or later it has to stop!"

"I know that, and so does the sheriff." Braeburn replied "But our options are limited. The buffalo may be attackin' our trains, but no one's gotten hurt yet. We don't want to unintentionally provoke them and start an inter racial incident."

"Haven't you tried to contact the buffalo tribe at all?" Big Macintosh asked "Maybe they don't know that they're causin' you guys so much trouble."

"That's wishful thinking, but we've already thought of that." Braeburn said glumly "Their responses clearly show that they're aware of what they're doing to us, and they don't seem to care at all. Every time their demand is the same, surrender the apple orchard and return the native stampeding grounds. And every time, we tell them that such a thing is impossible. And it just goes back and forth."

"There must be something you can do that you haven't already tried." Shining Armor stated.

"If there is, we haven't thought of it yet." Braeburn admitted "For now though, I think it's best if you just forget about it. Hopefully the buffalo won't cause anymore trouble while you guys are here. Now, come on. There's still a lot of sights left to see here in Appleloosa."

* * *

Unfortunately for Braeburn, even by next morning things were no better. The news spread fast, and there was no way to cover it up. The buffalo were stepping up their game. They had been spotted on the outskirts of Appleloosa. What they intended to do, no one knew. And that alone was enough to send the citizens of Appleloosa into a panic stricken state. Already, precautionary mesaures were being taken, just in case the buffalo decided to attack.

"Well, this is another fine mess we've gotten ourselves into." Soarin commented, as he and his friends observed what was going on.

"I'll say." Fancy Pants added "How do we always seem to end up in these situations?"

"I know this looks bad, but surely all hope is not lost." Thunderlane said hopefully.

"Maybe it isn't, but what we can do?" Big Macintosh asked "Time may be runnin' out for this town."

"Braeburn, how are the evacuation measures coming'along?" Sheriff Silver Star asked.

"The orders have been issued, and already the citizens are preparin' to pack up and leave." Braeburn replied.

"Good, what about the weapons?" Sheriff Silver Star asked.

"They're on their way sir. They'll be here soon." Braeburn stated.

"Excellent." Sheriff Silver Star said happily "If those buffalo think they can just come chargin' into this town, they're sadly mistaken. I don't know about you, but I'm gonna defend this town to the very end."

"Even if it means giving your life?" Braeburn asked.

"If that's what it takes to ensure this town is still standin', then so be it!" Sheriff Silver Star said boldly "Hopefully it won't come to that. Hopefully, if those buffalo know what's good for them, they'll turn around and leave!"

"This is serious!" Thunderlane commented "War could break out at any moment!"

"Not if I can help it!" Shining Armor stated, and ran off.

"Where are you going, Shining Armor?" Soarin asked.

"To see if I can't talk some sense into both sides, and straighten this whole thing out!" Shining Armor replied.

"Are you nuts?! What makes you think you can just waltz up to the buffalo and tell them to stop?!" Big Macintosh asked.

"Nothing, but I have to try!" Shining Armor stated.

"I hope he knows what's he doing." Thunderlane said, as Shining Armor raced away.

"Want me to go after him, Big Macintosh?" Soarin asked "Just say the word and I'll take off. He won't get far."

"Let him go." Big Macintosh ordered "I think he just might be able to solve this. And even if he can't, it's better than just sittin' around, doin' nothin'."

"Well, I don't like the idea, but I guess it's too late to talk him out of it." Fancy Pants commented "I just hope everything goes well, for his sake."

* * *

If Shining Armor had any doubts about whether or not he would suceed at his mission, he sure didn't show them. Even as he raced towards the outskirts of Appleloosa, the look on his face showed just how determined he was. Nothing was going to stop him from doing this. He would not let war break out if he had anything to say about it.

Eventually, Shining Armor found a group of buffalo just outside of Appleloosa's border. When they saw Shining Armor, they only knew that he didn't appear to be an Appeloosan. But looks could be deciving. "Halt." one of the buffalo said sternly "Who are you?!"

"My name is Shining Armor." Shining Armor answered "I wish to speak to your chief."

"Are you from the town of Appleloosa?" the buffalo asked.

"No." Shining Armor answered "But I want to speak your chief, it is urgent!"

The buffalo appeared to be confused "You say you are not from this town, yet you still appear to be concerned about its fate. Why should you care if we level it to the ground? Do not stick your nose where it does not belong. Such foolishness will only get you into trouble. This does not concern the likes of you."

"Yes it does." Shining Armor explained "One of my friends comes from that town, and my other friends are currently down there as well. None of them wish to see this end in violence."

"I see." the buffalo replied "But what business do you have with our chief? He is very busy, and does not have time to bother with the likes of you."

"Please, you must let me through!" Shining Armor pleaded "I want to see if I can convince your chief not to attack the town."

"You are not an Appleloosan, and yet you think our chief will take the time to listen to you?" the buffalo asked "If so, then you are wrong. Chief Thunderhooves does not like to concern himself with ponies who foolishly side with the Appleloosans. Especially not meager common travelers such as yourself. Go away and never return!"

"You don't understand, I'm not just another common traveler." Shining Armor explained "I'm the Captain of Equestria's Royal Guard."

"What nonsense is this?" the buffalo asked "Do you expect me to believe that story?"

"I swear I'm not making this up." Shining Armor said frantically "You have to believe me!"

"I have to do no such thing." the buffalo said crossly "It is my job to make sure that Chief Thunderhooves is not bothered by ponies such as you, who wish only to waste his valueable time."

"But I'm telling you the truth!" Shining Armor pleaded "I can prove it."

"Oh really?" the buffalo asked "What proof do you have that could convince me to let you pass?"

"It's not much, but I hope it will do." Shining Armor said, as he dug into his saddle bags. He pulled out a special badge that the Captain of The Royal Guard was given.

The buffalo guard examined the badge carefully. After what seemed like several tense minutes, he gave it back and said "It appears you were telling the truth after all. Very well, you may speak to Chief Thunderhooves if that is what you wish. But be warned, Chief Thunderhooves will probably not be as friendly or as patient as I have been. Do not be surprised if he disregards your suggestion outright. Once his mind has been made up, Chief Thunderhooves rarely changes it."

"I'll keep that in mind." Shining Armor said, as he put the badge back in his saddle bag.

"Follow me, and I will lead you to our chief." the buffalo said. Shining Armor did so, and the buffalo led him through the tribe, past a series of tents. Finally, the buffalo stopped. Near him stood a buffalo that was much bigger than the rest. His black fur constrated quite heavily with the land and sky around him. Atop his head was a hat of white feathers with red on their tips. Standing next to this looming giant, was a female buffalo who looked small, and not just in comparison to the chief. "Excuse me chief." the buffalo said.

The black buffalo turned around. Apparently he had been talking about or discussing something just a moment ago. "What is it?" the black buffalo asked "It had better be important."

"The Captain of Equestria's Royal Guard wishes to speak with you." the buffalo guard said nervously.

The black buffalo said nothing for a moment, as if he were pondering the situation. Then he said "If he wishes to speak I shall hear him out. In the mean time, return to your post and remain alert."

"Yes sir chief." the buffalo guard said, and went away. That left Shining Armor alone with the black buffalo, and the smaller female buffalo.

"Greetings to you, captain." the black buffalo said in a booming voice "I am Chief Thunderhooves, the head of the very tribe of buffalo you see before you now. What is your name?"

"My name is Shining Armor." Shining Armor replied.

"A fitting name for a captain." Chief Thunderhooves commented "Tell me captain, why do you wish to speak to me? As I am sure you can see, we are currently preparing to do battle with the Appleloosans."

"I know. That's why I wanted to talk to you." Shining Armor said honestly.

"It is?" Chief Thunderhooves asked.

"That's right." Shining Armor nodded "You don't have to do this you know. Whatever your troubles with the Appleloosans may be, they don't have to end in war."

"Captain Armor" Chief Thunderhooves spoke up.

"You can just call me Shining Armor." Shining Armor stated "It's easier that way."

"Shining Armor." Chief Thunderhooves continued "You seem like a reasonable pony, unlike those Appleloosans. But, having spent time among them, you must know what it is that they did to us."

"Braeburn told me everything I needed to know." Shining Armor explained "I'm aware of what's been going on."

"Then you know why that orchard must be destroyed!" Chief Thunderhooves said sternly "That orchard was built right over our native stampeding grounds. Those grounds are not something that can just be replaced. Believe me, we have tried."

"So, war's the answer?" Shining Armor asked.

"Trust me when I say that we would have rather avoided war with Appleloosa, if that were possible." Chief Thunderhooves replied "Unfortunately, we have come to realize that the Appleloosans will never agree to our demands. They have refused to remove that orchard every single time we have asked them to do so."

"Even if that's the case, don't you think you could try to work out some sort of compromise?" Shining Armor asked "Maybe there's a way for you to get what you want, and for the Appleloosans to get what they want."

"Such an outcome is nothing more than a foolish dream." Chief Thunderhooves said crossly "It is impossible for us to get what we want, and for the Appleloosans to get what they want, at the same time. We want the orchard to be removed at once, but the Appleloosans refuse to move even a single tree. Therefore, compromise is impossible."

"Maybe it is, but maybe it isn't." Shining Armor suggested "My friend Braeburn, and most of the citizens of Appleloosa are pacifists. They don't want war anymore than you do. I'm sure if you tried to negotiate with them again you would have better luck."

"Even if they do not want war to come, they will still not give up their orchard." Chief Thunderhooves said with a shake of his head.

"Really? From what I can tell you and the Appleloosans have never even talked face to face." Shining Armor stated "Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't you simply been communicating with the town by telegram?"

"That much is true." Chief Thunderhooves admitted "It is only further proof that these foolish ponies do not consider our demands to be reasonable. They are cowards, and have been trying to pacify us for a long time. It is unfortunate for you, that you and your friends had to visit the town, at the very point whn the men of our tribe and I, have decided that the town must be destroyed! Now, stand aside! Your attempt at stalling us is futile! Our attack will not be haulted!"

Shining Armor was horrified "Please, you must reconsider Chief Thunderhooves." he pleaed "If you attack Appleloosa, you will destroy innocent lives! And you will lose all support you might have amongst the settlers. Not to mention, you will attract the attention of the Equestrian government, who will likely view your actions as an act of terrorism. As Captain, I would oversee the royal guards that would be deployed to fight your tribe, and capture you. And I wouldn't be able to vouch for you, because of what you will have done. Are you really willing to risk all of that for the sake of your stampeding grounds?!"

Apparently, Shining Armor somehow managed to break through to Chief Thunderhooves with those words. Because the buffalo chief seemed deeply troubled by them. He thought for a long time, and said nothing all the while. No one said or did anything. At last he spoke up. "You are... correct." he said somberly "Perhaps, we have misjudged the ponies by not directly talking to them. Maybe we will have better luck convincing them to get rid of their orchard, if we talk face to face."

"It's worth a shot." Shining Armor said hopefully.

"Very well then." Chief Thunderhooves stated "We shall talk to the citizens of Appleloosa, and attempt to solve this problem peacefully. But we will only try this once. If these face to face talks fail, we will attack! And no one, not even you, will be able to stop us! So you had better hope, for your sake, and for the sake of the Appleloosans and your friends, that the talks go smoothly." This made Shining Armor gulp, as he led Chief Thunderhooves, the smaller female bison (who he learned was called Little Strongheart, the chief's adopted daughter), and the rest of the buffalo tribe towards Appleloosa.

* * *

"I don't like this." Soarin said, pacing back and forth "He's been gone for too long. Something must have happened to him. And I'll lay odds on who's to blame."

"Now now, let's not jump to conclusions." Thunderlane said nervously "We already learned our lesson on that."

"But this is serious." Soarin stated "Shining Armor should've been back a long time ago, but it's been at least an hour, and no one knows where he is. I knew I should've gone after him, but Big Macintosh wouldn't let me!"

"Hey, don't blame me, Soarin!" Big Macintosh said crossly "I figured Shining Armor was the best bet to try and talk the buffalo out of war. Unlike the rest of us, he's willin' to admit that both sides might have a point. And his beliefs aren't biased because of personal ties."

"I'm sure Shining Armor is all right." Fancy Pants reassured them "He's strong. Princess Celestia made him Captain of The Royal Guard for a reason. And as his friends, we need to have faith that he'll be able to do something before it's too late."

"Well whatever he was hopin' to do, he'd better do it soon." Braeburn said with concern "I can't convince Sheriff Silver Star to hold off a strike for much longer. The clock is ticking."

"Hey, look!" Thunderlane shouted "I think I see Shining Armor in the distance, but he's not alone."

"What do you mean?" Soarin asked.

"It looks like the whole buffalo tribe is following him." Thunderlane explained "And they're coming right this way."

"What?!" everyone gasped.

"Just what does he think he's doing?!" Soarin asked.

"I don't know." Thunderlane replied "I'm pretty sure he'll tell us in a moment. You know, once him and his 'buddies' arrive."

"Not that I mean to question his intentions, or anything, but I'm not really sure I see the point in him bringing all those buffalo into town." Fancy Pants stated.

"Well, it's not like we can stop him." Braeburn commented "As long as it means war isn't comin' to this town I'm willin' to let him do whatever he wants. At times like this, we have to try anythin' and everythin' possible."

"I sure hope he knows what's he doin'." Big Macintosh stated.

"Hold your fire!" Shining Armor called, when he saw that Sheriff Silver Star looked ready to attack "These buffalo come in peace. Their chief has something he wishes to say."

"It'd better quick, or else he and his tribe can kiss their sorry behinds good bye!" Sheriff Silver Star threatened.

"Well, no time like the present, chief." Shining Armor encouraged.

Chief Thunderhooves nodded. "Citizens of Appeloosa!" he said in his booming "I am Chief Thunderhooves, leader of the very buffalo tribe that now stands before you! We have been 'convinced' by Captain Shining Armor, to talk face to face with you. It is the hope of that individual, that these talks will prove productive, and will result in a lasting peace between us."

"Is this true?" Soarin asked.

"No bull." Shining Armor said honestly.

"I don't know how you did it, but I think you may have just saved the day." Braeburn said with a smile.

"Don't celebrate just yet Braeburn." Shining Armor stated "If these talks fail Appleloosa is doomed!"

"That won't happen, will it?" Thunderlane asked nervously.

"I sure hope not, but there's really nothing more I can do." Shining Armor said with concern "I've done my best to try and defuse the situation, but the rest is pretty much up to Chief Thunderhooves, and Sheriff Silver Star."

"Well, as the sheriff's right hoof stallion, I think it's my duty to try and adivse him on what to push for, and what to compromise on, in those talks." Braeburn said, and set off "You'd better come too Shining Armor. Your help just might be needed."

"Hopefully it won't be, but I think I'll tag along just in case." Shining Armor said, and followed Braeburn.

"So, what are the rest of us supposed to do?" Soarin asked.

"The only thing we can do." Big Macintosh stated.

"And that would be what?" Soarin asked.

"Pray that the talks succeed." Big Macintosh explained "And something tells me, we'd better pray pretty hard."

* * *

The talks began, as the clock struck high noon. Tensions were high, and so were the stakes. The question that hung in everyone's mind as Chief Thunderhooves and Sheriff Silver Star finally meet face to face was, would the peace talks be enough, or were they doomed to failure? Everyone hoped it was the former, and not the latter.

"So, you finally have the courage to meet us face to face, you cowardly ponies." Chief Thunderhooves hissed.

"We may be many things, but cowards ain't one of em!" Sheriff Silver Star snapped "We ain't afraid of you buffalo! If you attack us, we'll take you down!"

"Really? From what I was told, you ponies are mostly pacifists. Apparently, that was just a ruse." Chief Thunderhooves said crossly.

"That information hasn't got the chance of a snowball in Tartarus of bein' even the slightest bit true!" Sheriff Silver Star replied.

"I can see that clearly." Chief Thunderhooves said sternly "It seems you foolish ponies don't know when to back off."

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you're gonna get!" Sheriff Silver Star threatened.

"So, will you ponies give up that apple orchard?" Chief Thunderhooves asked "Or will you foolishly hold onto it, even as we trample your town into the ground?!"

"You'll never get the chance!" Sheriff Silver Star bellowed "We'll bring you down before you could ever demolish even a single buildin'!"

"Well, this isn't good." Braeburn said, looking in on the peace talks "We've got to do something."

"And I think I know just what that something is." Shining Armor added "Now listen carefully Braeburn. Here's what I want you to do."

* * *

"I can not believe I was convinced to meet you face to face." Chief Thunderhooves said crossly "This has been nothing but a waste of time."

"Well, looks like we finally agree on somethin'!" Sheriff Silver Star replied.

"Indeed. I hope you ponies are ready for war." Chief Thunderhooves said ominously.

"Oh, we are." Sheriff Silver Star said confidently "The question is, are you?"

"I was ready since yesterday." Chief Thunderhooves stated "And if it weren't for these pointless talks, I would've already destroyed your town by now."

"You and your tribe wouldn't have lasted five minutes!" Sheriff Silver Star boldly proclaimed "We'd have crushed you in a heartbeat!"

"Well then, seeing as we have nothing left to discuss, I believe these 'peace talks' have concluded."Chief Thunderhooves said sternly.

"Indeed they have, so you and your tribe better hightail it out of my town this instant!" Sheriff Silver Star threatened "Any buffalo that stay, will be arrested and thrown in jail!"

"You could throw as many of my men into prison as you wished." Chief Thunderhooves proclaimed "But you would never be able to hold them."

"That's what you think!" Sheriff Silver Star said smuggly.

"Not so fast!" Shining Armor shouted, blocking the exit to the building where the peace talks were being held "Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves."

"And why is that?" Chief Thunderhooves and Sheriff Silver Star both asked, before glaring at each other.

"You guys call yourselves leaders, yet all you've done since meeting each other is aruge and bicker!" Shining Armor explained "And you should both know better. Harsh words will never solve problems, action will. So, instead of calling each other names, why don't you actually **TRY** to get along? At least then we might actually get somewhere!"

Chief Thunderhooves and Sheiff Silver Star were both silent for a moment, and they seemed to look rather ashamed of what they had done. Then, Sheriff Silver Star said "You're right about one thing."

"And what would that be?" Shining Armor asked.

"Harsh words won't solve our problems." Chief Thunderhooves explained "But action, most certainly will! Like war, for example!"

"That's not what I meant!" Shining Armor said crossly.

"Look, Shining Armor, you're just gonna have to accept the fact that the buffalo tribe and the citizens of Appleloosa are destined to fight each other." Sheriff Silver Star proclaimed "Peace will never come as long as that orchard is involved."

"Glad to see you have finally realized that." Chief Thunderhooves stated "But I doubt you are willing to remove it."

"Darn right we are, we can't survive without the fruit of that orchard!" Sheriff Silver Star shouted "Why can't you buffalo folk understand?!"

"Because that orchard was built on our native stampeding grounds!" Chief Thunderhooves shouted "You ponies are ruining our native tradition!"

"Braeburn! Get over here and help me prepare the town for war!" Sheriff Silver Star called out.

"Come, Little Strongheart, we are leaving this miserable town!" Chief Thunderhooves called. There was no reply from either of them.

"Hey, Braeburn! I know you can hear me!" Sheriff Silver Star said crossly.

"Little Strongheart, now is not the time for one of your games!" Chief Thunderhooves snorted. Still, there was no reply.

"What did you buffalo scum to do Braeburn?!" Sheriff Silver Star asked.

"Nothing. But perhaps we should have, seeing as you ponies did something to Little Strongheat!" Chief Thunderhooves replied.

"Actually, neither of them are hurt." Shining Armor explained "In fact, I think I know where you can find them." Shining Armor led both Sheriff Silver Star, and Chief Thunderhooves, through town. Neither of them said anything, but they continued to glare at each other. " _I hope my plan works._ " Shining Armor thought to himself. If this failed, there was no hope for peace.

Shining Armor stopped, at the edge of the hill looking out over the apple orchard. "Take a good look, and tell me what you see." he said to the two leaders.

Reluctantly, both Sheriff Silver Star, and Chief Thunderhooves did so. And what they saw, surprised them. Braeburn, and Little Strongheart, were racing through the orchard. The vibrations causing the apples to fall from the trees, and into baskets placed at the trunks.

"How is this possible?" Sheriff Silver Star and Chief Thunderhooves asked. They were quite confused.

"It's quite simple actually." Shining Armor explained "While you two were busy arguing and bickering, Braeburn and Little Strongheart made a small clearing in the orchard."

"Couldn't one of them have just done it on their own?" Sheriff Silver Star asked "Braeburn is pretty strong after all."

"The same can be said of Little Strongheart." Chief Thunderhooves added.

"Nope, it was only by working together that they were able to do this." Shining Armor explained. In reality that was only half true, Braeburn and Little Strongheart could've actually made the path on their own, but it would've taken they longer to do so. Shining Armor made sure however, that both Sheriff Silver Star and Chief Thunderhooves didn't know that.

"Don't you see?" Shining Armor asked the two leaders "Working together is certainly much better than being enemies, wouldn't you agree?"

"Even if that's true" Sheriff Silver Star spoke up.

"There is still the issue of the native stampeding grounds." Chief Thunderhooves finished.

"Why do you think that clearing was made?" Shining Armor asked "It's wide enough and long enough to let the buffalo run through, and stampede, to their heart's content, while still leaving room for the apple trees to grow, and their fruits to be harvested. Take a look for yourself if you don't believe me."

"I'h reckon I'h will." Sheriff Silver Star stated "I've got to make sure you ain't pullin' my leg."

"I too shall examine the area." Chief Thunderhooves proclaimed "I shall be the one to decide if there is enough room for us to stampede as tradition dictates."

"Go right ahead." Shining Armor said kindly "I'm pretty sure you'll both be pleased by what you discover." And, he was right. The clearing was enough to satisfy both sides, and at long last, peace came to the town of Appleloosa. A deal was soon made, in which the buffalo tribe were allowed to stampede through the orchard whenever they wanted, while also recieving some of the various baked goods that came from the apple crops. The stampeding quickly proved to be an effective means of harvesting, even more efficent than apple bucking.

* * *

By the time Twilight and her friends (as well as Spike) arrived, no one would've believed you if you had told them that Appleloosa had once been on the brink of war.

"I must say Shining Armor, you really surprised me." Braeburn said on the train ride back "I never knew you had such a knack for diplomacy."

"Beginners luck I guess." Shining Armor said with a shrug.

"Even so, all of Appleloosa is in your debt." Braeburn stated "If there's anything we can ever do for you, don't hestitate to tell us."

"I don't think I'll ever have a use for that debt, but thank you anyways." Shining Armor said honestly "I'm just glad that things could be resolved without violence."


	25. Chapter 25: An Owl Problem

It was a peaceful star lit night in Ponyville. Shining Armor, Twilight, and Spike were just coming back home from an exciting meteor shower. A very rare one at that. They had been quite impressed by it, and Twilight was already looking forward to writing a report on it. But for now they were simply enjoying the peace and quiet.

Spike was fast asleep. He had worked himself to the bone helping Shining Armor and Twilight prepare for a picnic with all their friends. Shining Armor and Twilight couldn't help but think he looked cute, but they knew Spike wouldn't think the same way.

"That meteor shower was amazing. I'm glad I got the chance to see it." Shining Armor said, as he and Twilight trotted through the empty streets of Ponyville.

"Me too." Twilight replied "With all the information I've gathered, my report is going to be incredibly detailed. I just wish I'd had that book with me."

"Relax Twily." Shining Armor reassured her "Like Spike said when we set off, you don't need it. And he was right."

"I suppose that's true." Twilight considered "I just hope that whoever took the book out brings it back soon. Although, don't you think I would've known if someone checked out the _Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy_ , or any other book from the library for that matter."

"You were probably too absorbed with a book to notice." Shining Armor suggested "Kind of like the time Pinkie Pie was trying to talk to you about Gilda."

"Well, that was different, though I guess I should've been paying more attention to her." Twilight admitted.

"It's okay. She forgave you, and everything worked out just fine." Shining Armor stated "No harm no foul."

"Indeed." Twilight replied "Well, looks like we're here."

"I'll tuck Spike into bed, then I'll probably go and hit the hay myself." Shining Armor said, yawning slightly "I am pretty tired."

"I think I'll get to work on my report. I want to have it completed as soon as possible." Twilight replied.

"Okay, just don't stay up too late." Shining Armor teased.

"I'm not a little filly B.B.B.F.F, I can take care of myself." Twilight said crossly.

"I know you can, but you still have that tendency to stay up pretty late from time to time." Shining Armor replied.

"Well, this report shouldn't take too long. I already know pretty much everything I want to include in it." Twilight explained "Once it's done, I'll put it in an envelope, and mail it first thing in the morning."

"Very well then, goodnight Twilight." Shining Armor called, as he headed upstairs.

"Sweet dreams Shining Armor." Twilight replied.

* * *

When Shining Armor woke up next morning, he had no idea that a big surprise was waiting for him just downstairs. With a yawn, he brushed his mane until it looked presentable, then headed downstairs for breakfast.

"Good morning, B.B.B.F.F" Twilight said with a smile.

"Good morning Twily." Shining Armor replied.

"Guess what Shining Armor?" Twilight asked "I've got a pet."

"You do?" Shining Armor asked. Twilight nodded "Where is it?"

"Over there." Twilight said, pointing a hoof over to a corner of the library. There, sleeping on a little perch that Twilight had made, was a small owl.

"You got a pet owl?" Shining Armor asked.

"Yep." Twilight replied "His name is Owlowiscious, and he's going to be our new junior assistant."

"That's... interesting." Shining Armor stated "But why didn't you ever tell me you were going to get an owl?"

"I didn't get him from a pet shop or anything like that." Twilight explained "In fact, up until last night, I didn't plan on obtaining a pet at all."

"So what, you just decided out of the blue to obtain an owl?" Shining Armor asked, still quite confused.

"No." Twilight explained "I was busy writing my report, when I heard a strange noise. I opened a window to investigate, but found nothing. Then, a sudden gust of wind came in, and blew my paper away. I started to panic, when I was interrupted by a hoot. There, sitting on the windowsill, was an owl. He had managed to resuce my report, so in exchange, I decided to let him stay with me."

"That was very kind of you to offer such a thing." Shining Armor stated "But don't you think you should've at least asked Spike and I about this before you 'invited' the owl to stay with us?"

"I suppose I should've." Twilight admitted "But I'm sure Spike will be accepting."

"Assuming he doesn't think Owlowiscious is trying to replace him." Shining Armor suggested with concern.

"Spike knows he could never be replaced." Twilight replied "He's got seniority, and in this case, that's a good thing."

"Well, even so, Spike is probably not going to be thrilled about this." Shining Armor said, and he was right. Spike was anything but thrilled when he learned about Owlowiscious. Throughout the entire day, Spike kept glancing at Owlowiscious, as if he feared the owl might suddenly attack him.

* * *

The next day, Twilight left to take Owlowiscious to the vet, at the suggestion of Fluttershy. Fluttershy had told Twilight it was best to make sure any new pet was healthy, and vaccinated against any diseases that it could come into contact with. That left Shining Armor and Spike alone at the library.

Now the two of them had not hung out with each other all that much recently. But instead of the usual guy talk, something else was discussed. Twilight's new pet, and junior assistant, Owlowiscious.

"I'm telling you, I don't like the look that owl gave me when I introduced myself to him yesterday." Spike complained "It felt like he was trying to scare me."

"Owls can rotate their heads almost all the way around from the front." Shining Armor explained "And they don't always do it to scare other creatures."

"Not always, but sometimes?" Spike asked nervously.

"I'm sure Owlowiscious wasn't intentionally trying to scare you Spike." Shining Armor stated "He was probably just trying to say hello."

"Well, even if that was the case, it was pretty creepy." Spike said, cringing slightly.

"Well owls _are_ nocturnal." Shining Armor explained "Owlowiscious was probably sleeping when you introduced yourself to him, and your words must have woken up him up. I know you didn't mean to, but that's probably what happened."

"I suppose you have a point there, Shining Armor." Spike admitted "But I still feel like that owl is watching me. Trying to take my place."

"That's not true Spike." Shining Armor said firmly "Owlowiscious isn't trying to replace you. He's just there to help Twilight after you've gone to bed. You **ARE** a baby dragon after all, and you need your sleep."

"You don't have to remind me. I know that." Spike said crossly.

"I'm just trying to show you that Owlowiscious isn't going to replace you as Twilight's number one assistant." Shining Armor explained "I know that, and so does Twilight."

"She won't feel that way for long." Spike said glumly "Once that owl starts proving how useful he is, I'll be out of a job. Do you think that maybe I could be become your personal assistant Shining Armor? I mean, we're both guys."

"Not a chance Spike." Shining Armor said with a shake of his head "Even if Twilight agreed, I would never feel comfortable making you my personal assistant. You and Twilight are like family, she hatched you, and helped raised you alongside Princess Celestia. I, at best, only got to see you on occassion. It wouldn't be right. Besides, Twilight knows you better than anyone else, and you'll always have a special place in her heart."

"You think so?" Spike asked.

"I know so." Shining Armor nodded "Sometimes that might be hard to see, but it's there. You two share a bond that can never be replaced."

"Really?" Spike asked "Or are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

"Of course I mean it, Spike." Shining Armor said honestly "What would I stand to gain by lying to you? The two of us may not always see eye to eye on everything, but we still have a connection. To me at least, you're kind of like that somewhat annoying kid brother who's so cute you can't stay mad at him forever. I'm sure that Twilight at least sees you as that, but considering how long you two have been together, it wouldn't surprise me if she views you as something more."

"You know, I never really thought about it like that before." Spike admitted.

"I can't say I blame you, especially when you're busy trying to impress Rarity." Shining Armor said, chuckling slightly.

Spike blushed "You mean, you know?" he asked.

"Pretty much everyone does, even Rarity herself." Shining Armor explained "It's pretty obvious."

"Funny, Pinkie Pie didn't seem to think that way." Spike stated.

"She was probably just humoring you Spike." Shining Armor said with a nod "But you should've heard the nickname she gave you at the meteor show two nights ago. She called you, Spikey Wikey. And I overheard Rarity saying she just have to 'borrow' that nickname in the future."

"You know, I could get use to a name like that." Spike stated.

"Yeah, but no matter what happens, you'll always be Twilight's number one assistant." Shining Armor said honestly "And that's something that no owl will ever take away."

"Do you mean it?" Spike asked.

"Of course." Shining Armor nodded "In fact, I 'Pinkie Promise' that if worse comes to worse, I'll make sure Twilight never forgets about you."

"Don't forget the motions." Spike said.

"What motions?" Shining Armor asked, before realizing what Spike meant "Oh wait, I remember. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

"Good. Now I hope you realize that you have to keep that promise." Spike stated.

"Why is that?" Shining Armor asked.

"Simple really, because a 'Pinkie Promise' is never broken." Spike explained "Once you've made the promise, you're committed to it."

"FOREVER!" Pinkie Pie shouted, suddenly popping up from behind a book shelf. Shining Armor rubbed his eyes, just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. When he opened them back up, Pinkie Pie was gone.

"How does she do that?" Shining Armor asked.

"You're better off not trying to find out." Spike said "Twilight tried to do so once, and it very nearly drove her insane. Pinkie Pie just seems to operate on a different level."

"No kidding." Shining Armor replied "In any case, I never intend to break my promise." And Shining Armor was faithful to his word.

As for Spike, he and Owlowiscious made their peace. Just like Twilight and Shining Armor had reassured him, Owlowiscious was only there to assist Twilight at night, or when Spike was too busy. About the only thing that Owlowiscious changed, was providing Twilight with his own feathers to use as quills.

Other than that, Spike's job as Twilight's number one assistant was here to stay.


	26. Chapter 26: The Grand Galloping Gala

At long last, after months of waiting and anticipation, The Grand Galloping Gala was finally upon Shining Armor, Twilight, and their friends! And they couldn't be happier. And now, it seemed like all their dreams would come true.

"Oh boy oh boy! I still can't believe it! At long last, The Grand Galloping Gala is tonight!" Braeburn shouted, bouncing up and down "It's gonna be so much fun!"

"I'm sure it will be, but would you mind keeping your enthusiasm down a bit?" Shining Armor asked Braeburn "As I'm sure you can see, Twilight is trying to concentrate."

"Sorry." Braeburn apologized "I'll try to keep it down."

"Good, see that you do." Shining Armor replied "After all, without the spell Twilight's going to cast, we'll be stuck without transportation to The Gala. And we can't have that, can we?"

"No indeed." Soarin stated "Although, I could always just pull a few strings and arrange for an escort. It's one of the perks of being a Wonderbolt. But if Spitfire asks, I told you nothing."

"Thank you for the offer, Soarin, but that won't be necessary." Shining Armor replied "Transportation is already being taken care of."

"So, how's this gonna work?" Big Macintosh asked.

"Well, first I'll need two apples." Twilight said, closing the spell book she'd been reading.

"Two apples comin' right up." Applejack called, puling two out from a cart and placing them on the ground.

"Ooh! Are we having pie?" Pinkie Pie asked "Cause I love pie."

"Just watch." Spike said "Twilight's been practicing this spell for a long time. Prepare to be amazed."

Twilight lit up her horn, and cast her light purple magic onto the apples. The apples began to grow and expand, and suddenly, in a puff of purple smoke, they had transformed into a pair of carriages.

"Whoa!" Braeburn gasped.

"That's even more amazing than pie!" Pinkie Pie said happily.

"Well, what do you think?" Twilight asked.

"It is impressive" Fancy Pants commented.

"But how are they supposed to move?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I've already got that taken care of." Twilight said "Thunderlane, Fluttershy, did you two bring your mice friends?"

"Yes." Thunderlane replied "It's too bad Rumble can't come along, but I'm sure he's having the time of his life with The Cakes at Sugarcube Corner."

"Promise me you won't hurt them, Twilight." Fluttershy pleaded, letting the mice roam free.

"You have my word. They won't feel a thing." Twilight nodded "And don't worry, they'll be mice again at midnight." Twilight then cast another spell, which turned the mice into two teams of horses.

"Well, I must say, that's impressive." Rarity said, joining the group "You must teach me how to do that one day, Twilight. I have a feeling it might come in handy."

"You already know a lot of magic, Rarity." Fleur said honestly.

"I know, but this spell looks like something I could find a good use for." Rarity replied.

"We'll see." Twilight stated "For now, let's decide who's going with whom."

Before that could be done however, Opalescence arrived on the scene, and when she saw the mice like horses, she couldn't resist frightening them. The spell may have turned the mice into horses, but it hadn't changed their natural instincts. So when Opal frightened them, they turned tail and ran off.

"Wait, come back!" Fluttershy shouted, but it was no use. The mice like horses disappeared.

"Opal, you should be ashamed of yourself!" Rarity scolded "You know better than to terrorize poor innocent mice like that!"

Opal seemed to look upset, and went away.

"Well, that's one problem taken care of. I hope." Rarity sighed.

"That may be, but we still have to figure out what we're going to do for transportation." Twilight admitted "Those mice were supposed to pull our carriages."

"Oh no! Whatever shall we do?!" Rarity said sarcastically, winking slightly.

"Miss Rarity, we talked about this." Fancy Pants said sternly.

"I know, but this is an emergency." Rarity replied "Besides, I'm sure our neighbors have nothing better to do."

"Even so, I think this is a bad idea." Fancy Pants sighed.

"Just relax, I'm not going to make a habit out of this." Rarity stated, and walked over to nearby stallions. "Ahem. Excuse me gentlemen. I hate to ask, but would you mind doing a little favor for my friends and I?" A few seconds later, Rarity had convinced the stallions to pull the apple carriages.

"Well, I guess that works too." Twilight commented.

"I'm not impressed." Fancy Pants said with a sigh "I just know this isn't the last time Rarity's going to use her charm to get what she wants."

"Have a little faith in her dear." Fleur said calmly "And look on the bright side, our transportation problem has been taken care of."

The stallions, for their part, were wondering just how they got roped into this situation.

* * *

A short time later, everyone was preparing to get all dressed up and head to The Gala. Everyone, except Spike. Since his tuxedo would be produced magically, he was all set. Now he just had to wait for the others to finish with their preparations.

"Ah, come on you guys. Let me in." Spike complained, banging on the door.

"Just a minute, Spike." Applejack called from the other side of the door.

"Oh heavens no, you can't let him in here now." Rarity protested "We're getting dressed. It's not polite to barge on a lady when she is getting dressed."

"Not all of us are ladies like you." Applejack said to Rarity "Besides that, we don't normally wear clothes. So it's not like Spike's gonna see anythin' he hasn't already seen. Unless you're tryin' to hide somethin' from him."

"Who me? What would I have to hide?" Rarity asked nervously "My life is an open book."

"Well then, I don't see what the big deal is. Just let him come in." Applejack said firmly.

Rarity sighed, and opened the door to let Spike in "I apologize for that Spike." she said honestly "But some of us **DO** have standards." She, and her friends were all getting their manes done. Shining Armor and his friends had already done the same, and were busy putting on their vests.

"I already told you, we don't normally wear clothes." Applejack snorted "And you said you weren't trying to hide anything from him."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with my sister." Big Macintosh chimed in "If you've got nothin' to hide, then there's no point in tryin' to keep him out. He's a friend to all of us. It's not like he'll see somethin' he shouldn't see."

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Shining Armor finished "It's not bad to have standards. But there's really no need for them in a situation like this. Since we don't normally wear clothes, there's no point in keeping Spike outside."

"Exactly." Spike said "Especially since we're all gonna get to spend time together with each other."

"We'll just have to see Spike." Rarity replied, secretly putting on false eyelashes when she was certain no one was looking.

"What do you mean?" Spike asked.

"I'm afraid we're gonna be a might bit busy durin' The Gala." Applejack explained, as she helped Fluttershy get ready.

"Busy having fun." Pinkie Pie said, poking her head out from a mane dryer. Her mane, which had flattened to try and look more stylish, quickly reverted back to its natural poofiness.

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Pinkie." Braeburn chimed in.

"But, there'll still be time for us to do something together. Right?" Spike asked.

"Hopefully yes." Shining Armor nodded "The Gala goes on for quite a while, but there's usually still a lot to see and do afterwards."

* * *

As night fell, Shining Armor and his friends, as well as Twilight and her friends, climbed into their respective carriages, and set off for Canterlot. Shining Armor and his group would arrive first. Already, they were talking amongst themselves about what they would do once they arrived at The Gala.

Spike, meanwhile, was busy making plans of his own.

Before long, Shining Armor and his friends had arrived, and stepped out of their carriage. "Okay, now everyone remember where we parked." he said to his friends "I know we'll have a lot on our minds tonight, but let's make sure we don't forget where to meet back up after The Gala is over."

"Don't worry. We won't." Big Macintosh nodded.

"Wow! I can't believe we're actually here!" Thunderlane exclaimed "I've heard stories about how beautiful this place is, but I didn't think they were true. This is just like a fairy tale come to life."

"No kiddin'." Braeburn commented.

"Well, that's the city of Canterlot for you." Fancy Pants stated "They always do things in a grand way."

"Oh right, I almost forgot. You and Shining Armor used to live in Canterlot." Soarin said.

"Indeed we did, but it's been so long since I've been back." Fancy Pants explained "I must say, a lot has changed."

"Well guys, with all our expectations, I think it's safe to say that tonight is going to 'The Best Night Ever'!" Shining Armor said happily.

"Yeah, cause we're all gonna spend time together, as friends." Spike replied. Unfortunately, he had no sooner spoken those words when everyone except Shining Armor dashed off.

"Sorry, Spike." Shining Armor apologized "It looks like the guys don't want to waste any time. They're all really excited."

"Are you gonna leave me too?" Spike asked.

"Not if you don't want me to Spike." Shining Armor said honestly "I just came along because everyone else was going. I mean, I was hoping to talk to Princess Celestia. But I could do that at any time on any given day."

"You don't have to hang out with me if you really don't want to, Shining Armor." Spike stated "Go ahead and go do whatever you want. Don't let me stop you."

"Are you sure that's what you want, Spike?" Shining Armor asked.

"Tonight should be a night for you to do whatever you want." Spike encouraged "If that means talking to Princess Celestia then that's fine."

"But what about you Spike? What will you do if I go off on my own?" Shining Armor asked "Twilight and her friends are sure to have their own agendas."

"I'll just head over to Donut Joe's and spend the night gourging on donuts." Spike explained "You and the others can meet me there when you're done having fun. I'll be okay, I promise."

"Spike, you don't have to lie to me to make me feel better." Shining Armor stated "It's really not that big of a deal if I don't get to talk to Princess Celestia."

"I'm not taking no for an answer." Spike said firmly "Go ahead and have fun. You deserve to enjoy yourself after everything you've done. I'll be fine on my own."

"Well, if you're really that certain about it, I guess I'll see at Joe's." Shining Armor said to Spike "Try to save some donuts for the rest of us."

"No promises." Spike stated "Now go."

"Alright, see you later Spike." Shining Armor said, and raced off.

Spike simply sighed "Alone again, like always. Oh well, Donut Joe and his hot chocolate are all the company I need." And with that, Spike left to go "eat away his sorrows".

* * *

It didn't take long for Shining Armor to find Princess Celestia. She was waiting just above the entrance hall to the castle, where The Grand Galloping Gala was being held. "Princess Celestia!" he exclaimed happily.

"Hello Shining Armor, it is nice to see you again after all this time." Princess Celestia said with a smile "It is a shame you could not come to Cloudsdale during The Best Young Flyers Competetion. Our brief meeting during my breakfast at Sugarcube Corner was decent, but I've longed for the chance to see you without any sort of hassles."

"I know." Shining Armor nodded "We really need to arrange another meeting sometime. Even if our personal lives keep us very busy."

"Indeed." Princess Celestia replied "I would love to continue talking to you, but The Grand Galloping Gala will start soon, and it always required that the highest ranking political figure of the host city to greet any and all patrons that arrive. So, I shall be very busy."

"That's okay, I understand." Shining Armor stated "Have you told Twilight this?"

"I'm afraid I haven't." Princess Celestia admitted "I have tried to send her messages, but none have gotten through. And each time we've met personally, something has come up that has prevented me from telling her."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find some time to talk to her." Shining Armor said hopefully "Do you want me to stand guard by your side?"

"That will not be necessary, Shining Armor." Princess Celestia explained "Security preparations for The Gala were made from the moment it was decided that Canterlot would host it this year. I'm afraid that, since the preparations were made while your promotion to captain was still fresh, the nobility would not allow me permission to let you oversee security."

"Is that why you sent Twilight that extra ticket?" Shining Armor asked.

"I already told you that the extra ticket was a test." Princess Celestia said firmly "However, I probably would've sent you one anyway. I wanted you to be here tonight. Even if our time together will be brief."

"Well, regardless of whether or not we get the chance to talk to each other again for the rest of this night, I just want you to know that I am happy to see you again and talk to you." Shining Armor said with a nod "Now, I think I'll go see what my friends are getting up to, and if Twilight and her friends have arrived yet."

"I hope you will not find The Grand Galloping Gala too boring Shining Armor." Princess Celestia said, as Shining Armor left "Or at least, not as boring as I find it."

* * *

Almost immediatly after leaving the entrance hall, Shining Armor saw Fancy Pants and his wife Fleur, looking at someone. Curious, Shining Armor went over to them. "Hey Fancy Pants." he called "Who are you and your wife looking at?"

"That stallion over there with the blonde mane." Fancy Pants said, pointing a hoof. "He's trouble."

"Who is he?" Shining Armor asked.

"None other than Rarity's so called 'Prince Charming'." Fleur said, her tone of voice hinting that she really didn't like the stallion she was looking at. "He's Princess Celestia's adopted nephew, Prince Blueblood. He and I use to date before I met Fancy Pants."

"What was he like?" Shining Armor asked "From the looks of things you two obviously didn't hit it off."

"Indeed we didn't, and that's because the so called Prince is nothing more than a pompus plot!" Fleur said crossly.

"Really?" Shining Armor asked "I've heard stories about him, from a certain source that I shall not name. But I wasn't sure if they were actually true."

"Oh believe me, Blueblood isnt as bad as the rumors make him out to be." Fleur stated.

"That's good to hear." Shining Armor said with relief.

"Because he's much worse than them." Fleur explained "He is quite possibly the most arrogant and vain pony I have ever met."

"And you know this, how?" Shining Armor asked.

"Just go ask him yourself." Fancy Pants suggested "I'm sure that once you've met him, his true nature will reveal itself."

"Well, alright." Shining Armor said reluctantly, and walked over to Prince Blueblood. "Excuse me?" he asked.

Prince Blueblood turned around and eyed Shining Armor suspiciously, as if he didn't recognize him "What do you want?" he asked crossly "It had better be quick, I have more important things to do than waste my time talking to uncouth commoners like you."

"Hey!" Shining Armor snapped "I'll have you know, I'm captain of the Royal Guard."

"Oh really?! A pony like you, in charge of the royal guards?!" Prince Blueblood asked "I doubt that very much. After all, if you're captain, then why aren't you in uniform?!"

"I'm not on duty at the moment!" Shining Armor explained.

"How dumb do you think I am?!" Prince Blueblood snorted "I wasn't born yesterday, I know a lie when I see it."

"I'm not lying!" Shining Armor protested.

"Don't waste my time, I know you are!" Prince Blueblood said crossly "And even if you weren't, you've still done nothing but bother me! Now go away, and don't talk to me again! I am a prince, and if you will not bow down and worship me, then you will learn to fear my wrath!"

"You're bluffing!" Shining Armor said smuggly "But I've wasted enough time talking to the likes of you."

"About time you finally realized that." Prince Blueblood said snobishly "Now leave my sight at once, I think I need some fresh air after being in the prescene of filthy low lifes such as yourself." And with that, Prince Blueblood stormed off in a huff.

"See what I mean?" Fleur asked "That guy's trouble."

"Yeah. I feel sorry for Rarity." Shining Armor said with concern "Prince Blueblood is certain to do anything but let her down gently."

"Well, she'll learn her lesson about how looks can be decieving." Fancy Pants stated "Besides, there's not much I can do to stop her from fawning over him."

"I see." Shining Armor said reluctantly.

"Say? Why don't you hang out with Fleur and I?" Fancy Pants asked "We're catching up with some of our old friends."

"Thanks, but I think I'd rather see how the others are doing." Shining Armor said honestly.

"Well, I think I saw Thunderlane and Fluttershy heading off into the gardens." Fancy Pants explained "Why don't you go see if they've met any new creatures yet?"

"I'll do it." Shining Armor said with a nod, and headed outside "See ya later."

* * *

"Hey Fluttershy, do you hear that?" Thunderlane asked.

"I most certainly do." Fluttershy replied "It sounds like the call of a meadow lark."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go find it!" Thunderlane said happily, and he and Fluttershy ran off to trace the source of the whistling. From what Shining Armor could see, they seemed to be doing pretty well.

"Guess I'll go check and see how Applejack and Big Macintosh are doing with their apple stand." Shining Armor said to himself. And he did just that.

"That'll be four bits. Sorry Soarin, but I can't just give you a discount because you and Big Macintosh are friends." Applejack explained.

"Fine by me. I wouldn't be comfortable accepting free food anyway." Soarin said, forking over the required amount of money "Even if it **IS** really good!"

"Well I'll be. First minute and we've already made our first sale!" Big Macintosh said happily once Soarin had left.

"That's great, Big Macintosh. That's gotta be a good sign." Applejack replied.

"Hey, Big Macintosh, what's up?" Shining Armor asked.

"Not much really. Applejack and I are already set up for business, and we had our first sale just a minute ago." Big Macintosh explained.

"I know." Shining Armor nodded "From the looks of things I'd say Soarin and The Wonderbolts are done with their show."

"They probably are. Spitfire tells me Soarin's always hungry after a show." Big Macintosh explained "And from what I hear, he's got a weakness for apple pies."

"Well who wouldn't want a piece of Sweet Apple Acres brand apple pie?" Shining Armor asked "After all, it's got that level of quality that you just don't find in other brands."

"You have a point there." Applejack admitted "If we can get a few more customers like that, Granny Smith's saggy old hip will be as good as new again."

"In that case, why don't I help you guys out?" Shining Armor asked "I think I'll take one of your apple fritters."

"Alright then, that's two bits." Applejack explained.

"Here you go!" Shining Armor said, forking over the bits and helping himself to the apple fritter.

"You might wanna go check on Braeburn and Pinkie Pie." Big Macintosh suggested.

"Why?" Shining Armor asked.

"Because, knowing those two, they're bound to get into trouble." Big Macintosh explained "And those Canterlot elites don't seem like the type to put up with their antics."

"I'd say 'What's the worst that could happen?' but I get the feeling that would be pointless." Shining Armor said with a sigh "Guess I'd better go find them and hope they haven't already ticked off the nobles."

"I don't know about you, but I think those nobles are real uptight." Applejack commented, as Shining Armor raced away.

* * *

By the time Shining Armor find Pinkie Pie and Braeburn, they had already found out just how uptight the nobles were.

"Sheesh, tough crowd." Pinkie Pie said to Braeburn.

"Tell me about it. What's wrong with a little singin' and dancin'?" Braeburn asked "Isn't that part of The Gala?"

"Apparently these ponies don't think so." Pinkie Pie guessed.

"Indeed they don't." Shining Armor stated.

"Oh, hey Shining Armor! I was wonderin' where you were!" Braeburn greeted cheerfully.

"Twilight was looking for you not that long ago, before she headed off to spend time with Princess Celestia that is." Pinkie Pie explained.

"Listen carefully you two." Shining Armor said seriously "I know you two want to have a good time, and so do I. But these nobles are very stingy. So please, do me a favor, and stay out of trouble. Okay?"

"We'll try." Pinkie Pie promised.

"That's all I can ask for." Shining Armor said, and walked away.

"Come on, Pinkie Pie, we're not gonna let those party poopers bring down our spirits!" Braeburn said eagerly.

"That's the spirit Braeburn!" Pinkie Pie cheered.

* * *

From what Shining Armor could see as he passed by the entrance hall, Princess Celestia was indeed very busy. And poor Twilight looked incredibly glum. He waved to her, but she didn't return the favor. She was focused solely on the long line of ponies, and the fact that they prevented her from talking with her mentor.

" _Call me crazy, but I don't think this here Gala is going to work out quite like all our friends had hoped._ " Shining Armor thought to himself. And from what he could see, he seemed to be right. Outside of Fancy Pants and Fleur, none of his friends seemed to be happy.

Applejack and Big Macintosh hadn't made a single sale since Shining Armor had come along. They kept waiting and waiting, but no one seemed to notice them.

Pinkie Pie and Braeburn sat at a table in the dance hall, watching the fancy band play. But it wasn't much fun when no one else seemed interested in dancing with them.

Rarity was already learning that Prince Blueblood was anything but charming. In fact, he seemed to take little interest in anything other than his own appearance.

Twilight refused to do anything but stand by Princess Celestia's side the entire time. Even as the line of ponies that arrived and needed to be greeted, grew longer and longer.

Soarin and Spitfire were trying to hang out with Rainbow Dash, but every five seconds someone kept pulling them aside to talk to to them, or take pictures with them. Rainbow Dash was trying everything she could think of to get their attention.

And Fluttershy and Thunderlane found out that the whistling they'd been hearing, was just the groundskeeper Mr. Greenhooves. When they finally found some exotic animals, their prescence scared them off.

But despite all of this, they wouldn't give on their dreams. They'd been waiting for this moment for over a year, and they were not about to let it slip by if they could help it. They were determined to make this night, the best night ever! And nothing was going to stop them from doing just that!

* * *

"Are you really sure this is gonna work Fluttershy?" Thunderlane asked.

"Of course I'm sure." Fluttershy replied "I just have to be more bold, like Twilight says. Is the trap ready?"

"Yes." Thunderlane nodded.

"Good. Operation White Flag is a go." Fluttershy stated "I'm ever so sorry to have startled you all, my fine friends." she winked at Thunderlane.

"I'm sorry as well." Thunderlane said loudly "We're leaving now, so you can come out and enjoy the scenery again."

Suddenly, there was a light crunching sound. Someone or something was eating the carrot that was being used for bait.

"Now, Thunderlane!" Fluttershy whispered.

"Right!" Thunderlane nodded, and pulled the string. A small box fell down, trapping the unsuspecting victim.

"It's okay. I promise not to hurt you." Fluttershy said, racing over to the trap.

"Yeah she and I just want to be your... friends?" Thunderlane asked, when he saw who the trap had caught.

"Hey, sounds good to me." Mr. Greenhooves replied, happily munching on the carrot.

"Curses, I thought for sure that trap was fool proof." Fluttershy said furiously "Oh well, back to the drawing board."

"Don't you think this is going a little too far, Fluttershy?" Thunderlane asked.

"Relax, we're not hurting them." Fluttershy explained.

* * *

"Come on, Rainbow Dash!" Rainbow Dash said to herself "If The Wonderbolts don't notice you, then you just've got to _make_ them notice you!"

She slowly made her way over to a random stallion, and whistled innocently. When she was sure no one was looking, she "accidentally" kicked the stallion, sending him flying into the air. She quickly caught him, but The Wonderbolts were too busy talking to some of their fans to notice.

* * *

"Just give him a chance, Rarity." Rarity muttered to herself, as she and Prince Blueblood walked through the halls of the castle "No need to be picky. I'm sure his princely side will reveal itself if you just give him a chance."

Prince Blueblood suddenly gasped "Miss Rarity! Stop right there!" he shouted.

Rarity quickly realized why Prince Blueblood had done that. Just in front of her, was a puddle too big to walk around or step over. "Oh, thank you, Prince Blueblood." Rarity said kindly "That's so chivalrous of you."

"Indeed. One would hate to slip and fall." Prince Blueblood explained.

"Yes, one most certainly would hate that." Rarity replied.

"One's cloak should easily take care of the problem." Prince Blueblood suggested.

Rarity realized what he was saying "Oh, of course it will." she replied reluctantly. She'd heard of the old saying "Beggers can't be choosers." but she was really starting to wonder if Prince Blueblood was worth the trouble.

* * *

Braeburn sighed "I'm bored." he complained.

"Not for much longer." PInkie Pie said, a smile breaking out across her face.

"Pinkie Pie, we promised Shining Armor we'd try to stay out of trouble." Braeburn said with concern.

"Some rules are meant to be broken." Pinkie Pie replied, and trotted away to talk to the band. Braeburn recalled that Pinkie Pie had mentioned earlier, that the cello player was her cousin Octavia. So, from the looks of things, Pinkie Pie was going to use that connection. And she did, as she whispered something into the ear of the band members. Then, she tapped on a microphone, attracting everyone's attention. "C'mon, everypony! I know what will make you shake those groove-thangs!" she shouted "Hit it!"

Reluctantly, the band began to play a song, and it went something like this.

Braeburn was quite surprised by what he heard. But the rest of the Gala attendes didn't share his enthusiasm for it.

"Young lady! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" a mare scolded "I don't know what you think this is, but I will have you know that this is not **THAT** kind of party!"

"Ohhhhhh..." Pinkie Pie thought to themselves "They don't want a party. These ponies want a paaartay! Well I'm gonna give it to em!"

* * *

"Two apple fritters, please." Rarity said, placing an order at the apple stand Big Macintosh and Applejack had set up.

"Two apple fritters comin' right up." Big Macintosh called.

"That'll be four bits, if you please." Applejack said.

"Oh, of course." Rarity said nervously, just a moment. She turned to Prince Blueblood and shouted "Ahem."

Prince Blueblood mearly replied with the same thing. Rarity tried to argue with him to pay up, but it was no use. Prince Blueblood refused to do so.

Rarity sighed "I guess I'm going to have to pay for this, aren't I?" she asked.

"Nonsense Rarity. I got you covered." Applejack said honestly "These apple friters are on the house."

"Thank you very much." Rarity said happily "At least _somepony_ around here has good manners."

Prince Blueblood sloppily took a bite of his apple fritter, and immediatly gagged on the taste. "Oh! Fritters! Dumplings! Caramel apples!" he complained "I don't believe this! Somehow my royal lips have been allowed to come into contact with common carnival fare!"

"And where do you think **YOU'RE** going?!" Rarity asked crossly.

"To the banquet hall of course." Prince Blueblood snorted "The hors d'oeuvres they serve there are much better than the excuse for food that exists at that pathetic little stand. I'm just glad nopony saw me stoop so low!"

"Did you hear that, Big Macintsoh?!" Applejack asked "A banquet hall?!"

"I sure did Applejack!" Big Macintosh replied "No wonder we haven't been gettin' any customers! They've been loading up on fancy-schmancy vittles."

"Well, our down-home apples are plently good enough for that crowd." Applejack said crossly "Now we just need to come up with a way to show em!"

"Why don't we just move the stand to the banquet hall?" Big Macintosh suggested.

"Are you crazy?! That will never work!" Applejack shouted "We won't be able to compete directly with them!"

"Well then, do you have a plan B?" Big Macintosh asked.

"As a matter of fact I do." Applejack said with a smile "I'll just need to dress up our apples a little bit. That'll show them!"

* * *

"Uh, Fluttershy, I think this might be going a little too far." Thunderlane said nervously.

"Silence! You will do as I say!" Fluttershy said sternly. Thunderlane refused to argue. "I'll catch you yet my pretties." Fluttershy said, an evil grin breaking out across her face "Oh yes. Just as soon as one of you innocent little _birds_ , or _monkeys_ , or even _bears_ touches this net... you'll be MINE! ALL MINE!" Fluttershy proceeded to laugh wickedly. Unfortunately, by doing so, she lost her balance, and fell into the net.

"Are you okay, Fluttershy?" Thunderlane asked nervously.

"Just shut up and get me out of this thing!" Fluttershy shouted "I'll catch those animals if it's the last thing I do!"

" _I think Fluttershy's lost her mind._ " Thunderlane thought to himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the ballroom, Pinkie Pie was unknowingly about to set off a chain reaction. "Come on, everypony!" she shouted, pulling out a turntable "You wanted a partay? Well now it's a paaartaaay! Yeah!"

"What do you think you're doin', Pinkie Pie?" Braeburn asked.

"Giving these uptight nobles something to smile about!" Pinkie Pie replied.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Braeburn said nervously "Maybe you'd better stop." his suggestion fell on deaf ears.

"Okay, all you high-class ponies." Big Macintosh said, helping Applejack wheel an apple cake into the ballroom.

"Here's a highfalutin apple cake for your hoity-toity taste buds." Applejack called "Who wants a slice?"

Then, it happened. "STAGE DIVE!" Pinkie Pie shouted, and leaped into the air.

"PINKIE, NO!" Braeburn shouted, but it was too late. Pinkie Pie hit the cart holding the apple cake, sending it flying through the air!

Its target was Prince Blueblood, and when he saw the cake flying towards him, he screamed, and shoved Rarity in front of him to use as a shield! It worked, but Rarity decided then and there, that she had put up Blueblood's behavior for long enough. "You, sir, are by far the most _uncharming_ prince I have ever had the displeasure of meeting!" she said crossly "In fact, the only thing even remotely royal about you, is that you are a _royal pain_ in the butt! I can't believe I ever had feelings for you! You, are a disgrace to the royal throne!"

Prince Blueblood probably would've been quite upset at the idea of anypony calling him out on his behavior, but right now he was grossed out at Rarity's appearance. "Ewww...! Uh, stay back! I just had myself groomed!" he said nervously.

"Oh, what's the matter prince?" Rarity asked sarcastically "Afraid to get DIRTY?!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Prince Blueblood said, cowering in fright.

"Try me!" Rarity shouted, and flung some of the smeared cake onto Prince Blueblood. The anything but charming prince whimpered and backed away in fear. Unfortunately, in doing so, he bumped into a statue of Princess Celestia. The statue now threatend to tip over and shatter into pieces on the ground.

"This is my chance!" Rainbow Dash shouted, and raced forward. She caught the statue before it could tip over. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes! That's sure to get them to notice me now!" she said to herself. Unfortunately, she had spoken too soon. The statue was too heavy for her, and she couldn't hold up its weight. "Whoa!" she cried, as the statue made her wobble around. In the process, she knocked over several pillars. Then, the statue itself fell and broke. "Um, oops?" Rainbow Dash said nervously, as the crowd cast daggers at her.

"What is going on here?!" Shining Armor asked. He had heard signs of a comotion, but he hadn't expected to run into this. The Grand Galloping Gala didn't look so grand anymore. To make matters worse, Twilight and Princess Celestia, as well as Fancy Pants and Fleur, were also observing the aftermath of what had unfolded just a few seconds ago. The ballroom looked like it had been the scene of a horrific battle.

" _I'd say it can't get worse, but that would be jinxing it._ " Shining Armor thought to himself.

Suddenly, the door to the ballroom began to rumble, as if there were an earthquake. A second later, the door burst open, and Thunderlane came running in ahead of a crowd of animals "Run for your lives, Fluttershy's gone mad!" he shouted.

"You're... going to LOVE ME!" Fluttershy bellowed.

Ponies began to scream and run as various animals began to mix in with the chaos caused by the destruction of the ballroom.

"This is bad!" Shining Armor said.

"I know." Soarin replied, he and the other stallions had quickly rushed to Shining Armor's side the moment Fluttershy arrived on the scene.

"What are we gonna do?" Thunderlane asked.

"The only thing we can do." Big Macintosh stated.

"And that would be?" Fancy Pants asked.

"RUN!" Braeburn shouted. Shining Armor and his friends did so, and as luck would have it, Princess Celestia had encouraged Twilight and her friends to do the same thing. They quickly fled from the castle, not caring who might see them.

* * *

It had been a rough night for Spike. All of his friends were off living their dreams, and here he was, sitting all alone in Donut Joe's shop. Loading up on donuts and hot chocolate. "Hey, Donut Joe." he said glumly "Another donut please."

"Uh, don't you think you've had enough for one night Spike?" Donut Joe asked.

Spike slammed his mug down on the table "I'll tell you when I've had enough! Now bring me another donut, with extra sprinkles!"

"Okay, okay." Donut Joe said. He figured it was no use arguing with his only customer of the night. All his other customers were at The Grand Galloping Gala, stuffing their faces at the banquet hall. Then, to Donut Joe's surprise, the bell rang. He hadn't been expecting other customers. But he quickly recognized the face of two of them. "Twilight Sparkle, Shining Armor! Ha, ha. Long time no see." he greeted warmly "I've missed having you guys drop by my shop for treats."

"Hey, Donut Joe." Shining Armor said wearily "Got room for twelve more customers?"

"Of course, outside of your little friend here I haven't had a single customer all night long." Donut Joe explained "Help yourselves."

"Hey, how was the Gala?" Spike asked "How was your best night ever?"

Shining Armor sighed "It's a long story Spike."

"Well, it's not like I've got anything better to do." Spike nodded "Let's hear it."

"Okay." Shining Armor said reluctantly, and he and his friends, as well as Twilight and her friends, told Spike everything."

"Wow. That sounds more like the worst night ever!" Spike said, needless to say, he was quite surprised at what he had heard.

"It was!" everyone said, and they all laughed.

Twilight however, quickly grew concerned. "I just hope Princess Celestia isn't too upset with us for ruining The Gala."

"Oh, don't worry Twilight. In my opinion, that was the best Grand Galloping Gala I've ever seen!" Princess Celestia said happily, appearing in the doorway of the shop. Needless to say, everyone was surprised to see her. Especially after what had happened only mere moments ago.

"Uh pardon me Princess, but tonight was just awful." Shining Armor stated "You saw what happened."

"I did, but The Grand Galloping Gala has always been rather dull." Princess Celestia said with a nod "It's mostly just an event for the rich and famous."

"It is?" Twilight asked.

"Yes." Princess Celestia confirmed "And that is why I was so happy you were all attending. I was hoping you could help to liven things up a little. Though you did go a bit overboard. some of you more than others."

"Sorry about that, Princess Celestia." Fluttershy apologized "I don't know what came over me back there."

"Hey, don't feel bad Fluttershy." Thunderlane said kindly "It happens to the best of us, and look on the bright side, nopony got hurt."

"Indeed they didn't." Princess Celestia stated "My nephew's ego may be a bit bruised, but he'll recover. And hopefully he will have learned his lesson."

"I hope so too." Rarity said honestly "I'm just a bit sad he didn't turn out to be the prince charming I had hoped for."

"Blueblood is but one stallion Miss Rarity." Fancy Pants reassured her "I'm sure you'll find the proper mate eventually."

"While the evening may not have gone as you planned, I'm sure you'll agree, that in the end it didn't turn out so bad for this tightly connected group of friends." Princess Celestia stated.

"You're right about that Princess." Shining Armor said with a nod "I think we all learned something tonight. _Friends have a way of making even the worst of times into something pretty great._ "

"As horrible as our night may have been.." Big Macintosh started.

"...being together here has made it all better." Fancy Pants finished.

"In fact, it's made it..." Braeburn began.

"...the best night ever!" everyone besides Princess Celestia said at once. They then all began to laugh.

"Shouldn't you be getting back to The Grand Galloping Gala?" Shining Armor asked Princess Celestia.

"The Gala is pretty much over as it is." Princess Celestia explained "Besides, hardly anyone will notice I'm gone. And it's been such a long time I've had the chance to share a late night snack with not only my Captain of The Guard, and my faithful student and her number one assitant, but also the ponies they've chosen to befriend."

"This night just keeps getting better and better." Donut Joe said happily.


	27. Chapter 27: Field Trip

Cheerilee was excited, and she knew her students were as well. This was a field trip she'd been planning for months, and it had been a hassle to get it approved by the school board.

The city of Canterlot was full of interesting sights new and old alike. And what better way to get the students interested in Equestrian history, than to show them the sights that had to be seen to be believed?

Even Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were surprisingly well behaved on this day, which was a welcome change for the rest of the class. They'd come to know the two as the official mean girls of the school yard.

"Come along, class." Cheerilee called "We have a lot to do today. I want to start our field trip here, in the world-famous Canterlot sculpture garden. These sculptures represent the various virtues and emotions that make up the basis of our society. That statue over there represents 'Friendship', the very heart of our universe. And that statue represents 'Victory'." she pointed to various stone statues, describing in detail what they depicted or represented.

"How cool would it be to have something like that for a cutie mark?" Scootaloo whispered to her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders.

"Pretty cool I guess." Apple Bloom replied "Assuming you were actually victoryful at somethin'."

"That's not a word, Apple Bloom!" Sweetie Belle said innocently.

"What are you, a dictionary?" Scootaloo said crossly.

Cheerilee quickly broke up the arguement "None of that today, girls! Now then, take a look at the statue directly in front of you. What do you notice about it that makes it different from the others?"

"Well, it's got an eagle claw." Apple Bloom replied, looking up at it.

"And a lion paw." Sweetie Belle added.

"And a snake tail!" Scootaloo finished "It looks like that frankenstien monster I saw at the movies."

"That's actually a pretty good way to describe it, Scootaloo." Cheerilee said with a smile "The creature imprisoned in that statue is called a draconequus. It has the head of a pony and a body made up of all sorts of things. Now then, can anyone tell me what that represents?"

"Confusion!" Apple Bloom shouted.

"Evil!" Sweetie Belle shouted, shoving Apple Bloom aside.

"Chaos! It's got to be chaos!" Scootaloo shouted, standing in front of Sweetie Belle.

This made Sweetie Belle cross. "It's not chaos, you dodo!" she said furiously.

"Hey! Don't call me things I don't know the meaning of!" Scootaloo snapped "And it is too chaos!"

"No it isn't!" Sweetie Belle snapped back.

"You're both wrong!" Apple Bloom said smuggly. This led to a sudden all out brawl among the three friends. No one seemed to notice that as this was going on, a slight crack was forming along the draconequus statue's body.

"That's quite enough, girls!" Cheerilee scolded.

"We're sorry, Miss. Cheerilee." Apple Bloom replied "We didn't mean to start fightin', honest."

"Well, as much as I disliked watching it, you three just helped demonstrate what this statue truly stands for." Cheerilee explained.

"What do you mean?" The Cutie Mark Crusaders asked.

"This statue represents 'Discord', that means a lack of harmony among ponies." Cheerilee quickly explained "And because you three demonstrated it so nicely, you're all going to write a report about it." This caused the rest of the class to start laughing. They thought it was funny, but the CMC thought they were being rather silly.

"This is just great." Scootaloo muttered under her breath.

"Now then, if there are no more 'interruptions' we shall resume our field trip." Cheerilee said crossly "Follow me girls, and I don't want to see anymore fighting. Understand?"

"Yes, Miss. Cheerilee, we understand." Sweetie Belle replied "We'll come quietly."

"Good." Cheerilee said with a smile "Hopefully we can make up for lost time." And she quickly guided her students to their next destination. She didn't think there was anything suspicious about the Cutie Mark Crusaders suddenly fighting for no good reason. And even if she did, she didn't care.

What she didn't know, was that the crack that had formed on the statue of "Discord" had widened. If anyone was watching, the statue would've looked like it was about to break apart. But only two ponies would've known what that meant, though it wouldn't matter. Soon, all of Equestria would find itself facing a threat not seen since Nightmare Moon's return during the Summer Sun Celebration.

"Free, at last." the statue cackled in an evil voice "And this time, nothing will stand in my way."


	28. Chapter 28: Down the Rabbit Hole

It had been a few months since The Grand Galloping Gala, and Shining Armor, Twilight, and their friends had pretty much gone back to living like they always did.

In the time since, things had been rather peaceful in Equestria. No more threats emerged from The Everfree Forest, no more misunderstandings threatened to bring war, and the pegasi had no trouble keeping the weather under control. But that was all about to change.

One fine morning, Soarin was dozing happily on a cloud without a care in the world. Spitfire, his captain and childhood friend, had told him he deserved some time off to relax and unwind. And of course, Soarin agreed with her. " _Sometimes_ " he thought to himself " _it's really hard to be a Wonderbolt. One does have to keep up appearances, and all that extreme flying can wear you down quite a bit._ "

Suddenly, his peace and quiet was interrupted by a familiar whooshing sound. Soarin woke up with a start. "What's going on?!" he said to himself "It was so quiet and now suddenly, somepony comes whooshing right past me!" Wiping the sand out of his eyes, Soarin took off, to find out who or what, was responsible for interrupting him in the middle of a relaxing power nap.

It didn't take him long to find the answer. Within seconds he noticed a strange batch of clouds. They seemed to be pink in color, and Soarin knew he had never seen such clouds before. Then, he saw Rainbow Dash, who was apparently trying to drive the clouds away. Thinking that she would know what was going on, Soarin flew over to her. "Hey, Rainbow Dash." he called "What's with the pink clouds?"

"I wish I knew Soarin." Rainbow Dash replied "These clouds are made of cotton candy, and are pouring down chocolate milk rain. The weather factory has no idea where they're coming from, and Cloudsdale's being battered by a cola storm."

"Well, shouldn't you be heading up there to deal with it?" Soarin asked.

"As Ponyville's Weather Manager it's my job to get the weather under control in Ponyville first." Rainbow Dash stated "I owe it to my friends." Just then, another cotton candy cloud zipped past, and Rainbow Dash chased after it.

Hoping that Big Macintosh would know what to do, Soarin flew down to Sweet Apple Acres. Only to find that Big Macintosh and Applejack were facing their own problems.

"If I didn't see it myself I wouldn't believe it." Big Macintosh muttered "This just ain't natural."

"I hear ya, Big Macintosh." Applejack replied "First all our corn turns into popcorn, then the apples on our tress grow to colossal size, and now the animals start sproutin' gaint legs and go crazy. How can this be happenin'?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Soarin said, flying down to his friends "Rainbow Dash is working herself to the bone just trying to get the bizzare weather under control. From the looks of things, I'd say all of Equestria is going crazy. Lucky for you, I'm here to lend a helping hoof."

"What about your teammates? Won't they be worried?" Applejack asked.

"Spitfire's taught the team well, I'm sure they can manage without me." Soarin replied "Besides, I'd never turn my back on my friends when they need me most."

"We'd appreciate any help you can provide, Soarin." Big Macintosh said with a smile "By the way, Thunderlane and cousin Braeburn are here too."

"I was on my way to Fluttershy's when I saw all these strange animals converging onto Sweet Apple Acres." Thunderlane explained "I knew I had to help."

"You think I'd miss out on this chocolate rain?" Braeburn asked.

"Aren't you suppose to be helping?" Soarin asked Braeburn.

"I am helpin'." Braeburn replied "I'm chowin' down on any cotton candy clouds I can sink my teeth into. I just need somethin' to help wash em down, cotton candy is very sticky."

"It seems to be workin'." Big Macintosh added "So don't let up now, cousin Braeburn!"

"Don't worry, I ain't gonna stop now!" Braeburn said eagerly "I just hope Pinkie Pie isn't missin' out on this. She'd love some chocolate rain right about now."

"Why can't I help Braeburn?" Rumble complained.

"You're just a colt, Rumble." Thunderlane replied "All that sugar is not good for you. Braeburn can manage, he burns up a lot of energy through his work. You, on the other hoof, would get a sugar rush and that would never do."

"Ah, you're no fun at all big brother." Rumble complained, as he helped Thunderlane round up the out of control animals.

Just then, Fancy Pants arrived, carrying an umbrella with his magic. "Hello Big Macintosh." he called "I've come to help. I was just wondering if there's anything I can do that won't require my suit having to get really dirty. Not that I would mind it, but Fleur and Miss. Rarity would be complaining about stains for days on end."

"Why don't you just change out of that suit then?" Soarin asked.

"Because this suit was a wedding present from my dear wife Fleur." Fancy Pants explained "She could've afforded to buy me anything I wanted, but she wanted to help Miss. Rarity's struggling business. So she recruited her to make the suit. I've worn it with dignity ever since."

"Hey, look's who coming!" Rumble shouted excitedly.

Applejack looked out to the horizon, and spotted a trio of familiar figures "Well, looks like they got here just in time." she said happily.

"Yeah, if anypony can figure up a way to get out of this mess, it's those three." Big Macintosh chimed in.

"Oh my, this is worse than I thought." Shining Armor exclaimed, when he saw just how much things were out of control.

"Don't worry, everypony." Twilight said calmly "I've been studying a failsafe spell that should be able to return things to the way they're supposed to be."

"You might wanna stand back a bit." Spike encouraged the others "Twilight's just gotten the hang of this spell, and I have no idea what it could do."

Everyone did so, and with a spark of her horn, Twilight cast her spell. There was a blinding flash of purple light, but when it had faded things were no better. Twilight was in a state of disbelief "My failsafe spell, failed." she said with shock "I thought for sure that it would fix things."

"Just great." Soarin said sarcastically "Now what are we supposed to do?"

Shining Armor quicky took charge of the situation. He had come to learn over the past year that even the best of plans could fail, and that it never hurt to have a backup one in place. "Alright, listen up everyone." he said firmly "Here's what we're gonna do. Soarin, round up all the clouds you can find and bring them down to the ground."

"Right!" Soarin replied, and took off into the skies.

"Big Macintosh, I want you and Applejack to lasso the cotton candy clouds together." Shining Armor continued.

"You got it!" Big Macintosh nodded.

"About time, I've been itchin' to practice my rodeo skills again." Applejack said, and went to fetch her rope.

"Thunderlane, you, Rumble, and Braeburn will be in charge of bringing the animals over here." Shining Armor went on "With a little luck, that should take care of the cotton candy clouds and chocolate milk rain."

"Okay." Thunderlane replied.

"Hey, I could eat all those clouds by myself!" Braeburn complained, but he still agreed to help.

* * *

In no time at all, Shining Armor's plan was being put into action. Fancy Pants found that his magic served as a great tool to guide Soarin from cloud to cloud. and pull him free if he got stuck.

Once Soarin was convinced he had gotten all the cotton candy clouds, he guided them close enough to be lassoed by Big Macintosh and Applejack.

When all the clouds were tied up as snug as possible, Shining Armor gave Thunderlane the signal.

"Oh gosh, I sure hope none of the animals find out about this delicious pile of cotton candy." Thunderlane said, trying his best not to sound too unsincere.

"You and me both, brother." Braeburn added "These clouds are delicious."

"They're taking the bait!" Rumble shouted, and he was right.

* * *

"Well, I must say Shining Armor, that plan of yours worked perfectly." Fancy Pants smiled.

"Oh shucks, it was nothing really." Shining Armor replied "Anyone in my horseshoes would've done the same thing."

"Even so, you saved Sweet Apple Acres." Big Macintosh said happily "And for that, Applejack and I will always be grateful."

"Princess Celestia made the right choice when she made you captain of The Royal Guard." Soarin added.

"Yeah, without you, who knows where we'd be right now?" Braeburn asked.

"I hope we never have to find out." Thunderlane said nervously.

"I think you guys could manage on your own if you had to." Shining Armor admitted, though in his mind he wasn't so sure.

"Maybe, but with you as a friend, we've got nothing to worry about." Rumble replied "Three cheers for Shining Armor!"

Just as everyone began to shout "Hip, hip, hooray!" Spike belched out a mesage. "It's for you Shining Armor." he explained, as he handed the scroll to him.

"Thank you, Spike." Shining Armor replied, and used his magic to open the scroll "A letter from the princess. Huh, wonder what she wants?" Shining Armor proceeded to read it, and by the time he was done, his mood change from one of happiness, to one of worry "What? Oh no!" he gasped, and turned to his friends, Twilight, and Spike. "Guys, I've got some very bad news."


	29. Chapter 29: Urgent Meeting

In the city of Canterlot, Princess Celestia paced nervously back and forth in the royal palace. " _I can't believe he escaped without my knowledge._ " she thought to herself " _I can only hope it isn't too late to stop him._ "

Just then, her thoughts were interrupted, as the palace doors were opened. In rushed Shining Armor and his friends, all of them out of breath and panting heavily.

"Ah, good. You received my message." Princess Celestia said with concern "I was worried that it might not go through, given the circumstances."

"What's going on, Princess Celestia?" Shining Armor asked "Is this about the strange weather, and the out of control wildlife, and why my magic doesn't seem to have any effect on it?"

"Indeed it is." Princess Celestia replied "But I'm afraid there is something far worse that is behind all of this. Come with me, and I'll tell you everything I can. Time is of the escence." Shining Armor and his friends quickly followed Princess Celestia through the castle, until at last they reached a long hallway, with stainless glass windows depicting various events of Equestrian history. "It seems that an old enemy of mine, one that I had thought to be defeated for good, has escaped." Princess Celestia explained "And now, I fear that we are **ALL** in very real danger."

"Who is this new threat?" Shining Armor asked "From the sound of things, he, she, or it, must be really powerful."

"Powerful is an understatement Shining Armor." Princess Celestia said ominously "For the threat you are up against is no other than, Discord!"

"Discord?" Soarin asked "He doesn't sound like a nice guy."

"Yeah, he sounds rather dangerous." Thunderlane added.

"You are wise to be fearful of him, my little ponies." Princess Celestia went on "For you see, Luna and I did not always rule over this land. Many centuries ago, Equestria was in the grip of Discord's chaos empire. Luna and I saw how he made life miserable for unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies alike. So, after we discovered The Elements of Harmony, we rose up against him, turning him into stone."

"But then, how could he have escaped?" Big Macintosh asked "I mean, Twilight got turned to stone once, and if it weren't for Fluttershy, she probably would've died."

"The spell that was cast works a bit differently from a cockatrice's stare." Princess Celestia explained "Apparently, a fact that I was not aware of until recently, is that the spell draws power from those who wield The Elements of Harmony. So when Luna and I lost our connection to them 1,000 years ago, the spell was broken. But it was not until now that Discord's powers had built up enough, to allow him to break free."

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, but why do you need us to defeat him now that The Elements of Harmony are back?" Shining Armor asked "Couldn't you both just wield them again and cast the spell on him?"

Before Princess Celestia could answer Braeburn shouted out "Hey, look! We're famous!" and he pointed to a stain glass window display, which depicted Shining Armor and his friends wielding The Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon.

"The elements chose a new generation of bearers when Nightmare Moon returned." Princess Celestia explained "And unfortunately, that means Luna and I can no longer use them. To us, they are still as ineffective as the night they turned to stone. That's why I need your help. I want you all to wield The Elements of Harmony once again, and stop Discord!"

"We'll gladly do whatever we can to help Princess." Shining Armor said firmly "Right guys?"

Everyone else nodded, but Braeburn had one thing he wanted to say "I'm willing to help out, but you guys _are_ aware that eternal chaos comes with free chocolate rain, right?"

"Of course we're aware, cousin Braeburn." Big Macintosh replied "But no amount of free goodies could ever make livin' in a world of unending chaos enjoyable."

"So, where are the elements anyway?" Fancy Pants asked "I haven't seen them at all since we arrived here."

"They have been kept in a vault, guarded by a door that only I can open." Princess Celestia explained, pointing to a door at the end of the hallway. She then went over to it, and inserted her horn into what appeared to be the keyhole. The display on the door began to light up, and the door was soon opened. Inside it rested a blue chest with gold trim, and several shiny jewels."

"Wow, if that chest wasn't being used to hold Equestria's last line of defense, I'd gladly take it off your hooves, your majesty." Fancy Pants commented.

"I trust that you all remember what element you wielded last time, correct?" Princess Celestia asked, everyone nodded "Good, just checking." But when Princess Celestia opened the chest, a shocking sight awaited her! The box was empty, The Elements of Harmony were gone! Princess Celestia was so surprised that she dropped the chest on the ground!

Everyone was speechless.

"Well, I guess there's only one thing left to do." Braeburn said "If you need me, I'll be outside with a straw, sippin' up all the delicious chocolate rain."


	30. Chapter 30: The Mastermind Revealed

Princess Celestia was in a state of disbelief. Something like this had never happened before, and she had no idea what to do, except pace nervously back and forth once again. "I don't understand this at all." she muttered to herself "That door is protected by a lock that can only be opened by my magic. No one else should've been able to have access to it. This doesn't make any sense at all."

Just then, an eerie laugh split the air. Almost as if it were taunting Princess Celestia, and indeed it was. "Make sense? Oh, come now. What fun is there in making sense? It's quite boring if you ask me." the voice chuckled.

Princess Celestia quickly recognized who the voice belonged to, and her mood soon changed from one of shock, to one of anger. "Discord! I should've known!" she said crossly "Show yourself, now!"

The voice laughed once again, before it spoke "Did you miss me Celestia? Well, I've missed you." In a flash of white light, one of the stainless glass window displays of Discord came to life. It quickly began to move from panel to panel with the greatest of ease, as if the laws of reality had no effect on it. "You know, being trapped in stone for thousands of years, can make a guy feel pretty lonely." the voice went on "But then again, you wouldn't know that, would you, Celestia? Because unlike you, I don't turn ponies into stone! And for the record, I never banish them to the sun, or even the moon!"

Princess Celestia was cross, but she seemed to be unaffected by Discord's mind games. "Your attempts at making me look like a monster are futile, Discord." she spoke up "Luna's banishment still weighs heavily on my heart, you and I both know that. So drop the act, I'm in no mood for your games! What have you done with The Elements of Harmony?! I want answers and I want them now!"

"The elements? Oh I just 'borrowed' them for a little while." Discord explained, snapping his fingers. With another flash of white light, The Elements of Harmony disappeared from the window display directly beneath Discord "I'll gladly return them to you when I'm done, assuming I feel like it."

"That's not funny, Discord!" Princess Celestia snapped "You'll never get away with this! You were defeated once, and you will be defeated again!"

Discord did not appear concerned by the threat, he merely replied "Oh, I've forgotten just how grim you can be Celestia. I must say, it's really quite **BORING**. You should lighten up and look on the bright side. After all, didn't you once consider my chaos to be a fun little distraction?"

"I don't know what you're trying to pull, Discord, but it won't work!" Princess Celestia said crossly "Even if I once did not mind your chaos, that time of foolishness has passed."

"Just as I thought, you've grown soft in the time since I was imprisoned." Discord taunted.

This made Soarin angry "How dare you! No one talks like that to Princess Celestia and gets away with it on my watch!" He rushed towards the stainless glass window that Discord was currently in, hoping to teach him a lesson he wouldn't soon forget.

"Soarin, wait!" Shining Armor shouted, but it was no use. Soarin flew smack into the glass window, while Discord remained completely unharmed.

"Ah, you must be Soarin, the Wonderbolt co-captain known for his loyalty." Discord said.

"You got that right!" Soarin snapped "And you should know that I'll always be loyal. Loyal to my friends, loyal to my teammates, and loyal to the princess."

"We'll just see about that!" Discord threatened.

"Don't bother arguing with him, Soarin." Fancy Pants encouraged "You're talking to a stainless glass window that can't talk back."

Just then, Discord appeared besides Fancy Pants "Ah yes, you're Fancy Pants, the stallion famous for his unending generosity." he said, speaking in the same tone he had used with Soarin "I am _delighted_ to meet such a _famous_ pony."

"So you know who we are, whoop de frickin' do." Big Macintosh said crossly.

"Oh, I know more than just that, honest Big Macintosh!" Discord said sternly.

"You seem to know everything about us." Shining Armor spoke up "Not just who we are, but what elements we represent."

"Ooh, look at the big brain on Shiny!" Discord teased "But you're right, Shining Armor, I know your elements like the back of my hand. Thunderlane's is kindness, your's is magic, and Braeburn's is my personal favorite, laughter."

Braeburn was chuckling alongside Discord, this made Shining Armor cross. "Braeburn!" he said sternly "Whose side are you on?!"

"Your side of course!" Braeburn replied, in between fits of laughter.

"Then why are you laughing along with old tall, dark, and ugly over there?" Shining Armor asked.

"Ugly indeed!" Discord snorted "You're just jealous because you don't have a body that's as amazing as my own." Braeburn continued to laugh.

"Mind telling me what's so funny?" Shining Armor asked sternly.

"Just look above you, Shining Armor." Braeburn chuckled "He's dancing on your head." And indeed Discord was. He was dancing atop Shining Armor's head in one of the window displays, laughing while he did so.

Princess Celestia was not amused. In fact, she looked like she was about ready to lose her patience "Enough games, Discord!" she snapped "I'm not gonna ask you again, where are The Elements of Harmony?!"

Discord stopped dancing "Oh, so boring. You're a real buzzkill, Celestia, you know that." he said seriously.

"Out with it already!" Celestia shouted "Or so help me, I'll search every inch of Equestria until I find you! I may not be able to turn you to stone anymore, but this time I won't hold back!"

That seemed to change Discord's mood pretty quickly "Okay, fine. I'll tell, but I'll only tell you my way. So listen carefully." he began to speak in riddle "In order to retrieve your missing elements, just make sense of this change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan, then you may find the elements back where you began." And with that, Discord disappeared from the room. All of the stainless glass windows went back to how they had been just a few minutes ago.

* * *

"What do you think Discord meant, Shining Armor?" Big Macintosh asked "You know, with the whole 'twists and turns' and ending up 'back where you began'?"

Shining Armor said nothing, he thought to himself for a moment. And as he did, he looked out to the nearby palace labyrinth. "Twists and turns, twists and turns." he muttered to himself "No, it couldn't be that obvious. Could it?"

"Well?" Big Macintosh asked.

"I have an idea, but I'm not sure if it's what Discord meant." Shining Armor admitted.

"Just tell us what it is." Fancy Pants encouraged "Any potential lead is better than no lead at all."

"Okay, I guess." Shining Armor said with a sigh "Judging by what Discord said, I think he may have hidden The Elements of Harmony in the palace labyrinth. But don't quote me on that."

"The labyrinth sounds like a good place as any to start our search." Soarin said firmly.

"Even if it's not where The Elements of Harmony are, we could still probably find a clue that will guide us to their location." Thunderlane suggested.

"I say we give it a shot!" Braeburn added.

"Well, if that's what you guys really want." Shining Armor said "It appears my decision has been made."

Princess Celestia smiled "Good luck on your quest my little ponies. May the power of harmony watch over you, always."

"We won't let you down, Princess Celestia!" Shining Armor stated boldly "Come on guys, let's go!" And they all raced out of the hallway as fast as they could. Little did they know, that they were charging right into a trap.


	31. Chapter 31: Into The Labyrinth

Shining Armor and his friends wasted no time, and reached the palace labyrinth in the span of a few seconds.

"Well, here we are." Shining Armor said, out of breath.

"It looks pretty big to me, and the elements could be anywhere inside those walls." Big Macintosh commented.

"Are we gonna have to search every nook and crany of that place until we find what we came here for?" Thunderlane asked nervously.

"Of course not." Soarin replied, showing off his wings "Because Discord forgot about these babies! I'll just fly up, comb through the labyrinth, and we'll have The Elements of Harmony ready and waiting! Discord won't know what hit him!"

"Sounds like a plan, Soarin!" Shining Armor nodded "Let us know if you find anything."

"You mean when," Soarin corrected "'cause this'll just take a few seconds!" And with that, he rocketed away as fast as his wings could carry him. Unfortunately, he hadn't gotten very far when there was a sudden flash of white light. When said light faded after just a second, Soarin's wings had disappeared! Soarin was shocked, and plumeted to the ground!

"Are you alright, Soarin?" Fancy Pants asked.

"I'll live." Soarin groaned, rising to his hooves "It's times like this that make me glad I'm a Wonderbolt."

Just then, there was another flash of light, and Thunderlane's wings disappeared as well! Thunderlane was, understandebly, freaked out.

Another flash followed, and Shining Armor and Fancy Pants suddenly felt a little bit different. "Your horn! My horn!" they both cried out.

Yet another flash, and now Big Macintosh and Braeburn felt like they weren't the same. "Uh, cousin Big Macintosh?" Braeburn asked "Did you feel what I just felt?"

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied "Feels like someone drained us of our earth pony magic, and I think I know who's behind it all."

All of a sudden, there was a tremendous burst of light, and Discord finally revealed what he really looked like. When the ponies got a good look at him, they were frightened. They had never seen a creature like him before.

"Oh, you should just see the looks on your faces." Discord taunted "Absolutely priceless, and here I am without a camera."

Shining Armor plucked up courage "Enough is enough, Discord, give us back our wings, horns, and earth pony magic! They don't belong to you!"

"Oh relax, you'll get them all back in due time." Discord explained "I simply took them to ensure that there will be no 'cheating'."

"What do you mean?" Fancy Pants asked.

"It's quite simple really." Discord replied "I've decided that this labyrinth is the ideal place to hold a little game. I call it, 'Discord's Amazing Labyrinth Puzzle'. Get it, _amaz_ ing?"

"That's not funny, Discord." Shining Armor snapped.

"Yes, well anyway." Discord went on "Now a game must have rules in order to ensure everyone has a fair chance. Otherwise, there's no fun, and that would never do. Now then, the first rule of the game is, no flying, and no magic of any sort."

"The first rule?" Soarin replied, incredibly uneasy with the terms.

"Correctamundo Soarin." Discord said eagerly "The second rule of the game is, everypony has to, or else the game is over, and I win. The third rule is, you may enter the labyrinth on your own or as a team, but you are not allowed to tell anyone if you find The Elements of Harmony. It wouldn't be much fun if one of you got lucky and ended the game early. The fourth rule is, if anypony should at any point delibertly or accidentally wander out of the labyrinth, it counts as an automatic forefit on their part. And finally, the fifth rule is, you cannot take shortcuts. You can wonder down any path you choose, but should you come across a dead end, you must turn around and start over. Break any of these rules, and you're out of the game. With that being said, let the games begin! Good luck everypony, you'll need it! T.T.F.N, ta-ta for now." And with that Discord vanished into thin air.

* * *

Most ponies in this situation would be worried, but not Shining Armor. He quickly took charge and calmed everyone down. "I know this looks bad, guys, but we've come too far to turn back now! We're going to play Discord's game, and we're going to win. Because there's one thing we have that Discord can never take away!"

"And that would be what?" Thunderlane asked.

"Our friendship of course." Shining Armor explained "As long as we work together, we can overcome anything!"

"Shining Armor's right!" Soarin cheered "There's nothing we can't achieve if we all stick together!"

"So, are we ready to beat Discord at his own little game?" Shining Armor asked.

"YEAH!" the other stallions replied.

"Alrighty then, let's do this!" Shining Armor shouted, and he led his friends to the labyrinth's entrance. "Ready?!" Shining Armor asked, his friends nodded. "Good." Shining Armor replied "We're going to stop Discord-"

"Together!" the six stallions all said at once, and with that they boldly stepped into the labyrinth ready for anything, or so they thought.

Then, suddenly, one by one they were all seperated as walls popped up all around them! In a matter of seconds, they had all been cut off from one another.

"Stay strong, guys!" Shining Armor encouraged "Discord's just trying to break our spirits, but we're not gonna let him rattle us. Not like this! Are you all okay?"

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied.

"I think so." Thunderlane nodded.

"I've felt better." Braeburn commented.

"I'm just fine." Fancy Pants stated.

"I'll live." Soarin said.

"Good." Shining Armor replied "Here's the plan, we'll set off and regroup in the center of the maze. Is that clear?"

"Of course." Big Macintosh replied.

"I understand." Thunderlane nodded.

"You betcha." Braeburn said eagerly.

"Clear as crystal." Fancy Pants commented.

"Yes sir!" Soarin stated.

"Okay then, let's move out!" Shining Armor ordered, and the six stallions did so. They had no way of knowing that Discord was laying in wait for them with his own special batch of "obstacles".

From far above, Discord looked down on Shining Armor and his friends. He had heard everything "Oh Shining Armor." he said to himself "You should know that it's not going to be **THAT** easy. Not if I have anything to say about it!"


	32. Chapter 32: Discord's Game

Shining Armor and his friends didn't know it, but the instant they had stepped into the labyrinth, they were doomed. Discord would personally see to that. Now, it was just a matter of when the chaos maker would strike. And he thought quite heavily about his decision.

"Let's see, who do I wanna take out first?" Discord asked himself, as he looked down on the unsuspecting stallions "I know I wanna save Shining Armor for last, seeing as his downfall will hammer home a point. I almost don't wanna go after Braeburn, seeing as he doesn't mind my chaos that much, but a threat's still a threat. Fancy Pants will be easy, but I wanna have a little fun first. Thunderlane is so easy I won't even break a sweat. So that just leaves Soarin and Big Macintosh. Both of them are pretty stubborn, and may take some effort." He thought, and he thought, until at last he made up his mind "I suppose Big Macintosh will be a good first victim. After all, he and Shining Armor are really close."

* * *

Big Macintosh raced through the labyrinth, determined not to let anything stop him. He seemed to be making progress, and he wanted to keep it that way. But when he stopped briefly to catch his breath, he saw something that attracted his curiosity. A bunch of apples were rolling down a path, all on their own power, or so it seemed. Against his better judgement, Big Macintosh followed them. The apples led him to a very unusual place. With the exception of a small pond, the landscape seemed baren and empty.

Just then, the apples came to life. They all piled up until they had managed to form a face, and they were soon joined by two more groups of apples. One of them spoke up "Greetings, Big Macintosh." it called in an ominous voice "We have been expecting you."

"Who are you guys, and whadya want with me?" Big Macintosh asked "And what is this place?"

"We are the guardians of the grove of truth." the green face explained "We know everything about the past-"

"The present-" the bright red face continued.

"And the future." the dark red face finished "You may ask us one question, one question of any category. We will answer it. But be warned, you may not like what you see."

Big Macintosh had no idea that these apple faces were all traps set up by Discord, and thus he was unaware as he fell into the chaos maker's trap. "I've got a very bad feelin' about this whole Discord fella." he said nevously "I didn't wanna say anythin' because I was tryin' to be brave, but what's gonna happen to all of us? Are we gonna come out of this in one piece?"

The apple faces led him to the small pond he had seen moments earlier. "For the answers you seek." the bright red face spoke up.

"Go ahead-" encouraged the dark red face.

"Take a peak!" the green face shouted.

Big Macintosh reluctantly did so, and what he saw made his heart sink.

There he was, along with all of his friends. But something was different, now they all seemed like they could barely tolerate just standing near one another. On top of that, the landscape looked unfamiliar. It seemed to resemble a chessboard, with alternating black and white squares.

"So, we finally agree." Shining Armor said crossly "The time has come for us to part ways."

"Fine by me." Soarin snorted "I wish I could say it's been an honor working with you, but it really hasn't."

"I hope I never see any of you ever again in my life!" Thunderlane shouted furiously.

"I was just about to say the same thing!" Braeburn replied crossly.

"So was I." Fancy Pants added sternly.

"Good ridance to all of you!" Big Macintosh jeered.

"Let's not waste anymore time. As of this moment, our friendship is **DEAD**!" Shining Armor shouted boldly.

The vision faded a moment later, but for Big Macintosh it had lasted an eternity. "Our friendship, gone for good?" he asked "That just can't be true, that's impossible." But in his mind, he had little reason to doubt that the vision he saw was anything but true.

"When all the truth ever does-" the dark red face began.

"Is just make your heart ache." the green face continued.

"Sometimes a _lie_ is easier to take." the bright red face finished, his voice changing to match Discord's tone.

Big Macintosh could've sworn he saw Discord's face for a moment, but before he had a chance to realize what was going on, Discord had managed to brainwash him. His eyes swirled a variety of colors, and his entire body now took on a much duller tone.

* * *

Shining Armor was surprised when, as he ran through the maze, one of the walls suddenly vanished! And there, to his relief, was Big Macintosh. But something seemed different about him. "Big Macintosh, I'm glad I found you." he said happily "But what's going on? I thought I heard voices. Who were you talking to?"

"Who me? Why I was talking to noone, noone what-so-ever." Big Macintosh lied, his eyes shifting back and forth a bit.

"Hey, what was that?" Shining Armor asked.

"What are you talkin' about?" Big Macintosh replied.

"Your eyes, they just moved." Shining Armor explained.

"You must be seein' things Shining Armor." Big Macintosh said firmly "Now come on, we gotta find those Elements of Harmony!" And he raced away.

"Did Big Macintosh just do what I think he did?" Shining Armor asked himself "I want to believe I'm just imaging things, but somehow I'm certain that I'm not. And I have a funny feeling Discord is behind it all. I just hope, the others are okay."

* * *

Discord was chuckling to himself as he watched Shining Armor set off "One down, five to go." he said happily "Now, who's next?"

Braeburn was happily bouncing his way through the maze, blissfully unaware of any sort of danger. This made him the perfect target, at least in Discord's eyes.

"Well, I've picked off his cousin. Getting Braeburn to see things my way shouldn't be too difficult." Discord laughed, and he set to work on preparing his next trap.

* * *

Braeburn bounced through the maze, humming a little tune. He was feeling very pleased with him, when he suddenly stopped. He had heard the sound of carefree laughter, and he wanted to be a part of it. Following the sound, Braeburn bounced along until he discovered the source. A garden filled with colorful balloons of all sorts, and they all had smiley faces on them. Something as innocent as this didn't set off any alarm bells, and he merely bounced into the garden to join the fun. "This is the best balloon garden I think I've ever laid eyes on." he said to himself, as he continued to bounce "Well, maybe it's the only balloon garden I've ever seen, but it's still the best. Whoa!" Braeburn suddenly lost his balance and fell into a mud puddle. He had no way of knowing that one of the balloons that wrapped itself around his back left leg, causing him to trip.

Now, suddenly, the laughter changed. Now, all of the laughter seemed to be directed solely at Braeburn, whereas before it had seemed inocent and harmless. Needless to say, he did not like this at all. "Hey, it's not that funny." he said crossly "Stop it!"

Just then, Discord appeared. His trap had worked perfectly. "What's the matter Braeburn, I thought you appreciated a good laugh more than anypony else?" he asked "Or was I mistaken?"

"It's different now." Braeburn explained "Now all the laughter is at my expense, and I don't like it. It's just not right."

"Oh it's hardly different, Braeburn." Discord went on, sticking his head behind a green balloon and bringing it to life "Your so called 'friends' laugh at you all the time. You just haven't realized it yet."

"You've got it all wrong, Discord." Braeburn spoke up "They laugh _with_ me, not _at_ me. I should know, one of them is my cousin."

"Really? Or are you just lying to make yourself feel better?" the Discord balloon asked, and he began to spin around Braeburn repeatedly. All the while, Braeburn began to panic, as the balloons faces began to change! Now they seemed outright malicious, and wanted nothing more than to laugh at him nonstop. To make matters worse, a few of the balloons took on the faces of his friends, and laughed at him in their voices. "Stop it! STOP IT!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, before he collapsed onto the ground and put his hooves up to his face.

"Ah, poor Braeburn. The truth hurts, doesn't it? And here I thought that laughter made you _happy_." the Discord balloon said with fake sympathy.

"Happy? I don't think so!" Braeburn said crossly, and stood up. His entire body took on a duller tone, and all of the balloons popped one by one.

Just then, Shining Armor and Big Macintosh arrived. Shining Armor, unaware of what had just happened, approached Braeburn warmly "Braeburn, oh thank goodness I found you." he said kindly.

"Why, need a good butt monkey to laugh at?" Braeburn asked crossly, and he went off in a huff.

Shining Armor was surprised "Braeburn? What do you suppose has got him so saddle sore, Big Macintosh?" Shining Armor asked.

"He seemed fine to me." Big Macintosh lied "It's probably just a mood swing, he'll get over it eventually. Now are you comin' or what?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Shining Armor replied, though he was already convinced that Discord was responsible for Braeburn's changing mood. " _I've got to find the rest of my friends before Discord gets to them._ " he thought to himself.

"Oh please, I don't think." Discord said to himself "You've already lost Shining Armor, you just don't realize it yet. Now for Fancy Pants. This should be fun."

* * *

Fancy Pants, compared to most nobles, was known to participate in his fair share of sports from time to time. In fact, he often enjoyed a little bit of fencing whenever he had the time to partake in it. But even so, walking through the palace labyrinth on his own, was not his cup of tea. "I came here expecting to have an audience with Princess Celestia." he complained "I certainly was not expecting this sick and twisted game. I just hope The Elements of Harmony are nearby, because I don't know how much more of this walking I can take."

Suddenly, Fancy Pants' thoughts were interrupted when he bumped into something. Once he recovered, and saw what it was, he was amazed. In front of him stood a trio of diamonds, shapped like the jewels on his cutie mark.

"Congratulations Fancy Pants." Discord spoke through the diamonds "Today is your lucky day. You've just won the chance to take home more wealth than the entire royal treasury. But there's a catch, you have to claim it all for yourself."

"Betray my friends just for some treasure? Not a chance!" Fancy Pants snorted "I can do whatever I want with it, you can't tell me how to spend it."

"Oh, but think about it, Fancy Pants." Discord encouraged "You've earned it. You found it, and no-one else did. So why should you be forced to _share_? Your 'friends' would all want an equal share of the wealth, even though they didn't do anything to deserve it. Wouldn't it make more sense for you have it all to yourself?"

Fancy Pants tried to shrug off Discord's hypnoitism, to no avail. " _Forgive me, Shining Armor. I was too weak to fight him off._ " he thought to himself, as he felt his will to resist slowly fade away. Discord laughed and laughed, as Fancy Pants let out a high pithced "MINE!" and began to dig at the diamonds with his bare hooves. Eventually, he managed to break down the rock wall, and he found himself looking at a gaint diamond. (In reality, it was nothing but a boulder, but Discord's brainwashing prevented Fancy Pants from seeing this reality)

Shining Armor was relieved when he saw Fancy Pants in the distance, but his mood soon changed when he realized that Fancy Pants' entire body had the same dull look as Big Macintosh and Braeburn's. He was too late.

"Look who's finally decided to show up!" Fancy Pants hissed "Come to take away what's rightfully mine? Fat chance!"

"Fancy Pants, why are you carrying a boulder?" Shining Armor asked.

"A boulder? This beautiful baby is a diamond." Fancy Pants spoke up "And it's all mine!"

"I knew you would never actually share it with us." Big Macintosh lied "I never saw the appeal of such shiny stuff."

"Want a penny for your laughs?" Braeburn hissed "Cause I ain't gonna let you make fun of me anymore."

"I don't need to make fun of you, Braeburn." Fancy Pants replied "You make that too easy."

"What did you just say?!" Braeburn asked.

"Knock it off you two!" Shining Armor interrupted "There's no time for us to be fighting. We've got to find Thunderlane and Soarin." under his breath Shining Armor added "Assuming Discord hasn't already gotten to them as well."

"Oh, I will in due time, Shining Armor." Discord said to himself, watching from above "I'm already halfway through breaking up The Elements of Harmony. Thunderlane is up next. This is gonna be like taking candy from a baby."

* * *

Compared to Fluttershy, Thunderlane was a lot braver. But in a situation like this, even he was incredibly on edge. He hadn't felt this afraid since the night of The Grand Galloping Gala, when Fluttershy went crazy.

"I'm not scared. I'm not scared." he muttered to himself, trying to pluck up courage. It wasn't working.

"Thunderlane?" an unknown voice called out.

"Who said that? Where are you?" Thunderlane asked.

"Look behind you." the voice called again. Thunderlane did so, and he found himself looking at a trio of butterflies. He didn't know that these butterflies were actually Discord in disguise "Looks like you've been left behind once again by your so called 'friends' hum?"

"Oh no, I'm sure it's not that." Thunderlane replied "I know they're looking for me, and I know they won't stop until they do. It's only a matter of time."

"Yes, well maybe you'd change your tune if you only knew how they really feel about you." the butterflies encouraged "And the truth is, they consider you weak and helpless."

"Please, do you really expect me to fall for that?" Thunderlane chuckled "You must have me mistaken with somepony else. I know I'm not weak and helpless, and my friends know that too. You just can't see it because we're separated at the moment."

The butterflies were losing patience "But doesn't it just burn you up about how they're always pointing out your flaws and weak spots?"

"Maybe a little, but I know they're just trying to help." Thunderlane replied "I'm lucky to have friends who appreciate me for who I am, and just want me to be the best that I can be."

"Oh for goodness sake! You just don't know when to give up!" Discord said crossly, dropping his disguise.

"Discord!" Thunderlane gasped, before he could do anything however, Discord tapped him on the head with one of his paws. This brought him under Discord's influence.

"You've been kind for far too long my dear boy! It's time for you to be _cruel_! Arrivederci loser!" Discord shouted, and disappeared in a flash of white light.

Shining Armor and the others, stumbled across Thunderlane a few seconds later. When Shining Armor saw that even Thunderlane's body had a duller tone, he was quite upset. "Oh Thunderlane, I was hoping I'd run into you. But not like this. Discord's crazy game is getting to everyone, and I can see that he's out to stop us at every turn."

"Aw boo hoo hoo!" Thunderlane snapped "Go cry me a river why don't you?! You're the leader, so why don't you just wave your magic little horn and make everything okay again?!"

"Uh.." Shining Armor replied.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot! You don't have one!" Thunderlane said crossly, and he smacked Shining Armor with his tail.

Shining Armor wasn't hurt, but he was upset. He watched as Thunderlane shoved Braeburn into a wall, and then continued on his way as if nothing had ever happened.

Big Macintosh couldn't help but laugh at what he had seen.

"And just what do you think you're laughin' at, cousin?" Braeburn hissed.

"Uh, chocolate milk?" Big Macintosh lied.

"I'm watchin' you!" Braeburn said furiously, and he set off.

" _I can't believe this is happening._ " Shining Armor thought to himself " _Oh Soarin, wherever you are, be careful. Discord is sure to stop at nothing to turn you against us. You can't let him win! You're our only hope!_ "

"Shining Armor, you just never learn." Discord said, smirking with triumph "Thunderlane may have taken more effort than I expected, but I know I've got Soarin all figured out. Consider this checkmate!"

* * *

Soarin was racing through the labyrinth as fast as he could. He was determined not to let anything stop him. He had no way of knowing that Discord was already laying in wait for him.

Suddenly, a cloud similar to the one Soarin had for a cutie mark appeared in front of him. The lightning bolt that shot out of it matched the one on Soarin's cutie mark perfectly. Soarin knew that couldn't be a coincidence, and chased after it. His chase ended when he came face to face with none other than Discord himself.

"Ah, so you found me." Discord called, laying on a cloud stretched out like a hammock between two trees. A pair of sunglasses obscured his eyes from the sunlight.

"Alright, Discord, come off of that cloud and put up your dukes!" Soarin shouted "I'm taking you down right here, right now!"

"Please, don't make me laugh." Discord chuckled "You wouldn't last ten seconds. Besides, I'm just here to deliever a message."

"Oh yeah, well I'm here to deliver my own message!" Soarin said stubbornly "Go back to wherever it is you came from, or suffer my wrath!"

"Arrogant as always I see." Discord replied, his mood changing "But you'd be wise to listen to this one Soarin, because it's a real game changer. A weighty choice is yours to make. The right decision, or a big mistake. And if it's the wrong choice that you choose to pursue, then the foundations of home will crumble without you." And with a snap of his fingers, Discord made the cloud that Soarin had been chasing earlier, appear in front of him.

And as it began to spin around, Soarin saw Cloudsdale begin to collapse! He saw Rainbow Dash trying in vain to save it from its impending doom! And he saw his teammates scrambling to rescue as many pegasi as they could before it was too late! Worst of all, however, he saw the horrified looks on the faces of those who either could not or would not leave! They were begging for Soarin to come and save them, but that would never happen! All Soarin could do was let out a big "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" as he watched Clousdale fall apart. He had no idea that this was all a part of Discord's hyponitism, and that his whole body had taken on a duller tone.

Discord smirked, and made an orange present with a red ribbon appear in front of him. "Look, Soarin." he called "That box there contains your wings. Now then, you have a decision to make. You can take your wings and leave the game to go save Cloudsdale, knowing that you'll be _betraying_ your friends, or you can stay in the game and continue your search with your friends, but dooming Clousdale in the process. The choices are yours and yours alone, but I'd be quick about it if I were you."

* * *

Shining Armor grew more and more worried as the minutes passed without any sign of Soarin. But for better or worse, Discord had not made any sort of major announcement. Shining Armor continued to hold out hope that Soarin would be able to resist Discord's mind games.

"Well, look who's decided to support his friends." Big Macintosh spoke up "I knew that Soarin could never be trusted, but no one would ever listen to me."

"Okay, now I know _that_ has to be a lie." Shining Armor replied "Soarin would never betray us." But when he looked up, he saw Soarin flying away. And when he saw that Soarin's body had an all too familiar dull tone to it, he realized that Discord had gotten to him. "No!" Shining Armor said glumly "Why did you give in Soarin? Why?"

At that moment, there came a loud rumbling sound, and the ground began to shake violently! The labyrinth walls slowly began to crumble and fade away, and when the dust had settled, there stood Discord. "Well, it seems like somepony forgot about the 'No flying no magic rule'." he said crossly "And you know what that means." he snapped his fingers, and gave back what he had taken from Shining Armor and his 'friends' earlier "Keep your wings, horns, and earth pony magic. They'll do you no good. The game's over my little ponies! You didn't find your missing Elements of Harmony. And now it's time for a little weather report. I hope you've all packed your umbrellas, because it looks like we might due for a big old storm of chaos!" Discord chuckled, as a pink umbrella appeared in one of his hands. When he opened it, it let out a "meow". Lightning began to flash, as Discord stood trimuphant.

" _How can this be?_ " Shining Armor thought to himself " _How did we lose?_ "


	33. Chapter 33: Secrets and Lies

Discord continued to laugh as the minutes ticked by, and the reality of the situation sank in.

"And what the hay are **YOU** laughin' at?!" Braeburn suddenly asked crossly.

"Oh, don't take this personally. It's just that, you ponies are simply the most fun I've had in eons." Discord replied, wiping a tear from his eye due to laughing so hard.

"Yeah? Well quit it!" Braeburn snapped "You'll rue the day you laugh at the Brae-burn!"

"Is that so?" Thunderlane asked smuggly "Well haha."

This made Braeburn cross "Quit it!" he shouted.

"No, haha." Thunderlane replied.

"I said quit it!" Braeburn shouted.

"Still no, hahahaha." Thunderlane said, and continued to laugh.

Meanwhile, Big Macintosh and Fancy Pants were having their own arguement.

"Say, Fancy Pants? About that there diamond of yours, Shining Armor said we're gonna split it six ways. You know, since we found it together and all." Big Macintosh lied.

Fancy Pants replied with a swift kick that sent Big Macintosh reeling "Don't try any funny business!" he said firmly "This diamond is mine and mine alone! I found it fair and square, and no one is going to take it away from me!"

"I wouldn't dream of it." Big Macintosh lied. All the while, Discord was laughing.

"Stop this nonsense, all of you!" Shining Armor ordered. His pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Sorry Shining Armor, but your friends can't help you anymore." Discord replied "It's just too entertaining, to see your former friends picking fights with one another."

"I know you're behind all of this, Discord." Shining Armor stated "You're not playing fair!"

"I'm not playing fair? Uh, did you forget who I am?" Discord asked "I told you already, the name is Discord. Spirit of chaos and disharmony, or have we not met?"

"How are we supposed to find The Elements of Harmony, when you take away the labyrinth before we've explored every inch of it?" Shining Armor asked.

"Oh wait, did you actually... oh, how funny." Discord chuckled.

"What do you mean?" Shining Armor asked.

"Perhaps it's just better for me to show you, rather than tell you." Discord explained, and snaped his fingers. He and Shining Armor disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

When Shining Armor opened his eyes, he saw himself looking at the hall with the glass window displays again. Then, he heard a familiar riddle.

" _In order to retrieve your missing elements, just make sense of this change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan. Then you may find the elements back where you began._ "

There was another flash of light, and Discord and Shining Armor returned to the present. "I never actually said The Elements of Harmony were in the labyrinth." Discord said with a smirk "You just assumed that. Not that it matters, as I would've held a game anywhere you went. But maybe I would've had a harder time corrupting your friends, if you had chosen somewhere else."

"Why should I believe you?" Shining Armor asked "You have proven to be very underhanded so far."

"Guilty as charged." Discord replied "But the fact is, this has all been worked out far in advance Shining Armor. You are merely the last tiny cog in my grand design. So now all I have to do is break you, and The Elements of Harmony will be useless."

"You'll never get the best of me! I'm too smart for your tricks!" Shining Armor boldly proclaimed.

"You still don't know your place, do you?" Discord asked "Perhaps you need a little example of what I'm capable of. And I have the perfect thing in mind to show you why it's useless to resist."

* * *

There was yet another flash of light, and Shining Armor now found himself in some sort of movie theater. Except, he was the only one there. Just then, the familiar sound of a film projector starting up, reached his ears. Shining Armor gasped at what he saw on the screen! Somehow, Discord was replaying the moments when he had broken each of Shining Armor's friends.

"Now then, I think I'll begin with how I pealed back the layers of your friends minds." Discord narrated "Oh, they all tried bravely to fight it off at first. You would've been so proud, to see them so strong. You truly are, or I should say _were_ , the best of friends. But alas, all too soon, the chaos and the brainwashing took their toll, and your dear friends began to share such deep secrets with me. And those secrets, are secrets that are mine alone to know, Shining Armor. It's true, I know everything there is to know about you. Your thoughts, your beliefes, your wishes, even your fears. And right now, what you fear most is me. Much like the foal that peeks at his Hearth's Warming presents, I must admit that it's rather anti-climatic for lack of a better term."

"Anti-climatic? Why?" Shining Armor asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Discord replied "I know what you really are. Behind all the stern and drama, you know in your heart that you're not a leader. Heck, if Princess Celestia hadn't practiclly gift wraped your promotion to captain, you would've declined it outright. But there's one thing that you don't do that everyone else does, and that's why they all look to you for advice."

"What are you talking about?" Shining Armor asked.

"You don't break or even bend." Discord explained "That was made obvious during the parasprite infestation in Ponyville all those months ago. Even when your sister Twilight started to lose her grip on reality, you were able to pull yourself together and find a solution to the problem. Naturally, your ability to think calmly and clearly in times of crisis made everyone flock to you. But deep down, you're not okay with that. You know you're not strong, and that you've come close to losing it several times. But you don't have the heart to turn everyone down, so you just go along with the role they assign you. Unfortunately for you, I am not like the other threats you've encountered during your life. With the snap of a finger I can turn the world upside down, and with another snap, I can make it rightside up again."

"I fail to see how that gives you the advantage, Discord." Shining Armor said sternly.

"Isn't it obvious?" Discord asked "I have powers that even Celestia herself could only dream of. And with those powers, I don't have to just do battle with you in the physical sense. I can do battle in your mind as well. And unfortunately, you are not as strong as Celestia, or even Luna, so you have don't have the strength to keep me from probing your mind. I know every move you can make, before you even make it. So, why don't you just give up now and make things easier for the both of us?"

Before Shining Armor had a chance to contemplate what Discord had said, a voice called out "Don't listen to him, Shining Armor. He will say and do anything to make you believe him. You must resist his lies. You are the only one who can stand up to him. You can't let him win!"

"Hey, this is a private conversation!" Discord said crossly "Who invited you?"

"No one, I invited myself!" the voice replied.

"Who are you?" Shining Armor asked "And are you a friend or an enemy?"

"I can't tell you that right now, not with **HIM** listening." the voice explained "Let's just say that I have something to gain if Discord does not corrupt you here and now. Good or bad, I refuse to say."

"You had to spoil everything, didn't you?" Discord hissed "Oh well, I suppose there's no harm in sparing you from my boring lectures, Shining Armor. Consider yourself lucky, because I rarely grant such favors." With another flash of light, Shining Armor and Discord returned to the empty space that was once the palace labyrinth.

"If The Elements of Harmony aren't here, then where are they?" Shining Armor asked Discord.

"I could tell you, but where's the fun in that?" Discord replied "It's much more fun to let you figure that out for yourself. However, I will give you this little piece of advice. Perhaps, the so called 'Magic of Friendship' can help you. Now then, if you'll excuse me, I have chaos to reek. We will speak again, I'm sure of it." And with that, Discord vanished.

A second later, pink cotton candy clouds rolled in, and began to unleash their chocolate milk rain.

"Chocolate rain? Man, I hate chocolate rain!" Braeburn snorted.

"Don't any of you think about touching my diamond, you hear me?!" Fancy Pants shouted.

"Who me, I ain't touchin' it." Big Macintosh lied.

"I'm touching your diamond, Fancy Pants." Thunderlane teased "You gonna make something of it?"

"Ugh, I'm sick of this." Shining Armor moped "I just wanna go home." Then, it hit him. "Home! Of course, that's it! Why didn't I think of it before?!"


	34. Chapter 34: Return to Ponyville

It wasn't easy, but with some effort, Shining Armor was able to convince his corrupted friends to leave the labyrinth and make the journey back to Ponyville.

" _If I can just make it back to Ponyville and find The Elements of Harmony, everything should work out just fine._ " he thought to himself. But he had no sooner finished this thought, when he felt himself being trampled by a stampede of bunnies with gaint legs. Luckly, he wasn't hurt very badly. And with a little effort, he managed to pick himself back up.

"Good boy, Angel." Thunderlane said smuggly "Fluttershy would be so proud of you."

Braeburn chuckled slightly "Now that's funny." Just then, the sun suddenly set, and the moon quickly rose to take its place.

"Oh wow, now I can see _much_ better." Big Macintosh lied. When he tried to move, the dirt road he and the others were on, suddenly turned to soap. Big Macintosh couldn't stop himself, and slid right into the others, knocking them over one by one! Everyone glared angrily at him. "Don't worry, I meant to do that." he lied.

"You're just lucky Timantha wasn't hurt." Fancy Pants said sternly, quickly throwing his hooves over the boulder that he still thought was a diamond.

" _I don't know how much more of this nonsense I can take._ " Shining Armor thought to himself " _Arrgh, no! I've got to stay focused! My goal is to find The Elements of Harmony, I can't give up now! That's what Discord wants more than anything!_ " And so, he plunged bravely on. All the while trying to ignore the harsh words and cruel actions of his corrupted friends. A task that was easier said than done.

* * *

Shining Armor was relieved when, at last, he approached the familiar outskirts of Ponyville, but the sight that awaited him was anything but welcoming. The ground now consisted of alternating black and white square tiles, as if it were a life sized chess board. Several buildings floated upside down, including the town hall and the windmill. And chocolate milk rain poured down from pink cotton candy clouds with no end in sight.

"Ah, Shining Armor, glad to see you finally made it." Discord called "I must say, you're doing swell, just swell. Anyhow, I've been taking in the sights of Ponyville. Nice digs. So much to see, so much to mess around with it. I've grown so fond of this place, I think I'll make it the centerpiece of my new empire."

"What?!" Shining Armor asked.

"It's simple really, you're looking at the new and improved Ponyville, and these are only the first of changes." Discord explained "Just picture it, Ponyville, the chaos capital of the world as we know it."

Shining Armor felt himself being lifted up by Discord, and forced to look at the town he called home, now under the influence of Discord. Fortunately, at that moment, the sun set once again. "I can't see anything." he stated "It's too dark."

Discord was cross, but he didn't show it. He merely dropped Shining Armor on the ground and said "Well, just wait a few minutes and you'll see it in the light of day. Or maybe not, it doesn't matter really. Good luck finding those Elements of Harmony." And with that, he disappeared once again.

"So, where to now oh fearless leader?" Thunderlane teased.

Braeburn, meanwhile, was busy skating along the soappy roads "This may look like fun, but it's not."

Somehow, Shining Armor was able to lead him and his corrupted friends back to the Golden Oaks Library. He was exhausted, but relieved to see that the place was still standing. "Okay, here we are." he said in between pants "Now, will you all please go inside?"

"I absolutely and completely refuse." Big Macintosh lied. Shining Armor blinked and rubbed his eyes, as he saw Big Macintosh's entire body turn gray.

"With pleasure." Thunderlane said, but before he entered, he trampeled on some of the flowers. Turning gray in the process.

"Man, I hate libraries!" Braeburn complained, also turning gray.

Shining Armor waited, but Fancy Pants refused to budge. When he approached the unicorn to find out why, Fancy Pants snorted "I know your game Shining Armor. You're going to wait out here until I go inside, then you'll have your sister and her baby dragon come out and steal Timantha! Nice try, but you can't have her! She's all mine! **MINE**!"

"I don't want that stupid boulder!" Shining Armor hissed "Now come on, we're wasting time standing out here!"

"I'm not going anywhere without Timantha!" Fancy Pants protested, and even as Shining Armor dragged him into the library with his magic, Fancy Pants refused to let go of the boulder.


	35. Chapter 35: Library Rumble

Unable to find any information about the strange events that had unfolded in Ponyville, Twilight had reclutantly gone up to her room to rest while she waited anxiously for any sort of update.

Spike himself stayed up for a little while longer, in case Princess Celestia sent him a message. But eventually, he too decided to just take a nap and hope that no news meant good news. He had no idea that he was about to rudely awakened. Suddenly, a cold splash woke Spike up with a start. Apparently, someone had dumped a bucket of water all over him. And he soon found out who it was "What did you do that for, Thunderlane?" he asked, quite confused.

"Because you just looked so peaceful!" Thunderlane explained "I had to do something to correct that."

"Did I do something to you recently?" Spike asked "Whatever it is, I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't be silly Spike. You haven't done anything wrong, unless you count being so happy and upbeat as a crime!" Thunderlane hissed.

"What?!" Spike asked, not believing what he had just heard "Thunderlane, do you realize what you're saying?!"

"I do, and I couldn't care less." Thunderlane replied "I'm not the same old soft spoken stallion who foolishy believed actions speak louder than words."

Spike said nothing, and backed away slowly. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. A second later, he bumped into something.

"Don't even think about laying a claw on Timantha!" Fancy Pants shouted "She's all mine! I found her, and you can't have her!"

"Who's Timantha?" Spike asked "All I see is a boulder."

"Oh sure, to the untrained eye it looks like a boulder. But I see Timantha for what she really is." Fancy Pants explained "And I'm not letting any of you free loaders get your greedy hooves on it!"

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not interested in touchin' your diamond?" Big Macintosh lied, as he eyed the diamond.

"Okay, can someone please explain to me what's happening, because there's something very funny going on here." Spike said crossly.

"It's not me, I can promise you that much!" Braeburn snapped "I'm sick of bein' a punchin' bag, and I'm not gonna put up with it anymore!"

"What has gotten into all of you?" Spike asked.

"It's Discord, plain and simple, Spike." Shining Armor explained, looking very stressed out "I didn't think he'd be so hard to bring down, but he's proven to be a very sneaky little weasel. Now come on, you've got to help me find _The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide_ before somepony here does something he'll regret later!"

"Hey, Shining Armor, I've got a riddle for you." Thunderlane interrupted "What's soaking wet and completely clueless?"

"Thunderlane, I am in no mood for your silly-" before Shining Armor could finish, Thunderlane dumped a bucket of water on his head.

"Your face of course!" Thunderlane teased, slamming the bucket down onto Shining Armor's head.

"See what I mean, Spike?" Shining Armor asked "Now come on, we've got to find that book. It's got to be where we can find what we need to stop Discord."

* * *

"I found it, Shining Armor!" Spike called a moment later, but before he could give it to Shining Armor, it was snatched out of his hooves by Thunderlane.

This made Shining Armor very cross "Thunderlane, I'm only gonna say this once! You'd better give me that book if you know what's good for your health!"

Thunderlane took no notice and shouted "KEEP AWAY!" he tossed the book to Big Macintosh.

"Give me back that book!" Shining Armor demanded.

"What book? I don't see a book." Big Macintosh lied, and he tossed the book to Braeburn.

"Now this is how you have fun." Braeburn chuckled "Catch, Fancy Pants!"

"I've got it and you're never getting it back!" Fancy Pants teased.

What little patience Shining Armor had faded at that very moment "GIVE ME THAT BOOK, NOW!" he demanded, and chased after Fancy Pants. Unfortunately, Shining Armor was no match for his friends in their corrupted state, and they all managed to take turns playing keep away with _The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide_. All the while, Shining Armor grew crosser and crosser. He had never felt this angry before in all of his life! Eventually, he found that Fancy Pants, who currently held the book, had somehow vanished. "Where did Fancy Pants go?" Shining Armor asked "I know he's here somewhere."

"Beats me. I haven't see him." Big Macintosh lied.

"LIAR!" Shining Armor shouted and he lunged at Big Macintosh! He quickly found himself fending off both Big Macintosh and Braeburn, as well as Thunderlane. But somehow, he managed to come out of the fight with no lasting injuries. The book he needed clenched firmly in his hooves. But his corrupted friends refused to give up, and slowly crept closer and closer towards him. Lucky, Spike used his fire breath to ward them off. "THIS IS MY BOOK, AND I'M GONNA READ IT WHETHER YOU ALL LIKE IT OR NOT!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. When he opened the book, there, to his relief, were The Elements of Harmony. But although he knew his element would still work, he knew that if he gave his corrupted friends their elements from last time, they would not work. With a little bit of thinking, he switched the elements around as best he could. Big Macintosh was now Kindness, Braeburn was now Generosity, Fancy Pants was now Laughter, and Thunderlane was now Honesty. "Okay, that should do it." Shining Armor stated.

"Say, aren't you missing someone?" Spike asked.

"Nope, we've got the liar, the grump, the horder, and the brute." Shining Armor explained "That just about settles it if you ask me."

"But what about Soarin?" Spike asked.

"Thanks for pointing that out, Spike." Shining Armor said seriously "Unfortunately, I don't have time to track down that traitor. So congratulations, Spike, as of this moment you are officially the new Soarin! Now let's go!"

"The new Soarin? But what if Soarin finds out I've been impersonating him?" Spike asked, then an awful thought struck him "Oh, that won't end well at all!"

"Too bad, you're gonna be the new Soarin and you're gonna like it!" Shining Armor explained, as he placed The Element of Loyalty around Spike's neck. "Now let's get this over with!" Shining Armor hoped that by defeating Discord, he could return his friends back to the way they were before Discord brainwashed them. And so, Shining Armor, Spike, and four of their friends, raced out of the library and prepared to face down Discord.


	36. Chapter 36: Shining's Darkest Hour

As it turns out, Fancy Pants refused to leave unless "Timantha" came with him. Reluctantly, Shining Armor agreed to move the "Diamond" outside with his magic. "Look out, here comes Timantha!" Shining Armor called, and he tossed the boulder from the second story balcony of the library, destroying it but leaving the boulder unharmed.

"Oh no, you've found The Elements of Harmony!" Discord said with fake concern.

"Darn right I have, Discord." Shining Armor said boldly "Letting me find them was your first mistake, and now, here comes your second. You know what happens next, right?"

"Indeed I do. You've clearly shown me the error of my ways and now it's time for me to meet my fate." Discord said with fake worry, and he made a target appear around his body "I'm prepared to be defeated now guys, you may fire when ready."

"You just keep similing while you can, Discord." Shining Armor stated "Ready guys?!"

"Ready!" Shining Armor's friends, and Spike replied.

"Let's finish this!" Shining Armor shouted, and one by one The Elements of Harmony began to glow. They glowed brighter and brighter. And for a moment Discord seemed rather concerned! Perhaps he had underestimated Shining Armor after all. Unfortunately, the glow faded a moment later. Shining Armor, his friends, and Spike, all fell to the ground! Shining Armor was completely confused "How did this happen? Why didn't they work?"

"Bravo, bravo guys!" Discord cheered "That was truly a spectacular performance, and now I think you've made it clear. Harmony in Equestria is officially dead! Discord rules, Celestia drools! Hm, which reminds me, I should pay a visit to Canterlot and rub my victory in a certain alicorn princess' face."

"I don't understand. I specifically rearranged the elements to work around your mind games." Shining Armor complained "They should've worked, so why didn't they?"

"It's simple really, Shining Armor." Discord explained "How did you expect to power those elements, when the spark that united you all has been extinguished?"

"What?! No, that can't be true!" Shining Armor shouted.

"Just face it, Shining Armor, you've lost. Equestria is mine once again, and the last sound you'll ever hear, will be my laughter." Discord taunted.

"Man, I hate The Elements of Harmony!" Braeburn complained.

"Hmph, useless piece of garbage!" Thunderlane added "I don't why I ever bothered with it."

"I told you this would never work." Big Macintosh lied. He, Braeburn, and Thunderlane, all threw their necklaces away.

"MINE! ALL MINE!" Fancy Pants shouted, snatching up the abandoned elements.

"Well, uh... I think I'll just head back to the library and clean up." Spike said nervously, but he'd only taken a few steps when he was tripped up by Thunderlane.

"Oops, sorry there, 'Soarin'." Thunderlane said meanly.

* * *

One by one, each of Shining Armor's friends began to abandon him and go their separate ways. "Go ahead, see if I care!" Shining Armor shouted "It's not like you'll be worse off without me! Just don't come crying to me if things don't work out!"

"Ah, poor Shining Armor. All alone, and with no one to turn to." Discord said with fake sympathy "It almost breaks my heart. Oh well, I guess now you've realized how pointless friendship really is. You can make all the friends you want, but in the end, when you need them most, they're nowhere to be found."

"That's what you think, Discord!" Shining Armor replied "I may be on my own for now, but I know for a fact that my friends true selves are inside them somewhere. And one way or another, I'll defeat you and turn them all back to normal."

"You still haven't learned your lesson yet?" Discord asked "Perhaps you need to see things from my point of view for a change. Maybe then the reality of the situation will sink in." And with that, he snapped his fingers.

"What, what are you-whooooooooooa!" Shining Armor screamed, as he felt the entire world being turned upside down. After only a few seconds, he hit the ground with a thud. Luckly he wasn't hurt. "Where I am?" he asked himself, then he looked around. He saw Ponyville, but it looked far worse than it had been just a short time ago. "Oh no!" he said to himself.

Just then, Discord appeared, and he began to sing:

 _Well, well, well, what have we here?_

 _Shining Armor, huh? Ooh! I'm_ _ **really**_ _scared!_

 _So you're the one everypony's talking about, ahhahaha!_

 _You're joking, you're joking! I can't believe my eyes!_

 _You're kidding me, you've gotta be! This_ _ **can't**_ _be the right guy._

 _He's brave, he's noble. I don't know which is worse._

 _Now I might just go to pieces, if I don't die laughing first!_

 _When Discord's master plan says 'Chaos' close at hand.'_

 _You'd better pay attention now, because I'm the chaos man!_

 _And if you aren't shaking, then there's something very wrong._

 _Because this may be the last time, that you hear the chaos song._

 _Woohoo (whoa!). Woohoo (whoa!)._

 _Woohoo (whoa!) I'm(he's) the chaos making man!_

Shining Armor was a bit worried, but he tried his best to pluck up courage as he said:

 _Return my friends to normal, or you'll have to pay the price!_

 _Because hyponitizing everypony, wasn't very nice!_

Discord wasn't worried, and merely sang in reply:

 _Haha! You're joking! You're joking!_

 _I can't believe my ears!_

 _Would someone shut this stallion up?!_

 _I'm drowning in my tears!_

 _It's funny, I am laughing! You really are a scream!_

 _And now, with your permission, I'm going to steal the scene._

" _What are you going to do?_ " Shining Armor asked.

" _I'm gonna do the best I can._ " Discord replied and he began to sing again:

 _Whoooooooooooa! The sound of the crazed, to me, is music in the air!_

 _Because I'm a gambling chaos man, although I_ _ **don't**_ _play fair!_

 _It's much more fun, I must confess, with_ _ **minds**_ _on the line._

 _Not mine of course, but_ _ **yours**_ _old horse, now that'd be just fine._

Shining Armor could feel his will to resist fading away, but he tried valiantly to fight it off:

 _Bring my friends back or you will have to answer for your heinous acts._

Discord smirked and merely sang in reply:

 _Oh brother, you're something. You put me in a spin!_

 _You aren't comprehending, the position, that you're in!_

 _It's hopeless, you're finished! Equestria is mine!_

 _Because I'm mister Discord, and I think it's chaos time._

"So, Shining Armor, do you finally understand my point?" Discord asked, as he snapped his fingers, and returned himself and Shining Armor to where they had been moments ago "Do you realize just how hopeless it really is?"

"Yes." Shining Armor replied weakly "You've won, Discord."

Discord seemed surprised, and possibly even concerned for a moment, but as Shining Armor trotted off into the distance, he let out a cheer of victory. He'd finally managed to break Shining Armor, and render The Elements of Harmony completely useless.

* * *

Shining Armor, meanwhile, was sulking and feeling very sorry for himself. As he entered The Golden Oaks Library, he thought to himself " _Where can I go now that Discord has triumphed? I certainly can't stay here. Not when the entire town is the chaos capital. And I certainly can't go back to Canterlot. Princess Celestia wouldn't want a disappointment like me hanging around. Maybe I'll just head to Appleloosa. It's not like it really matters though, I'll never be able to run from Discord's Chaos Empire forever._ "

"Don't give up now, Shining Armor." a voice suddenly called.

"Who said that?" Shining Armor asked.

"Don't you remember, I'm the one who saved you from falling to Discord's mind games a while back." the voice replied.

"Well, you only delayed the inevitable I'm afraid." Shining Armor stated.

"Oh dear, this is more serious than I thought." the voice said with concern "I guess I have no choice but to reveal myself to you."

"Just who are you and what do you want with me?" Shining Armor asked.

"Patience, Shining Armor." the voice reassured him "Now, I've got to concentrate, and remember what Aunt Luna taught me."

"Aunt Luna?" Shining Armor asked "Does that mean that you're-"

"Indeed I am." the voice admitted, and then, in a flash of light, something appeared inside Shining Armor's mind. It was a young pink alicorn with light purple eyes, a mane consisting of violet, rose, and gold locks, and a cutie mark depicting a heart, that seemed to be made out of some sort of crystal. Shining Armor knew who it was.

"Cadence!" Shining Armor exclaimed "It's really you!"

"In the fur, Shining Armor." Cadence replied "Listen, I don't have much time. I've come to help you."

"You're too late, Cadence." Shining Armor said glumly "Discord has already won."

"No he hasn't Shining Armor." Cadence said firmly "That's just what he wants you to think."

"What are you talking about?" Shining Armor asked "It's hopeless."

"No it's not." Cadence replied "I know that, and so you do. You just can't see that because of what Discord has done. But if you give up now, then there's no hope for Equestria."

"But what am I supposed to do?" Shining Armor asked "The Elements of Harmony are powerless, thanks to Discord's mind games. My friends have all abandoned me, and I'm on my own."

"Things may look bad, Shining Armor, but they're not hopeless." Cadence explained "There's one thing you have that Discord can't take away, no matter how hard he tries."

"And that would be what?" Shining Armor asked.

"Your courage of course." Cadence replied "Even when things have looked bleak in the past, you've always pulled through. It's that courage which prevents Discord from manipulating you in the same way he manipulates everyone else. He has tried to bury it under a pile of fear, in the hopes that you will not rise up and defeat him. For he knows, that as long as someone such as yourself exists, he is in very real danger."

"Let's say you're right." Shining Armor stated "How am I supposed to use that courage to defeat Discord and free my friends?"

"That, is something you'll have to discover for yourself I'm afraid." Cadence admitted "But I know you can do it. As long as you never give up hope, you'll find a way."

Shining Armor felt his body return to its normal color, and Discord's influence leaving him. "Thank you, Cadence, for everything." he said kindly "I don't what I'd do without you."

"Think nothing of it, Shining Armor, I'm just glad to be of service." Cadence replied, just then she started to fade in and out of existence. "Oh dear, it seems like this dream form lasted shorter than I expected. Looks like you're on your own from here, Shining Armor."

"Cadence, please don't leave me!" Shining Armor pleaded "Without you, I'm helpless."

"Do not despair, Shining Armor. You're strong, I know you are." Cadence encouraged "You can do it!" And with that, she kissed Shining Armor on the cheek. Shining Armor blushed. "Consider that a sign." Cadence explained "A sign that I will always be with you in spirit. Good luck, Shining Armor, I know you'll be able to stop Discord once and for all. Goodbye." And with that, Cadence disappeared.

Shining Armor said nothing for a moment, and merely stood there. "Thank you Cadence." he said at last, a tear forming in his eye "You've been a big help. I won't let it all be for nothing! I see now that I have to fight. Fight for me, for you, for my sister, and our friends! I have to fight for Equestria!" And with that, he raced away to find Big Macintosh. " _This isn't over yet Discord, not by a long shot!_ " he thought to himself.


	37. Chapter 37: Making Things Right

Shining Armor's first stop was Sweet Apple Acres, where he knew Big Macintosh was waiting. Upon arriving, Shining Armor could see quite clearly that Discord had gotten to Applejack and Granny Smith as well. Applejack was now a complete pushover, whenever she tried to buck the apple trees, she put forth practically no effort at all. As for Granny Smith, she actually seemed to have changed for the better. She was now tap dancing with the greatest of ease, and didn't seem to have a care in the world.

"And of course, I _tried_ to fight off Discord. But none of my so called 'friends' would even lift so much as a hoof to help me." Big Macintosh lied.

"I love that story every time you tell it, Big Macintosh." Applejack said, all the while failing to buck an apple tree.

"Never fear, Big Macintosh! I've come to fight for you!" Shining Armor proclaimed.

"Oh, so now you've come to help me?! Well, where were you when I was busy fightin' off Discord?!" Big Macintosh lied "Oh wait, you weren't there at all. You just let me get defeated."

Shining Armor quickly tackled Big Macintosh, tired of listening to his friend say things he knew he would never say of his own free will. "This isn't you, Big Macintosh! You're not a liar!" Shining Armor said crossly "And I've come to make you see that! One way, or another!"

"I don't need help, Shining Armor!" Big Macintosh lied.

"Oh yes you do!" Shining Armor replied, and lit up his horn "Hold still, and this will only take a few seconds."

"Don't touch me, you'll only make things worse!" Big Macintosh lied, as he felt Shining Armor's horn touch his forehead. And then, everything stopped. Repressed memories came flooding back. Big Macintosh could now remember the first time he'd met Shining Armor. How he'd injured himself prior to applebuck season, his inability to do anything as the parasprites destroyed his home, his stand at The Grand Galloping Gala, and most importantly, how he became the element of Honesty. Then he remembered what he had seen just prior to Discord brainwashing him. Now, however, he was more convinced than ever that what he saw wasn't the real future.

"Big Macintosh, are you okay?" Shining Armor asked, as he helped his friend to his hooves. Big Macintosh's body was now back to normal, and his red coat shined as if it had just been cleaned.

"I... think so." Big Macintosh said "Shining Armor, when we were separated in the maze, Discord showed me the future. He tricked me into thinkin' our friendship would fall apart, so I started lyin' in the hopes that I could prevent it. But now I see that such a thing was wrong. Honesty isn't always the best policy, but lyin' about things is just as bad, if not worse. Can you ever forgive me for what I said and did?"

"Of course I can." Shining Armor smiled "You weren't yourself when you were lying. But now you're back, and with your help, we will defeat Discord once and for all!"

"I'm with you all the way." Big Macintosh said firmly "After what he's done to me, Discord is gonna pay!"

"Easy there ,Big Macintosh." Shining Armor reassured him "First things first, we need to get the rest of our friends back to normal. I can't do it alone, however."

"Whatever help you need I'll gladly offer it." Big Macintosh replied.

"Good." Shining Armor stated "I say we go after Braeburn next. He'll be a big help in freeing the others."

* * *

It took quite a bit of effort for Shining Armor and Big Macintosh to find where Braeburn was, but they eventually tracked him down. Unfortunately, Braeburn was anything but happy to see them.

"Well, what an unexpected surprise. Why are you idiots here?" Braeburn hissed "Come to make fun of me again, I suppose?"

"Of course not, don't be silly." Shining Armor replied.

"We're here to free you from Discord's corruptive influence, cousin Braeburn!" Big Macintosh shouted "And we can do this the easy way, or the hard way!"

"I don't need Discord's help to realize what you're goin' to do to me." Braeburn said crossly "You just want me to go back to my old ways, because without someone to act like the idiot and absorb all the negativity, everythin' will fall apart. Well I hate to disappoint you, but I'm never goin' back. The past is in the past, and I've changed for the better. And if you two can't see that, then I'l just have to make you see it!"

"Bring it on, cousin!" Big Macintosh shouted "I'm not afraid of you!"

"Then you're a fool!" Braeburn replied, and he lunged at Big Macintosh. The two earth ponies tusseled for a while, but despite his strength, Braeburn was no match for Big Macintosh. Eventually, he was defeated.

"Now's your chance, Shining Armor!" Big Macintosh called "You know what to do!"

"Right!" Shining Armor replied, and lit up his horn.

"No! I'm not turning back into an idiot!" Braeburn protested, as Shining Armor's horn touched his forehead in the same way it had touched Big Macintosh's. Just like with Big Macintosh, Braeburn remembered everything. And when he realized who was _truly_ laughing at him while pretending to care, his body returned to normal, and his coat regained its color.

"Sorry I did that to you, cousin, but you left me no choice." Big Macintosh apologized.

"Hey, if the roles were reversed I would've done the same thing." Braeburn replied "You did what you thought was right, and it all worked out for the better."

"Glad to have you with us again, Braeburn, we've all missed you." Shining Armor said honestly.

"Where's that Discord fella?!" Braeburn asked furiously "Cause' the joke's about to be on him!"

"All in good time, Braeburn." Shining Armor said, calming him down "We need the rest of our friends back first. Think you can lend us a hoof?"

"You betcha!" Braeburn said eagerly "In fact, I think I have a good idea where we can find Fancy Pants."

"Well then, lead the way." Shining Armor encouraged. Braeburn did so, and before long, he, Big Macintosh, and Shining Armor, had arrived at Carousel Boutique.

* * *

"A trio of freeloaders! Come to steal my diamond, eh?!" Fancy Pants hissed "I'll teach you all a thing or two! Come and get it, unless you're afraid!"

"Them's fightin' words Fancy Pants!" Big Macintosh snapped "If I wasn't the stallion I was, you'd be in serious trouble right now!"

"Just take it easy, Fancy Pants, we don't want to hurt you." Shining Armor said calmly "Just hold still and let me free you from Discord's control."

"Oh no you don't! I see your little game for what it really is!" Fancy Pants protested "You want Timantha all to yourself. Well too bad, she's mine, and I won't let anyone or anything take her away from me!"

"I don't want to do this but-" Shining Armor spoke up.

"Then don't!" Fancy Pants shouted.

"This isn't a better choice." Braeburn stated "It doesn't have to be this way. We can work this out."

"No we can't, stop pretending that we can!" Fancy Pants said fiercely "If you want a piece of Timantha, you'll have to get past me first!"

"Fancy Pants, please, I want to help you!" Shining Armor spoke up.

"If you truly wish to help me, then leave me alone!" Fancy Pants shouted, but before he could do anything, he was silenced by a sudden blow from Big Macintosh.

"Sorry ,Fancy Pants, but I had to do that." Big Macintosh apologized.

"I'll hold him still, Shining Armor, you do your whole horn thingy." Braeburn said, and true to his word, he held onto Fancy Pants as tightly as he could. Preventing the unicorn from escaping.

Fancy Pants was too exhausted to protest, but he tried to resist as Shining Armor's horn touched his forehead. Once again, memories came flooding back. Now Fancy Pants could see that Discord had delibertly taken advantage of his weak mental state. Something that would never happen again. In addition, Fancy Pants now saw Timantha truly was nothing more than a plain old boulder. And although he was all for seeing beauty on the inside, he knew there was no use in keeping such a thing around. "Let us never speak of us this again, okay?" he asked his friends after he gotten rid of the boulder.

"Agreed." Shining Armor replied "I'm glad you're taking this so well."

"What can I say, my years of being subjected to constant stress have really helped me mellow out and be more accepting." Fancy Pants explained "Besides, a gentleman knows it is not polite to lose your temper unless seriously prevoked. But mark my words, Discord _will_ pay for this!"

"Well, we still need two more of our friends to come back." Big Macintosh stated.

"And unfortunately, they're both pegasi." Braeburn added "So it looks like we've got our work cut out for us."

"Not necessarily." Fancy Pants said with a smile "I know for a fact that the last time I saw Thunderlane, he was still on solid ground. If we can find him and bring him back to our side, we shouldn't have too much trouble dealing with Soarin."

"Sounds like a plan." Shining Armor acknowledged "Let's go!"

* * *

"I've told you once, and now I'm gonna tell you once again!" Thunderlane shouted "The old Thunderlane is gone, the new Thunderlane is here to stay!"

"Don't you see, that's exactly what Discord wants you to believe!" Fancy Pants shouted back.

"No, that's exactly what _you_ want me to believe!" Thunderlane snapped "Nice try, but your pathetic attempts at brainwashing won't catch me off guard! I'm too smart to fall for the same old tricks!"

"Please, Thunderlane, we don't have to fight each other!" Braeburn pleaded.

"Yeah, we're not enemies!" Big Macintosh added.

"Shut up, all of you!" Thunderlane shouted.

"You've left me no choice, Thunderlane!" Shining Armor said crossly "I hate to do this, and this will hurt me more than it will you, but I refuse to give up on you without a fight!"

"Do your worst, I'm ready for it!" Thunderlane said firmly.

"Very well, don't say I didn't warn you." Shining Armor said with a sigh, and fired off a stun spell. It was something he'd been trained to use while still a rookie in the royal guard. The idea was to use it only as a last resort, to subdue violent criminals. He had hoped the day would never come when he would be forced to use. Alas, that day had arrived all the same.

"A stun spell?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." Shining Armor said glumly "It's only temporary, but I couldn't think of any other way to subdue Thunderlane without any of us getting hurt."

"Hey, you did what you had to do." Big Macintosh reassured him "Now hurry up and heal him before the stun spell wears off."

"Indeed I will." Shining Armor said, and lit up his horn. The routine had practically become an old habbit by this point.

When Thunderlane finally realized how cruelly he had been acting thanks to Discord, he was most upset. "I wish this was all a bad dream." he said sadly.

"Unfortunately, it's not." Shining Armor sighed.

"But at least you're back, and this nightmare of a reality is almost gone." Braeburn said cheerfully.

"For once, I agree with my cousin." Big Macintosh nodded.

"We can't get Soarin back without you, Thunderlane, you're the only one who's on an equal playing field with him." Fancy Pants explained "Can you help us track him down so we can finally go after Discord, and put an end to this nonsense?"

"I'll do my best." Thunderlane said "No promises."

"Any help at all would be greatly appreciated Thunderlane." Shining Armor said sincerely "Now lead the way."

"Very well then, follow me." Thunderlane stated.

* * *

Soarin proved hard to locate, but eventually, Thunderlane was able to lead his friends right to the corrupted Wonderbolt's location.

"So, you traitors have the nerve to step hoof into my territory?" Soarin asked crossly "I guess Cloudsdale never should've allowed for non-pegasi to visit."

"Now how in Equestria could he possibly think that tiny little patch of clouds is the gaint city of Cloudsdale?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Probably the same way Discord got you to think that a rock was a genuine, bonified diamond." Big Macintosh said, trying his best not to laugh out loud.

"I thought we agreed to never speak of that again Big Macintosh!" Fancy Pants said crossly.

"We did, but I couldn't resist." Big Macintosh replied.

"Getting back to the subject at hoof, how are we gonna free Soarin from Discord's control?" Braeburn asked.

"I have an idea, but we'll need Thunderlane in order to pull it off." Shining Armor explained, and he proceeded to whisper his plan to the others.

Soarin was snoozing comfortably, unaware of the fact that Shining Armor and his friends were approaching him in a hot air balloon.

"Okay, we're all set here." Big Macintosh said to Shining Armor.

"Alright, Thunderlane, it's all up to you now." Shining Armor whispered "We need you to tie up Soarin so he can't escape. Once that's taken care of, the rest should be simple enough."

"Why me? Thunderlane asked.

"You're the only one here who can fly, and the only one who can keep up with him in the air." Shining Armor explained "I know it's hard for you to do something like this to him, but it's for the best. And he won't be hurt, you know that."

"Well, okay, here I go. Wish me luck." Thunderlane said nervously, and with a rope in hoof, he flew over to where Soarin was. Then he tapped him lightly.

"What do you want, traitor?!" Soarin asked, not noticing the rope Thunderlane held behind his back.

"I'm sorry, Soarin, but I'm gonna have to hold you down against your will for a little bit." Thunderlane apologized, and he threw the rope around Soarin's body.

Soarin tried, to no avail, to escape. The rope was secured too tightly. "How could you do this to me, Thunderlane?! You betrayed me!" he shouted.

"No I didn't, you betrayed yourself." Thunderlane said, as he attached more ropes to Soarin so that he could be held in place.

Even once he had been lowered to the ground, Soarin continued to try and break free. But Big Macintosh, Braeburn, Fancy Pants, and Thunderlane, all held onto a rope attached to him. And with all those ropes wrapped around him, there was no way he could escape.

All he could do was grunt, groan, and snort in fury, as Shining Armor lit up his horn, and touched it to Soarin's forehead. Slowly but surely, the memories came back. And at long last, all of Discord's brainwashing had been undone. "I'm back!" Soarin said happily, and he and the other stallions shared a group hug.

But they quickly realized that they still had one thing left to do. Defeat the mastermind behind everything, Discord.

* * *

Just as he had said earlier, Discord had made Ponyville the center of his new empire. And he was enjoying every moment of the chaos that was being unleashed all around him. All the while, he sat in his own throne, and chuckled to himself. "Ah, chaos is a wonderful, wonderful thing." he said to himself, as he filled a glass with chocolate milk from one of the pink cotton candy clouds.

"Not as wonderful as friendship!" Shining Armor shouted boldly. He and his friends suddenly appeared before Discord, wearing their elements with pride.

Discord did not appear concerned "Oh, this again?" he complained "Excuse me, I need a drink." he proceeded to drink the glass cup. "Ah, refreshing." he said, and threw the chocolate milk away. In the distance, there came a high pitched scream. "Oopsie, I guess I don't know my own strength." Discord smirked.

"You've had your fun, Discord, and this time, you're goin' to lose!" Big Macintosh stated.

"Oh Big Macintosh, please don't lie to me." Discord said, lifting Big Macintosh into the air by his necklace "You forget, I'm the one who made you a liar. And you needed my help, because you were never a good liar on your own."

"Hey, what's with the unrelentin' grip?!" Big Macintosh asked.

"You're in an awfully big hurry to meet your doom." Discord teased "And I was hoping to drag this out a little. But hey, why should you get to have all the fun? Your 'friends' deserve the same thing, don't you think?" And Discord proceeded to bring all six of The Elements of Harmony bearers towards him. His grip tightened, and for a moment, defeat seemed inevitable!

But Shining Armor refused to give up, and using all of his strength, he was able to conjure up a protective violet bubble that he encased himself and his friends in. The bubble brought them safely back down to the ground, and even returned the portion of it that it touched back to normal.

This made Discord cross. "Okay fine, go ahead and blast me with The Elements of Harmony. Friend me for all I care!" he shouted, before he teleported back to his throne "Just make it quick, I'm missing out on some excellent chaos here!"

" _This is it, it's now or never!_ " Shining Armor thought to himself. And one by one, he and his friends activated their elements. Beams of light began to shoot out of them, putting on quite a display.

But Discord wasn't worried, at least until beams in the shape of the necklace jewels began to whiz past his head. He snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. He snapped his fingers again, but still nothing happened. "What's going on?" he asked himself, as he snapped his fingers again and again with no results. All the while, the six stallions began to draw closer and closer together. "Wait, uh-oh!" Discord gasped, as he realized, too late, what was happening. A second later, a massive rainbow colored pillar of light descended upon him, turning him back to stone! "NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he shouted "THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! NOT TO ME! MARK MY WORDS, THIS ISN'T OVER! WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT, I'LL BE BAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCK!"

* * *

Once Discord was completely turned to stone, the rainbow colored beam of light expanded over all of Equestria, undoing Discord's chaos magic and making everything right again.

"Whew, glad that's over." Shining Armor said, once he and his friends set hoof on solid ground once again. Then he turned his attention to Discord, who was now immbolized. A look of terror frozen on his statue face. "Now, let's get you back to Canterlot. And this time, you'll be under tighter security." Shining Armor said firmly.


	38. Chapter 38: Award Ceremony

The news of Discord's defeat, and the restoration of Equestria to the way it had been, spread like wildfire. In towns and cities all over the map, ponies cheered and celebrated. Parties were being thrown left and right. It was as if though Equestria had just won a major war. And in a way, perhaps it had. For harmony had trimuphed over chaos, and all was right with the world.

But nopony was more happy than Princess Celestia, who was pleased to know that once again Shining Armor and his friends had prevailed against evil. As a way of saying thank you, she arranged for an award ceremony to take place in Canterlot, so she could publicly thank Equestria's newest heros.

Shining Armor and his friends were happy to accept, even though Pinkie Pie was arranging quite the hero party in Ponyville. Mayor Mare herself had already gone on record to state how happy she was to be back in control after Discord had booted her out of town hall and taken over completely.

Even the simple train ride to Canterlot was a celebration. All along the way ponies lined the tracks, holding banners, waving flags, and singing the praises of the six stallions who had twice saved Equestria from a major threat. Cries of "Hooray for Shining Armor!", "Yeehah for Big Macintosh and Braeburn!", "Three cheers for Fancy Pants!", "You're the greatest Thunderlane!", and "We love you Soarin!", could be heard for miles and miles.

When the award ceremony took place, friends and family of the six heroes mixed in with complete strangers rich and poor alike.

"Mares and gentlestallions, colts and fillies of all ages." Princess Celestia spoke up, an awed hush coming over the crowd "As princess of Equestria, it is with great pleasure that I present to you now, your heroes, The Stallion Six!"

Shining Armor and his friends entered the throne room, and as they walked up to Princess Celestia, the crowd went wild. They clapped and cheered as loud as they could, and the noise echoed everywhere!

When the six stallions reached her, Princess Celestia smiled, and using her magic, she unveiled a brand new glass window display. This one showed Shining Armor and his friends wielding The Elements of Harmony to turn Discord to stone once again. The audience errupted into thunderous cheers, and everyone was happy.

* * *

"Boy, that was some ceremony." Braeburn commented, when the ceremony had ended.

"Yeah, well we've still got a doozie of a hero party to look forward to when we get home." Soarin replied.

"I'm just glad that everything's back to normal." Thunderlane admitted.

"So am I." Fancy Pants nodded.

"Me too. Hopefully, things will stay quiet for a little longer this time." Big Macintosh stated.

"Hey, Shining Armor! You coming or what?!" Braeburn called.

"I'll be there in a minute. You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up." Shining Armor encouraged.

"Okay, well don't take too long. The train's leaving in half an hour." Braeburn replied, and he and the other stallions raced away.

Shining Armor and Princess Celestia were now all alone in the throne room. Princess Celestia could see that Shining Armor was a bit uneasy. "What's wrong, Shining Armor? You seem troubled." Princess Celestia said kindly.

"It's just, Discord didn't get turned back to stone instanteously." Shining Armor explained "And just before he was completely turned to stone, he said he'd be back. And I can't help but think, what if he's right? Do you think we've seen the last of him?"

Princess Celestia was silent for a moment, and said nothing. After some deep thinking she said with a sigh "I would like to believe that Shining Armor, really I would. But I thought for sure that when Luna and I first turned him to stone, Discord would never break free. And yet he did. So, as much as I want to say that he will never return, somehow I have a sinking feeling that Discord wasn't making idle threats. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, he **WILL** return."

"If that's true, then what can we do?" Shining Armor asked.

"You just leave that to Luna and I." Princess Celestia replied "For now, you should go back to your friends and just relax. You've earned this victory, and you should enjoy it."

Shining Armor sighed "Very well, if that's what you wish." and he raced away.

* * *

When she was certain noone was around, Princess Celestia's mood changed. " _I'll be ready for you next time, Discord._ " she said sternly, as she looked at Discord's statue. " _You won't have the element of surprise to help you when you next escape. I'll personally see to that._ "

" _Oh Celestia, I assure you I'm not finished just yet._ " Discord thought to himself, inside his stone prison " _I still have a little surprise in store for your so called captain, just you wait and see._ "


	39. Chapter 39: One Bad Day

Shining Armor was running. To where, he did not know. But one thing was for certain, he could not afford to stay put. For everytime he looked back, the dim light revealed something that was all the encouragement Shining Armor needed to keep on running.

"Run, run, as fast as you can. You'll not escape me, I'm the chaos man!" an omionus voice echoed, and from the darkness emerged a creature consisting of all sorts of different animals. Said creature was giving chase to Shining Armor, and appeared to be slowly closing in with every movement he made.

"Just leave me alone, Discord!" Shining Armor pleaded, as he continued to run. The dark landscape remaining constantly the same and never changing, no matter how far Shining Armor ran.

"No, Shining Armor, I won't. I will never rest. Not until I have driven you absolutely bonkers." Discord replied, a fiendish smirk registering clearly on his face.

"You've already lost, you can't corrupt me. I won't fall for your mind games!" Shining Armor shouted defiantly, even though the sweat pouring down from his face indicated just how uncertain he was of his statement.

"Oh, on the contrary, you will," Discord said with a grin "Throughout my many eons of existence, I have come to learn that it just takes the right amount of pressure to break any individual. Some like to think that they're above madness, that they can resist it. But in the end, all it really takes is one bad day, to make even the sanest of minds lose its grip on reality. For some, it takes longer than others. But sooner or later, madness becomes the only option available."

Shining Armor said nothing more, he just continued to run and run. He kept trying in vain to put more distance between himself, and Discord.

"That's it, run! Run as fast as you like! There is no way you can escape me, young Shining Armor. And neither can you escape your fate," Discord taunted "One way or another, you _will_ be mine!"

"Nooooooooooo!" Shining Armor shouted, and woke up with a start. He looked all around, and breathed a much needed sigh of relief when he saw that he was safely in his bed at the Golden Oaks Library in Ponyville. It had all been just a dream.

"B.B.B.F.F, what's wrong?" Twilight asked softly, having been woken from her sleep by her brother's scream of terror.

"Nothing, Twily. I just had a bad dream, that's all." Shining Armor replied, intentionally leaving out what the dream had involved. There was no need to make his sister worry, she had enough problems to deal with.

"Well, keep it down will ya? Some of us are trying to get some sleep." Spike protested, having also been woken up by Shining Armor's scream.

"Sorry about that, I'll try not to let it happen again." Shining Armor apologized.

"Don't take this the wrong way or anything, but are you sure you're okay?" Spike asked Shining Armor "You've been having bad dreams for at least two weeks now. I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that's not normal."

"I'm fine, Spike. These dreams are sure to stop, eventually." Shining Armor quickly replied, and went back to sleep.

* * *

Shining Armor slept peacefully for the rest of the night, but when the rays of Celestia's sun began to peek into the windows of the Golden Oaks Library it didn't take much for him to wake up. One didn't even need to look closely to see the bags under his eyes.

"Good morning, B.B.B.F.F," Twilight called, a huge smile forming on her face. "You're up early this morning."

"Well, I've got to get a head start on my daily patrols," Shining Armor replied, letting out a light yawn "Princess Celestia is counting on me to make sure Ponyville is recovering smoothly, and I won't let her down."

"You'll have plenty of time to worry about that after breakfast." Twilight said kindly, as Shining Armor followed her downstairs "Today is a beautiful day. You should enjoy it."

"I will, once I know for sure there's nothing to worry about. Call me a security freak all you want, but I'm not willing to let my guard down just yet." Shining Armor said seriously.

Twilight came to a halt upon hearing Shining Armor say those words. Over the past week, Shining Armor's mood had changed considerably. He used to be laid back, cheerful, upbeat, and above all else, cool and collected. But now it seemed that he seldom had a smile on his face, and he was much more serious and blunt. He was even starting to act a bit paranoid, and wasn't shrugging it off as his fears geting the best of him.

In short, Shining Armor seemed like a completely different stallion from the one Twilight knew and loved. Yes, ponies could change. But never had Twilight seen a pony change so drastically. She frowned at the thought of what her big brother had become, but she said nothing. She didn't know what Shining Armor had to endure, and she couldn't say for certain how she would react if the roles were reversed.

Even so, Twilight was worried. It was not too long ago that she herself had snapped, and got all of Ponyville fighting over an old doll. And that was through an old spell she'd never intended to use. Shining Armor knew hundreds of combat and defense spells, and if he broke down as badly as Twilight did, the consequences could be much worse than just an entire town fighting over a doll.

"Shining Armor, don't you think you're taking this assignment a little too seriously?" Twilight asked.

"You can never be too serious when it comes to security, Twilight." Shining Armor replied, and that was all he said on the matter. He quickly made his way downstairs and ate breakfast.

* * *

"Let's go, Spike!" Shining Armor ordered, once breakfast was finished "The sooner we get started on these security sweeps, the better. We owe it to Princess Celestia to be on the lookout for new potential threats."

Spike wanted to protest and tell Shining Armor that there was no need for them to patrol Ponyville, but before he could get a word in edgewise Twilight looked at him with eyes that clearly read "Go out with him and keep an eye on him. I'm worried that he might be letting his fears get to him." Not one to disobey an order from the pony who'd helped raise him, Spike reluctantly climbed onto Shining Armor's back, and the two of them headed out to check out nook and cranny of Ponyville.

" _I don't know what's gotten into you, B.B.B.F.F, but I don't like it._ " Twilight thought to herself, as she watched Shining Armor and Spike leave The Golden Oaks Library.

* * *

"Alright then, where to first, Spike?" Shining Armor asked.

"Hold on a second," Spike replied, and pulled out a checklist. Said checklist had all of the locations of Ponyville labled on it, with a box next to each picture that could be checked off once the location was visited. "It says here that our first stop is Sweet Apple Acres. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

"Maybe I did," Shining Armor half admitted "But it certainly didn't hurt to double check. Better safe than sorry."

" _This is going to be a long day._ " Spike thought unhappily to himself, as he followed Shining Armor along the path that led to Sweet Apple Acres.

In only a matter of seconds, the familiar sight of apple trees greeted the eyes of Shining Armor and Spike. A tell tale sign that they were on the right path.

But suddenly, Shining Armor saw a sight that he knew he shouldn't be seeing if everything was as it should be. There was Soarin, decked out in his Wonderbolts flight suit and goggles, and he was attacking a barn with a series of high speed kicks and punches. All the while, Big Macintosh was watching from a distance. Crouching down in the safety of a nearby trench as wooden boards flew overhead.

The fact that the barn in question seemed abandoned and neglected wasn't ignored by Spike, but Shining Armor certainly took no notice of it. Because he turned to Spike and said seriously "Soarin must've gotten into another fight with Big Macintosh, and now he thinks vandilism is an approprite way to get back at him," then, with a sigh he added "I'll probably have to sort out whatever silly dispute caused all of this, which means I'm going to be late for the rest of my patrols."

Soarin was unaware of Shining Armor's presence, as he continued to chip away at the barn board by board. But, as he prepared to drive home another kick, he was surprised when he felt his hoof bounce off of a deflective magic bubble. Contact with the pink colored bubble caused Soarin to be shot back into the sky for a second, before he crashed onto the ground. "Ow! It's times like this that make me really glad I'm a pegasus." Soarin groaned, as he slowly got up and dusted himself off. Luckly, he wasn't hurt.

"Soarin, as your friend I'm asking you to stop this reckless behavior at once!" Shining Armor scolded, walking up to the Wonderbolt Co-Captain.

"Reckless behavior? What are you talking about?" Soarin asked. He wasn't aware that he had done anything wrong.

"Don't try to play innocent with me, Soarin!" Shining Armor said angrily, holding his friend in place with the magic from his horn "I can tell by your actions that you and Big Macintosh must've gotten into a serious arguement. But whatever it is, there's no reason for you to just start destroying property."

"I'm not destroying property!" Soarin protested.

"Oh really? Then why were you attacking that barn just a few seconds ago?" Shining Armor asked "I highly doubt Big Macintosh just walked up to you and said 'Hey, Soarin. How would you like to destroy my barn?'"

"Well actually, that's _exactly_ why I was attacking the barn." Soarin replied.

"What?!" Shining Armor exclaimed "Is this a joke, Soarin? You know how much I hate it when you joke about stuff like that."

"It's no joke, Big Macintosh flat out asked me if I wanted to destroy his barn for him, and I said yes." Soarin told Shining Armor.

"He's tellin' the truth." Big Macintosh spoke up.

"But why? Why in Celestia's name would you let him do such a thing?" Shining Armor asked, scratching his head in confusion "I fail to understand the logic behind that."

Big Macintosh just laughed "Oh Shining Armor, you just don't get it do you? Take a look at that barn for a second and you'll understand everythin'. It's a dump, an eyesore!"

"Whatever you call it, it's a mess." Soarin added.

"I've been wantin' to put up a new barn to replace it, but Granny Smith said this old barn had to come down first," Big Macintosh went on "Rather than pay for a bunch of expensive explosives, I figured I'd help Soarin stay in shape by givin' him somethin' to practice his fightin' skills on. Never hurts to be prepare for a fight."

"And it gives me a good workout. 'Bout the only thing that tops it are the exercises Spitfire puts me through," Soarin finished "Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to get back to work and finish the job!" And quick as a flash, Soarin took off into the sky.

"You might wanna find a good place to hide, Shining Armor." Big Macintosh said seriously, as he jumped into the trench and doned a bright green helmet.

"What do you mean?" Shining Armor asked nervously.

"Let's just say, you ain't gonna wanna be standin' here for the next couple of minutes. Soarin's got a new 'signature move' he's been workin' on, and I think he's found the perfect opportunity to give it a field test." Big Macintosh explained.

"He's right!" Soarin called from above "This new trick is gonna really bring down the house! I mean it!"

Shining Armor and Spike looked up, and what they saw made their eyes grow wide in horror. With seconds to spare, Shining Armor lit up his horn and teleported himself and Spike into the trench Big Macintosh was hiding in. Then, there came a deafening roar, and a huge shockwave shook the ground. Shining Armor, Spike, and Big Macintosh were burried in a heap of rubble.

Fortunately, none of them were hurt. And they all pulled themselves out and dusted themselves off, just as Soarin came in for a landing. There was not a trace of the old barn left, Soarin's "trick" had completely demolished it.

"Oops, sorry about that. Guess I don't know my own strength." Soarin said sheepishly.

"You did a fine job, Soarin. I knew I could count on you to help me demolish that old barn!" Big Macintosh replied happily "Now, whadya say I treat you to some hot apple pie as a reward for you hard work?"

"You had me at apple pie." Soarin said, licking his lips in delight. Ever since The Grand Galloping Gala, Soarin had developed a craving for apple pie from Sweet Apple Acres.

Soarin and Big Macintosh set off happily together, leaving Spike and Shining Armor standing alone at the sight of the demolished barn. Only now it looked like they were standing in the middle of an empty field.

"That, was, amazing!" Spike exclaimed "I thought only Rainbow Dash could do that sort of thing. I wonder if she taught it to Soarin?"

Shining Armor, however, was more concerned about the fact that Soarin's little show had made him late for the rest of his rounds. "Come along, Spike. We've wasted enough time here, we must move onto the next area."

Spike sighed, and reluctantly pulled out the checklist. It was no use arguing with Shining Armor. "It would seem our next stop is Carousel Boutique."

"Well, knowing Rarity, she's bound to have some sort of overblown problem that she'll inevitably need help solving." Shining Armor said flatly, and he and Spike headed back along the path they had followed to reach Sweet Apple Acres, as it was the only way back to town.

* * *

On the way to Carousel Boutique, Shining Armor and Spike bumped into Braeburn.

"Oh, sorry there, Shining Armor. Really should've watched where I was goin'." Braeburn apologized.

To Braeburn's surprise, Shining Armor responded as if he'd been approached by a random stranger in an alleyway. "Braeburn? What are you doing in Ponyville? Shouldn't you be back in Appleloosa?"

"Don't you remember, Shining Armor? I did go back to Appleloosa, but Discord didn't really do much to the town. It didn't take us too long to clean up and get everythin' back to normal." Braeburn explained. Surely, Shining Armor hadn't forgotten about that.

"And how long have you been in Ponyville? I don't recall seeing you around, which is very suspicious given your love of parties." Shining Armor said seriously, pointing his horn towards Braeburn as if he deemed him a threat.

"There haven't really been a lot of parties for me to attend. Even Pinkie Pie's stopped throwin' them every single day," Braeburn quickly replied "But I'm really lookin' forward to this 'Nightmare Night' I've been hearin' about. Growin' up in Applewood, we never really celebrated such a holiday."

Shining Armor was silent for a moment, and his horn remained pointed firmly at Braeburn. But at last, he said to Braeburn "Ah, sorry about the misunderstanding. Given the circumstances, I wanted to make sure you weren't an imposter. As you can see, I've taken the liberty of upping the security around here, so watch your back." All the while, Shining Armor kept up his serious demeanor, and did not smile. Something that Braeburn found extremly unsettling.

"Uh, Shining Armor. Are you feelin' okay?" Braeburn asked nervously.

"Of course I'm okay! Why wouldn't I be okay?!" Shining Armor replied quickly.

Braeburn took one look at Shining Armor's face, and he immediately decided that he wanted to be anywhere but where he currently was. With a gulp Braeburn said to Shining Armor and Spike "Well, I hope I'll see you two around. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'm gonna go see what Pinkie Pie is up to, bye!" And Braeburn took off at a speed that would've made Rainbow Dash jealous.

"Well, that was odd. Wonder what's gotten into him?" Shining Armor wondered outloud.

"Probably you." Spike replied.

But Shining Armor didn't hear Spike. He was already focused solely on getting to Carousel Boutique as fast as possible. He was hoping to make up for lost time.

" _Something is not right with you, Shining Armor,_ " Spike thought to himself, as he followed his friend " _And I owe it to Twilight to find out what it is._ " And with that, Spike made a silent vow that he would pin down the case of Shining Armor's change in behavior, and hopefully correct it before it got out of control.

* * *

It took longer than Shining Armor would've liked, but at last he and Spike arrived at Carousel Boutique.

Normally, Spike would've delighted in the opportunity to see Rarity again. But for right now, he was more concerned with Shining Armor's behavior. He didn't like it at all, but Shining Armor seemed to ignore all the stares he was getting from random citizens as he passed them by.

"Ah, Shining Armor and Spike. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Fancy Pants asked, greeting his unexpected guests.

"Well, I thought I'd stop by and see if your assistant has any sort of problems she needs help with." Shining Armor explained in his flat tone of voice.

"I appreciate your concern, my good stallion. But I assure you that Miss. Rarity is perfectly fine." Fancy Pants replied

Just then, there was a high pitched scream from upstairs. Shining Armor couldn't make out exactly who had uttered it, but he was certain it was a scream of worry. "That doesn't sound fine to me." he said, and before anyone could stop him he raced upstairs and burst through the door of Rarity's workshop.

Much to Shining Armor's surprise, both Rarity and Fleur seemed completely okay. There were no signs of injuries, outside of a small red patch on one of Rarity's hooves. And although Rarity seemed a bit unnerved, it didn't appear that either she or Fleur were in any sort of imminent danger.

"Oh, Shining Armor. What an unexpected but pleasant surprise." Fleur commented, upon noticing the young captain standing before her.

"I heard a scream. Is everything alright?" Shining Armor asked, obvious signs of concern and worry emerging onto his previosuly serious face.

"Everything is just fine, darling. I just, lightly pricked myself while repairing one of Fleur's dresses and it gave me quite a surprise." Rarity explained, going to considerable lengths not to show off the pricked hoof.

"So, _that's_ what all the screaming was about?" Shining Armor asked, hoping beyond hope that such wasn't the case "You're sure it wasn't anything else? Not even something as trivial as a mouse?"

"Fluttershy does a great job of keeping her smaller animal critters out of danger. And even if a mouse did slip in, Opal would send it packing in a matter of days." Fleur said to Shining Armor, as she used her magic to clean and disinfect Rarity's wound, before putting a bandage on it for protection.

"Well, guess I won't be sewing any new dresses or suits for a while," Rarity said glumly, as she observed her bandage wound "But thank you for patching up the wound for me." she said to Fleur.

"Think nothing of it, Miss. Rarity. And I already have the perfect idea in mind to make it up to you," Fleur smiled "Why don't I do your sewing work until that hoof of yours is better? You've been working so hard lately, and you deserve a break."

"You really don't have to do this, Fleur. Just taking care of my wound was enough." Rarity protested, but Fleur refused to take no for an answer. And so Rarity had no choice but to reluctantly agree to Fleur's terms.

Seeing as there was nothing that commanded his attention, Shining Armor marched out of Rarity's workshop and back downstairs.

"See, I told you that Miss. Rarity was perfectly fine," Fancy Pants said to Shining Armor "But as long as you're here, why not stay for a spot of tea? I've been itching to try out this new brew I obtained from Zecora, she tells me it is very enriching for the body _and_ the mind."

"Sorry, gonna have to take a rain check on that tea. Crime waits for nopony!" Shining Armor said seriously, and turned to Spike "Come on, Spike. We've wasted enough time here, we need to get back to work and finish the rest of our patrols."

* * *

The rest of Shining Armor's patrols passed uneventfully, even when visiting Fluttershy's cottage.

Rather than return home, however, Shining Armor set off for the park in the middle of town. He made it perfectly clear to Spike that he wished to be left alone, for a couple of hours at least.

"I just don't understand it," Shining Armor said to himself, as he lay on a park bench, watching Celestia's slowly shift its position in the sky. The changing rays of sunlight giving the stallion a noticeable shadow "It's been only a couple of weeks since Discord made this town the center piece of his empire, and yet there's not a problem in sight. It should've taken at least a month to undo the damage."

Either unaware of the attention he was drawing to himself, or simplying not caring about the countless number of eyes watching him, Shining Armor continued to ponder out loud about what was going on. "There are no leftover puddles of chocolate milk. The animals are behaving normally. And the roads are their usual dirt selves. Everything is how it was before Discord came along, and yet I'm as on edge as I was when I met him. But why?"

Shining Armor paused during his contemplation to take a moment to fix his hair. A few loose strands were starting to show, and Shining Armor wanted to look as presentable as possible. He had a job to do, and that required him to remain in tip top condition for as long as necessary.

Upon completing his hair repair, Shining Armor lay back down on the park bench. He said nothing, but if one were to look at his face, they would see signs of a stallion who was deeply troubled about something.

Shining Armor closed his eyes, and prepared to drift off to sleep. But just as he was about to do so, the nearby clock tower struck the hour. Ringing a total of five times.

By the time the ringing had ceased, Shining Armor had realized something very important. Rising from the bench with a start, he took off running. " _How could I have forgotten?! I hope I'm not too late!_ " he thought anxiously to himself.

* * *

On a hill just outside of Ponyville, Big Macintosh, Braeburn, Soarin, and Fancy Pants had all gathered for a little get together.

Big Macintosh was currently laying out an alternating red and white checkered picnic blanket on the ground, checking it carefully to ensure there were no ants.

Braeburn brought over a picnic basket loaded with all sorts of delicious baked goods. Some of them homemade, and some of them having come from Sugarcube Corner.

Soarin had changed out of his flight suit, and was now wearing a pair of sunglasses to protect his eyes from the bright sunlight. "Where's Thunderlane? And what about Shining Armor? They should've both been here by now. They're late." he said with concern.

"Thunderlane must've gotten held up at home with something," Fancy Pants replied, even though his answer amounted to little more than a guess "As for Shining Armor, I have no idea. It is not like him to be late though."

"I was thinkin' the same thing, unfortunately." Big Macintosh said, a small frown forming on his face.

"Now come on ya'll, let's not think like that," Braeburn quickly spoke up "I'm sure both Shining Armor and Thunderlane have very good reasons for bein' 'fashionably late' as Ma always used to call it. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, here comes Thunderlane now!"

Sure enough, Thunderlane was slowly making his way up the hill to his friends. Strapped to his shoulders was a saddle bag with a miniature lightning bolt printed onto it. "Hey guys." he called nervously.

"Well, it's about time. What kept you? The guys were worried something had happened to you, myself included." Soarin said seriously.

"I would've been here a little bit sooner, but I forgot about the plates." Thunderlane admitted, blushing slightly in embarrasment.

"Again? That's the third time this month you've let that happen," Fancy Pants scolded, shaking his head "Perhaps, next time, you could do us all the favor of leaving a reminder, so you don't forget."

"I'll keep that in mind." Thunderlane considered, as he dug into his saddle bag, and set the plates down on the blanket.

Just a few seconds later, Shining Armor finally arrived. But just by looking at him, his friends could tell something was wrong. He was out of breath, and his mane and tail seemed rather disorganized. His eyes had noticeable bags under them, and even seemed a tad bit shrunken. The smile on his face looked anything but welcoming, it looked rather unsettling.

In short, Shining Armor looked like he'd just gotten out of bed after suffering a horrible nightmare. Despite it being nowhere close to night time.

"Sorry I'm late." Shining Armor said, pausing to catch his breath.

"What took you so long? I was starting to think you'd never show up." Soarin asked Shining Armor.

"My patrols took longer than I thought, and I guess I lost track of the time." Shining Armor replied, his eyes twitching for a second.

"Uh, Shining Armor, are you feelin' okay?" Braeburn asked.

"Yeah, you ain't lookin' too good right now." Big Macintosh added.

"I'm fine guys, just a little bit tired out, that's all." Shining Armor said nervously, a faint laugh escaping his mouth, followed by another twitch of his eyes.

"Uh, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but you're kind of creeping me out here." Soarin spoke up, as he and the others took note of Shining Armor's behavior. It was making them all feel really uneasy.

"Yeah," Thunderlane added, gulping a bit "We don't like it."

"Whatever is troubling you, we just want to help." Fancy Pants said kindly, extending a hoof out to Shining Armor.

But Shining Armor brushed the hoof aside, in his mind he no longer saw his friends. Rather, he saw a bunch of Discords, and they were all closing in fast. "No! Stay back, all of you! Don't come any closer!" he shouted, his horn sparking to life.

"Come on, sugarcube. Just please let us help you," Big Macintosh pleaded "Don't do somethin' you'll end up regrettin'."

Unfortunately, nothing his friends said or did could snap Shining Armor out of his paranoid state. Everywhere he looked, he could see Discord. He felt trapped, surrounded, unable to escape.

His heart racing a mile a minute, Shining Armor did the only thing he could think of doing that would get him out of his situation.

In a sudden flash of pink magic, Shining Armor disappeared and took off running.

"He's getting away!" Thunderlane shouted.

"I can see that!" Soarin replied "We've got to go after him before he hurts somepony, or even himself!"

"No! He's too dangerous!" Big Macintosh protested, grabbing Soarin by the tail.

"He's right, I'm afraid. Shining Armor is far too powerful for us to engage him head on." Fancy Pants said with a shake of his head.

"But then, what are we supposed to do?" Braeburn asked anxiously "We can't just turn our back on him."

"We've got to find Spike. He's the only one who's got a direct link to Princess Celestia!" Big Maicntosh said seriously "Whatever's goin' on with Shining Armor, we're goin' to need her help to stop it!"

"She's not gonna be very happy to hear her captain has gone crazy." Thunderlane said nervously.

"Probably not, but desperate times call for desperate measures!" Soarin replied "Like it or not, it's our only option at this point."

"Then let's stop talking and get going. The sooner we can find Spike, the better." Fancy Pants shouted, boldly taking charge.

"Fancy Pants is right. The time for talk is over, let's move out!" Big Macintosh instructed, and he, Braeburn, Soarin, Thunderlane, and Fancy Pants, all raced off to the Golden Oaks Library. Even if Spike wasn't there, Twilight was sure to know where he was.

" _Hang on, Shining Armor. Whatever's causing all of this, you've got to fight it!_ " Big Macintosh thought to himself, as he and the other stallions raced through the streets of Ponyville. So far, everything was quiet. But Big Macintosh had a sinking feeling that it wouldn't be quiet for long.

* * *

It wasn't long after Shining Armor ran away from his friends, that the rational part of his mind managed to take back control. But by now, Shining Armor was a mess. Looking at his reflection in a puddle, he could see just how on edge he was.

"What's wrong with me?" he said to himself, as his reflection stared back at him "I can't believe I almost attacked my friends. They were only trying to help me, and I pushed them away."

Shining Armor was expecting his reflection not to talk back to him, and he was quite surprised when it did "But why should that matter? They don't understand the reality of the situation the way you do. You're the only one who's actually worried about the possibility of another attack from Discord. Everyone else seems content to ignore the danger."

"What danger? I haven't noticed any danger. And I should know, I've been patrolling constantly for the past several weeks." Shining Armor said to his reflection.

"That doesn't mean you can relax. The moment you lower your guard is the moment that Discord will strike!" Shining Armor's reflection said angrily in response "You must be on guard twenty four-seven. It is the only way you and everyone you care about can be kept safe."

"But Discord has been defeated, he has been sealed away in stone once again. And he will remain that way for a long time," Shining Armor protested "There can't possibly be any way he could still be a threat."

Shining Armor's reflection shook its head "Oh, but that's just what Discord wants you to think."

"This is ridculous." Shining Armor said to himself, and shook his head. When he did, his reflection no longer talked back to him, and remained silent.

Deciding that his lack of sleep was the cause of his 'hallucinations', Shining Armor lay down on the same park bench he'd rested on earlier. He closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep as the rays of Celestia's sun began to slowly shift away from him.

* * *

Shining Armor was running once again, but this time was different. He hadn't been running for very long, when he suddenly felt himself lose his balance and trip. Shining Armor tried to get up, but the inky darkness seemed to work against, preventing him from escaping.

"It's like I said, there's no way you can escape me, Shining Armor." Discord said with a laugh, as he slowly approached his target. Shining Armor tried, in vain, to get back up and run away again. He was truly at Discord's mercy.

"You put up quite a fight, young Shining Armor," Discord said, savoring his moment of triumph "Not since Celestia herself have I seen a pony fight off my influence for so long. But it was all for naught, I'm afraid."

"You, won't, get away with, whatever it is you're planning, Discord." Shining Armor protested.

"Oh, Shining Armor, you don't understand. I'm not here to hurt you, I'm here to help you." Discord explained.

"Help me? I doubt that very much." Shining Armor snorted.

Discord did not reply to Shining Armor's comment, he simply snapped his fingers and changed the landscape to something a little more suitable. The inky darkness still existed, but now Discord was dressed in a doctor's outfit, and Shining Armor was strapped to a table not unlike the ones patients sat on in doctor's offices. "Just sit back and relax, Dr. Discord is going to make you feel all better." Discord smirked, and began to use his magic to probe Shining Armor's mind.

Shining Armor tried, in vain, to keep Discord from reading his thoughts. Now he truly wished he'd learned from Princess Celestia how to protect the mind from unwanted invaders.

"Hm, oh dear, this doesn't look good at all," Discord said seriously, once he'd finished the probe "You've got so much stress piled on inside that mind, it's a miracle it hasn't already collapsed from the pressure. You've been holding it in for so long. But don't worry, I know just how to correct that little 'problem'." And with a snap of his fingers, a screw driver appeared in his hands.

Shining Armor took one look at the screwdriver, and began to feel beads of sweat pour down his face. He was extremly worried, and did not like what Discord was going to do to him.

"I'm just gonna loosen up a couple of screws really quick, no need to worry yourself," Discord explained to Shining Armor "You won't feel a thing. In fact, by the time I'm done, you won't be able to feel much of anything besides fear." And with that, he inserted the tip of the screwdriver into Shining Armor's head.

True to Discord's word, Shining Armor felt nothing at all. At least, until he could feel the fearful and paranoid part of his mind taking over. He tried to fight off the take over. But in only a matter of seconds, all he knew was fear.

" _Come and get me, Celestia. I'm waiting for you._ " Discord thought to himself, as he returned to his normal form.

* * *

Shining Armor awoke with a start, and everywhere he looked, he could see Discord. Some Discords were big, some were small, some were in between. But all of them were looking at him, laughing and smirking. Some of them even drew close while saying "We want to help you, Shining Armor."

"No! Keep away! I don't need your help!" Shining Armor shouted at the top of his lungs, and ran away as fast as his legs could carry him.

Unfortunately, everywhere that Shining Armor went, he saw nothing but Discord. He felt trapped, stuck in an unending nightmare with no escape. And it was only by a fluke that he managed to get away, and find a place to hide.

"This is just what I feared," Shining Armor said to himself "Discord has created an army of look alikes that all have the same powers as him, and he's going to use them to take over all of Equestria. And what's even worse is that Princess Celestia is completely unaware of this. There's nowhere I can run where I'll be safe."

Upon realizing this, a rather creepy smile found its way onto Shining Armor's face "So, Discord has made his move, has he? Well, I think it's time I made mine. I'll teach him not to mess with me, and I know just the spell to do the trick."

* * *

In an open field of grass on the outskirts of Ponyville, the four founding members of The Cutie Mark Crusaders were taking a break from their usual crusades. They were currently bouncing a ball back and forth amongst themselves, all the while enjoying the pleasant weather. What they didn't know, was that they were being watched.

From the safety of a nearby bush, Shining Armor observed The Cutie Mark Crusaders as they played their little game. Unfortunately, with his mind overcome by fear and paranoia, Shining Armor could only see a quartet of Discord look alikes. They were staring at him, taunting him, and laughing fiendishly.

" _Just keep on laughing while you still can. This party's about to be crashed!_ " Shining Armor thought to himself, as he charged up the one spell he had swore he'd never ever use. It was a powerful stun spell, one that was said to leave the target completely immobilized and at the mercy of whoever had cast it.

* * *

"Is it finished yet?" Twilight asked Spike. Spike was currently writing a letter, while Shining Armor's friends and Twilight waited anxiously inside of The Golden Oaks Library.

"I'm writing as fast as I can!" Spike replied, and turned to the stallions "So, let me see if I've got all the details. Shining Armor showed up to the picnic looking like he was on the brink of insanity. And when Fancy Pants reached out a hoof, Shining Armor snapped and ran off?"

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh said seriously.

"Hurry up and send that letter to Princess Celestia! There's no telling what Shining Armor will do!" Soarin added.

Wasting no time, Spike wrapped up the scroll on which he had written the emergency letter, and quickly set it alight. It disappeared in a swirl of green magic, and a few seconds later, Spike belched up the reply. He read it outloud to the worried ponies:

 _Dear Elements of Harmony Bearers, and my faithful student,_

 _I'm on my way!_

 _Please try to track down Shining Armor and keep a close eye on him. Make sure he doesn't do anything he'll regret once he returns to normal._

 _But do not engage him directly, he's bound to see you all as a threat._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Princess Celestia_

"Well, orders are orders! Let's move out and find our friend before it's too late!" Soarin instructed.

"He couldn't have gotten far, but we'll have a better chance of finding him if we split up," Fancy Pants chimed in "Soarin and Thunderlane, the two of you take to the sky and see if you can spot Shining Armor from the air. Braeburn and Big Macintosh, you come with me and we'll search Ponyville on hoof."

"And no matter what happens, don't go off on your own!" Braeburn added "Shining Armor's not himself, and we don't know what he'll do to us."

"But we should try not to hurt him. Regardless of what's going on, he's still our friend." Thunderlane said considerately.

"We'll all keep that in mind, but the time for talk is over!" Big Macintosh shouted, taking charge of the situation "Let's move out!"

"Hey, aren't you gonna come along with us, Twilight?" Soarin asked, when he saw that Twilight wasn't joining the search.

Twilight shook her head "I don't want to see my brother in the state he's currently in. I don't want to have to go through the tramua of seeing the stallion I looked up turned into a monster. I'm staying here."

"If Twilight's staying, then so am I," Spike said seriously "She's going to need my help to get through this situation without breaking down. She already had a crazy episode once, I don't think anyone wants to go through a repeat."

"Fine then, you two stay here. We'll come back and notify you if we manage to save Shining Armor." Fancy Pants said, reluctantly accepting Spike and Twilight's decisions.

"You mean _when_ we manage to save Shining Armor! Failure is out of the question!" Soarin replied.

"Enough talk, let's move out!" Big Macintosh shouted, and the five stallions took off.

" _Please hurry, Princess Celestia._ " Spike thought anxiously, as he observed how stressed out Twilight was " _The longer Shining Armor's out there, the harder it's gonna be to keep Twilight from going crazy as well._ "

* * *

"Catch, Rumble!" Scootaloo shouted, bumping the ball to Rumble with her nose.

Rumble quickly moved into position to catch the ball, and prepared to bump it to Apple Bloom, who would then bump it to Sweetie Belle, who would then bump it to Scootaloo. And then the cycle would switch up a bit.

But suddenly, just as Rumble was about to hit the ball, a small veil of pink magic appeared around it. And with a pop, Shining Armor appeared before the four young ponies, completely destroying the ball in the process.

"Hello." Shining Armor said slowly, his ears twitching a bit.

"Uh, hey there, Shining Armor," Apple Bloom nervously spoke up "How you doin'?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Just fine." Shining Armor replied, despite the look on his face showing clear signs that such was not the case.

"Are you okay?" Sweetie Belle asked Shining Armor. She had never seen him quite like this before, and she didn't like it.

"I will be, once I take care of a little 'problem' I've been having." Shining Armor said ominously, traces of magic appearing on the tip of his horn.

"What sort of 'problem'?" Scootaloo asked, as she and her friends slowly began to back away. Shining Armor's behavior, combined with the expression on his face, was enough to make them all feel uneasy. They didn't want to be around Shining Armor when he was like this.

"Not one that concerns the likes of you!" Shining Armor shouted, pointing his face directly in front of the CMC.

"What are you talking about? Did we do something wrong?" Rumble asked nervously.

"Don't play innocent with me, you know why I'm here!" Shining Armor said ominously, slowly working his way towards the CMC. But in his mind, he saw himself slowly but surely closing in on the four Discord clones he'd been spying on earlier "I'm going to see to it that every last one of you is exterminated, one way or another!" By the time he had finished saying this, Shining Armor's horn was surging with magic, and was giving off an ominous buzzing sound.

Said buzzing sound gave the CMC all the incentive they needed to run. And they did so without hesitation!

"Go ahead! Run all you want! You won't get away from me! I won't allow it!" Shining Armor shouted, and chased after his targets. Shooting off beams of magic as he tried to catch up to them.

"What's gotten into him? Why is he chasing us?" Rumble asked, as he and the other CMC tried to get away from their pursuer.

"I don't know, but I don't wanna stick around to find out!" Scootaloo replied.

"Less talking, more running!" Sweetie Belle interrupted.

"Don't let him catch us!" Apple Bloom screamed.

Unfortunately for the CMC, Shining Armor was catching up fast. And his beams of magic were becoming harder and harder to dodge.

"I have you now!" Shining Armor shouted, as he fired off another beam of magic from his horn. This one eventually managed to get close to Rumble.

Scootaloo, seeing what was about to happen, raced over to Rumble and quickly pulled them both down to the ground. The beam of magic whizzed right over their heads, striking a nearby tree.

"That was too close! Thank you for saving me." Rumble said to Scootaloo.

"Thank me later, we've got to get out of here!" Scootaloo replied, and she and Rumble took off once again.

Shining Armor tried his best to catch up his targets, but they proved to be too fast for him and they got away. "Curses, I almost had them!" Shining Armor said angrily to himself "Oh well, I'll worry about them later. For now, I've got to take care of the rest of Discord's army."

But before Shining Armor could do anything, there was an angry cry of "Shining Armor!" that seemed to come from the clouds, followed by a blinding flash of light. Standing before Shining Armor was Princess Celestia, but something was wrong. She wasn't at all pleased by what he was doing, in fact, she looked rather disappointed in him. The frown on her face being a living testament to that.

"Shining Armor! I order you to stop at once!" Princess Celestia commanded.

"Stop now?! When there's still Discords to defeat?! Surely you can't be serious!" Shining Armor replied "I'm not going to stop until Ponyville and all of Equestria is one hundred percent safe!"

"But it already is. You've done a fine job." Princess Celestia told Shining Armor, her voice changing from loud and authoritive, to soft and considerate.

"No, I haven't! I've allowed for Discord to build up his own army, and if I don't stop him now, it'll be too late!" Shining Armor protested "You just want me out of the way because I'm doing what you won't!"

"Shining Armor, I will not ask again! Stand down, or face the consequences of your continued agression!" Princess Celestia warned.

"If you're not with me, princess, then you're my enemy, and I will destroy you!" Shining Armor bellowed at the top of his lungs, and charged at Princess Celestia, preparing to strike her down.

But Princess Celestia wasn't frightened in the slightest. She easily halted Shining Armor's advance with only one spell from her horn. Then, even as Shining Armor continued to struggle and squirm about, Princess Celestia lowered her horn to Shining Armor's forehead. " _Time to heal the wounds._ " she thought to herself.

* * *

In the corner of Shining Armor's mind, a light appeared. Discord recognized at once who it was coming from. "Ah, Princess Celestia. Right on time." he said with a smile, as he greeted the mental projection of the alicorn.

"Enough games, Discord! You have gotten my attention." Princess Celestia said seriously.

"Oh, you don't understand. I didn't contribute to Shining Armor's breakdown, at least not that much," Discord replied "I was only trying to help lighten some of his mental burden the only way I knew how. But hey, at no point did I claim to be an expert on psychology."

"That's not the real reason you did of all this. I can tell you have a different motive than the one you just gave me," Princess Celestia said crossly, and began to slowly walk towards Discord "So tell me what it is! I'm in no mood for games!"

"You know me all too well, Celestia. But I guess I should've expected you to be able to see through my stories." Discord said glumly.

"I won't ask again, Discord. Tell me the truth!" Princess Celestia demanded.

"Alright, alright. You caught me redhanded," Discord admitted "This whole thing was a test, to see if you still had the ability to stand up to me, even without your connection to The Elements of Harmony. And you passed with flying colors."

"And you thought that using Shining Armor, the bearer of the Element of Magic was the best option?" Princess Celestia asked angrily.

"Well, I _was_ going to use your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle. But then she went and broke down over that deadline before I could get to her. So, I decided to go for the next best thing." Discord explained.

"So, you took an already fragile mind and pushed it over the edge?" Princess Celestia said to Discord, steam emerging from her nostrils to indicate just how angry she was.

"Guilty, guilty, and oh so very guilty as charged," Discord replied, looking the angry alicorn in the eyes "But what are you going to do about it? You and I both know you don't have the power to send me away for good, or you would've done so by now."

"That's true, but that doesn't mean I don't have ways of ensuring you don't have access to the same option twice!" Princess Celestia said, her voice rising to a tone that it rarely got to, even when she was angry "I am banishing you from Shining Armor's mind, and I'll make sure you can't get into the minds of anypony else! Your days of playing mind games on my subjects are over!" And with that, she lit up her horn, producing a powerful flare of golden yellow magic. Said flare washed over Shining Armor's mind like a wave of water, expelling Discord, and allowing for the rational part of Shining Armor's mind to regain control.

* * *

Shining Armor was surprised to see Princess Celestia standing before, and was even more surprised to see himself standing on the outskirts of Ponyville, looking like he had tried to go up against the very pony he had to thank for his promotion.

"P...Princess Celestia, I..." Shining Armor began, but the rest of the words never made it out of his mouth. For at that moment, the effort he had put forth to fight back against his corrupted mind finally caught up with him, and he collapsed onto the ground.

Just then, Shining Armor's friends came running up on the scene. And what they saw made them all horrified.

"What did you do to him?!" Soarin demanded of Princess Celestia.

"You promised not to hurt him!" Thunderlane added, barely able to restrain his anger.

"And I didn't," Princess Celestia replied, and explained "This whole time, he has been battling himself in his mind, struggling not to lose control to the fearful and paranoid part. But he needed my help to finally overcome it and regain control, and that battle has exhausted him physically as well as mentally."

"But why didn't he tell us? If he was hurtin', we could've helped." Big Macintosh said with concern.

"I suspect that Shining Armor thought none of you would understand how he was feeling, and so he kept his struggle a secret from everyone," Princess Celestia said somberly "We probably won't know for certain until he wakes up though."

"Speaking of which, I think we'd better get him back home. Twilight is sure to be worried sick about him by this point." Fancy Pants suggested.

* * *

Shining Armor slept soundly for the first time since Discord had been defeated. Now that his struggle for control was over, he could properly lower his guard without fear of being taken over.

But upon awakening from his sleep, Shining Armor found that his short term memory was a bit foggy. The last thing he could remember before he'd ended up face to face with Princess Celestia, was talking to his reflection in a puddle, and realizing how stupid it made him look.

After that, however, everything was blank.

" _Why can't I remember what happened after I fell asleep in the park?_ " he thought nervously to himself " _Could it be that I did something that someone doesn't want me to remember?_ "

Just then, Shining Armor felt the onset of a massive headache. It was so powerful, that it made it hard for him to concentrate on much of anything other than the pain. Even looking at what lay in front of him proved to be difficult, but somehow he managed.

"How are you feeling, Shining Armor?" a familiar voice asked in a warm and gentle tone.

Shining Armor looked up, and saw that Princess Celestia was standing at the foot of his bed. Immediately, Shining Armor tried his best to forget about his headache and make himself look presentable "Ah, Princess Celestia! Please, forgive me! I wasn't expecting your presence!"

"At ease, Shining Armor. You musn't worry yourself," Princess Celestia said calmly "I came here at the request of your friends, and it's a good thing they gave me a call, because you clearly needed my help."

"Your help? What are you talking about?" Shining Armor asked.

"You may not remember exactly what happened, but you suffered a mental breakdown and almost attacked four innocent children." Princess Celestia said seriously.

"I did what?!" Shining Armor exclaimed, horrified at the possibility. He'd always convinced himself he would never do such a thing. Had he really sunk that low?

"You didn't do it intentionally, but your mind was worn out from stress and constant nightmares. And when Discord entered the picture, your mind wasn't able to hold on for any longer. You snapped." Princess Celestia explained.

"So then, how did I snap out of it?" Shining Armor reluctantly asked.

"I was able to cast a spell that drove Discord away, and enabled the rational part of your mind to regain control. But it looks like it also erased your memories of the event, at least temporarily." Princess Celestia said glumly, a frown forming on her face.

"I'm really sorry that I allowed that to happen, Princess Celestia," Shining Armor apologized, and slowly rose from his bed and kneeled before Princess Celestia's hooves "Whatever sort of punishment you wish to inflict me on, I will accept."

"You are not entirely to blame for what happened today, Shining Armor," Princess Celestia began "Against Discord's power, there is little you could've done to prevent him from messing with your mind."

Shining Armor breathed a small sign of relief, but he knew that he wasn't out of the woods yet. And he was right, as Princess Celestia continued with a stern lecture "But, Discord likely would not have targeted you if you had not kept your feelings of worry and parnoia bottled up inside you all this time. If your battle with Discord truly unnerved, you should have sought out help. You have friends, Shining Armor. Friends that would've dropped everything to come and help you, if they had known you were suffering."

Now Shining Armor felt really guilty. How could he have been so foolish as to think that he could keep his feelings a secret from all of them for so long? How many times had he been willing to help them out of a crisis, only to never let them return the favor when he needed it most. "Are you going to make me step down as Captain of The Royal Guard?" he asked Princess Celestia.

Princess Celestia shook her head "I won't go that far, seeing as nopony got hurt and the accident wasn't entirely your fault. But you _will_ be put on an unpaid leave of absence for a while. And it will be up to my sister, Princess Luna, to determine if you are fit to return to active duty. If she decides you aren't, your leave of absence will be extended to half a year at the very least."

Shining Armor said nothing, he just accepted the punishment as any good solider would accept a court martial ruling that deemed him guilty.

"And, in the hopes of preventing future incidents such as these, from now on you and your friends may write to me whenever you discover something important about the magic of friendship," Princess Celestia added "But feel free to write to me whenever you want, even if it's just to talk about what's going on in your life. Don't hesitate to tell me if something is troubling you, and make sure that you let your friends know as well. Do you think you can do that for me, Shining Armor?"

"Of course, your majesty. I won't let you down." Shining Armor vowed.

Princess Celestia smiled "Very well then, I shall return to Canterlot. And I look forward to hearing more from you, and your friends, very soon." And with that, she took off for the royal palace.

* * *

Just as Princess Celestia had predicted, the memories of Shining Armor's 'episode' did eventually come back to him. And when they did, he was so ashamed that he refused to show his face around the CMC. For a couple of days at least.

As the weeks passed, and Nightmare Night drew closer, Shining Armor began to return to normal. He became more cheerful and upbeat, and spent more time with his friends.

But Twilight and Spike knew all too well that deep down, Shining Armor's mental breakdown had left him deeply scarred. It was unlikely he would ever truly forgive himself for what had happened.

Shining Armor's future seemed really uncertain. But whatever the future held, Shining Armor could be sure of one thing, his friends and family would be there to help him face it. And they would never abandon him, no matter what might happen.


	40. Chapter 40: Nightmare Night

The weeks leading up to Nightmare Night passed quickly, not only for Shining Armor, but also for his friends, his sister Twilight, and her friends. Before long, the faithful night arrived, and everyone was excited.

Well, everyone except for Shining Armor. With Princess Luna scheduled to come down to Ponyville during Nightmare Night and visit him, Shining Armor was determined to prove himself ready to return to active duty.

* * *

Luna's moon shone down brightly on the town of Ponyville, bathing the buildings and streets in its radiant light.

But the Nightmare Night festivities had been called off. An army of unicorns wearing magic proof uniforms had taken over the town, and now patrolled back and forth along the streets. They were guarding a massive steel container that had a timer displayed on its right side, and a control pannel that rested nearby. Said container was close to town hall, but hidden out of plain sight.

"Is everything ready?" one of the uniformed guards asked, as he examined the steel container. Two other guards stood nearby to protect it from intruders.

"Yes sir. Everything is proceeding according to plan." the guard on the left replied.

"Good," the uniformed guard said with a smile, and pressed some of the buttons on the pannel in a random order. The timer quickly displayed of five minutes in red numbers, and began to count down from there "Once this baby goes off, all of Ponyville will be left powerless to stop us. This anti-magic bomb will enable us to march on town hall and take over. Then, it's off to Canterlot to take down Princess Celestia. Equestria _will_ be ours."

"I can't wait." the guard on the right said eagerly.

The uniformed guard left the control pannel and said to the other guards "Stay here and guard the bomb. Remain at your posts no matter what. And if anyone tries to deactivate the bomb, neutralize them at once!"

"No worries, boss. The bomb's as safe as can be with us on the job." the guard on the left replied.

"Good, see that it stays that way!" the uniformed guard said seriously, and set off to check up on the other guards.

Unknown to anypony, a certain white coated stallion had been watching from a distance. He currently stood on the hill overlooking Ponyville, and he could see that the town was heavily guarded. But he wasn't worried at all, he'd been in tougher situations before.

Lighting up his horn, the stallion projected a small screen into the night sky. On the screen appeared the face of Princess Celestia, who seemed rather concerned.

"What do you have to report, Captain Armor?" Princess Celestia asked.

"It's just as you feared, The Shadow Triad has taken control of the town," Shining Armor explained "They plan to detonate an anti-magic bomb so they can take over town hall."

"We can't allow that to happen! That bomb must be deactivated as soon as possible!" Princess Celestia said seriously "I'm authorizing you to neutralize this threat. But I want it done by the book, make sure that no lasting harm comes to the Triad members. We need them to talk."

"Don't worry, Princess Celestia. I won't let you down. I'll contact you again when the mission is complete." Shining Armor replied.

"Be very careful, Captain Armor. Exercise extreme caution, and make sure you don't get captured. We've only got one shot at this!" Princess Celestia warned.

"Right, I understand. Shining Armor, out!" Shining Armor said to Princess Celestia, and turned off the projection. He then slipped into the uniform he would wear for the mission. It was the sort of uniform worn by members of The Shadow Triad. It was a black vest with purple triangles printed onto the sides. A fashionably unattractive uniform, but one that would make it easier to move about without arousing suspicion.

Not long after slipping into the uniform and making his way into Ponyville, Shining Armor was able to sneak up on a guard patrolling by himself near Sugarcube Corner. Reacting quickly, Shining Armor cupped a hoof around the guard's mouth and dragged him into a dark alleyway. " _Now, if I apply the right amount of pressure to this area here,_ " Shining Armor thought to himself, as he struck an area just above the stomach, which led to the guard collapsing onto the ground " _He goes out like a light. And when he wakes up, he won't remember anything from the past few minutes._ "

For a little while, everything went smoothly for Shining Armor. He was able to either pick off and knock out guards as they patrolled on their own, or create a distraction to lure them away while he sneaked past.

But, as he approched town hall, Shining Armor found that it was getting harder and harder to remain undercover. By now, word had gotten out that somepony was knocking out guards left and right, and the remaining guards were instructed to stay alert and not leave their posts.

Shining Armor weighed the decisions he could make in his mind. He had two options. He could either try to use his disguise to trick the guards in deactivating the bomb. Or he could snatch one of the guards and extract the information needed to turn off the bomb, after he'd neutralized all other threats.

Both choices were incredibly high risk, high reward. And they ran a high probablity of leading to an all out assult by the remaining Shadow Triad forces. But no better alternatives presented themself to Shining Armor, and time was running out!

" _Oh, to heck with it! There's only one thing to do at a time like this!_ " Shining Armor thought to himself, and made up his mind.

* * *

The guards by the bomb were surprised when they saw a stallion who's face was obscured approaching them.

"Identify yourself, now!" the guard on the left instructed.

"Uh, I'm new here. I haven't been given a proper codename yet," the obscured stallion said nervously "But the boss told me to tell you that there's been a change of plans. We're going to scrap the Ponyville invasion and go right to Canterlot. He wants the bomb deactivated and ready for transfer."

"The boss wants that?" the guard on the right asked.

"Yeah! And I'd do what he says, he sounded really angry when he talked to me," the obscured stallion went on "So hurry up and turn off the bomb!"

"What's the authorization password?!" the guard on the left asked the obscured stallion.

"What password?" the obscured stallion replied, his voice sounding panicked and uncertain.

"It's you! You're the one trying to bring down our operation!" the guard on the left realized.

Realizing his cover was blown, Shining Armor threw off his costume, and delivered a quick punch to the guard on the left that knocked him out.

"We've found the intruder! Send all available stallions to town hall, stat!" the guard on the right shouted, speaking into the radio device he'd been given. Within seconds, dozens of Shadow Triad goons descended on the area.

Rather than try to fight the goons, Shining Armor quickly snatched up the guard that had called for help, and held him firmly with his magic. "All of you stay back!" Shining Armor shouted "Try anything, and I can't gurantee this guy's safety!"

Knowing that would only buy him a small window of time, Shining Armor raced over to the bomb and asked the guard "How do I turn this thing off?! Tell me, and I'll see about getting you a reduced prison sentence!"

"I'll tell you, just don't hurt me!" the guard pleaded.

"The code, now!" Shining Armor ordered.

"Input 8-0-7-1-3-0!" the guard instructed "That's the code the boss used to turn the thing on!"

"It better be, for your sake!" Shining Armor said ominously, as he tossed the guard to the ground and went over to the control pannel. Per the guard's instructions, he punched in the code, pressing each of the numbered buttons with his hoof.

"Input verification code." an electronic voice ordered.

"Verification code?!" Shining Armor said outloud, the guard hadn't said anything about that.

"There he is men, grab him!" shouted one of the goons, and before Shining Armor could do anything, he was tackled to the ground and burried beneath a dogpile of Shadow Triad members. He had failed his mission.

* * *

The world around Shining Armor changed from a moon lit night outside of Ponyville, to the brighty lit interior of the ground floor of The Golden Oaks Library. He sighed a little, as his horn stopped producing its pink glow.

"Gotta say, you did pretty good that time." Spike commented, as he and Twilight studied the results of the simulated mission.

"You were really close that time, B.B.B.F.F." Twilight smiled.

"But this is the twentieth simulation I've run! I should've been able to get it right this time!" Shining Armor replied angrily "I should've known to ask for a verification code! How could I have been so stupid?!"

"You've been making the simulation harder and harder every single time you do it," Spike said to Shining Armor "It's like you _want_ yourself to fail."

"I have to push myself to the limit! If I'm going to prove to Princess Luna that I'm ready to return to active duty, I need to be prepared for any situation! I didn't get into the Royal Guard without learning how to push myself beyond my limits!" Shining Armor said seriously, then he winced slightly in pain and grabbed his head. The strain of producing the simulation had made him weary, he could barely stand up straight.

"You need to relax, Shining Armor." Twilight replied, as she gave her big brother some medicine to bring down his headache. Ever since he started studying more advanceded magic, Shining Armor had been suffering from painful migrains. He'd tried everything he could think of to make them stop, but they wouldn't go away.

"Yeah, Nightmare Night is already in full swing, and you've been spending all your time in the simulation." Spike told Shining Armor, who had only now taken the time to observe his surroundings enough to be aware of the fact.

Spike was currently dressed in a dragon costume, while Twilight was dressed as her third favorite role model (behind Princess Celestia and her brother of course), Star Swirl the Bearded. She even had a pointy wizard hat with gold jingling bells, and a white beard.

"Oh, really?" Shining Armor replied, feeling a little bit embarassed. How had he managed to lose track of the time so easily? He'd only intended to run through the simulation once or twice.

"Yes, really. Though I'm fairly certain Princess Luna will-" Spike began.

"PRINCESS LUNA!" Shining Armor gasped, realizing that she had to be waiting for him by now. "Oh, I hope it's not too late to meet with her!" And without even bothering to throw on a costume, Shining Armor bolted out the door of The Golden Oak Library.

"-Be more than willing to let it slide," Spike finished, only to realize that Shining Armor was already gone. He sighed and shook his head "I hate it when he does that."

"Come on, Spike, let's go out and enjoy the Nightmare Night activites while we still can." Twilight encouraged.

* * *

It took some time, but Shining Armor eventually managed to find out where Princesss Luna was. It turned out, that coming down to Ponyville on Nightmare Night, came with some "emotional baggage" for Princess Luna.

Case in point, the princess of the night was currently kneeling before a stone statue of Nightmare Moon. Or at least, Shining Armor assumed that the pony he saw was Princess Luna. It was hard to tell.

There was no denying that the pony he saw was an alicorn. It had the horn of a unicorn, and the wings of a pegasus, and its cutie mark was a sliver crescent moon against an inky black background.

But the Princess Luna Shining Armor had seen in The Castle of The Two Sisters had been much smaller, and had a light blue coat with an even lighter blue mane and tail.

Kneeling before the statue of Nightmare Moon, was an alicorn that had a coat was a dark blue in color, just like the night sky. Her mane and tail were blue with faint shimmers of purple around the edge. And although Shining Armor had a hard time seeing it, she seemed to be looking at the statue with regret and shame.

If this _was_ Princess Luna he was looking at, she had changed a lot in the year since Shining Armor had last seen her.

Clearing his throat, Shining Armor said "Princess Luna, I presume?"

The alicorn turned around, and slowly looked at Shining Armor. She seemed to be just as fearful of him, as he was of her. "You are correct, Shining Armor." she replied.

"Uh, sorry to keep you waiting. I was involved in something and I... lost track of the time." Shining Armor apologized, bowing to Princess Luna.

"There is no need for such formalities. Much like my sister, you do not need to bow to me to show your appreciation." Princess Luna replied, her voice sounding unsure and sad.

"Old habbits die hard, but enough small talk," Shining Armor said, clearing his throat "I believe we have the matter of my 'Re-evaluation' to discusss. Or, is now a bad time?"

Princess Luna shook her head "I took it upon myself to come out here on the one night of the year I would rather be anywhere else, I would not want to seem ungrateful by placing my needs ahead of your needs."

"You talk quite formally, I don't think I've heard anypony besides Fancy Pants and Rarity talk as posh as you do," Shining Armor observed "Not that it's a bad thing."

"I am still getting used to the modern Equestrian language. It was only through the help of my sister that I dropped the use of 'The Royal We' and stopped using 'The Royal Canterlot Voice'." Princess Luna explained.

"Royal Canterlot Voice?" Shining Armor asked.

"Indeed. It sounds like this when we talk!" Princess Luna said, demonstrating The Royal Canterlot Voice to Shining Armor, who struggled not to be blown back at the sheer force of Princess Luna's volume.

"So, what's with the change in appearance? You weren't like this last time we met." Shining Armor asked Princess Luna.

Princess Luna sighed "It is a very long and complicated story, young Shining Armor. I am not certain you would like to hear it in its enterity."

"Well, perhaps I have time to hear a shortened version of it." Shining Armor suggested. He could sense Princess Luna was troubled about something, and although he really wanted to get his re-evaluation over with, he hadn't gotten to where he was by putting himself first.

Princess Luna was silent for a moment, then she lit up her horn. Bathing both herself, and Shining Armor in its ghostly blue magic. "I cannot tell you that story, but I can tell you _this_ story." she told Shining Armor.

"Where are we going?" Shining Armor asked Princess Luna.

"The question is not where, Shining Armor, it is _when_." Princess Luna replied, as she and Shining Armor disappeared in a flash. Shining Armor shut his eyes.

* * *

"Open your eyes, Shining Armor. You will want to see what is going on." Princess Luna encouraged.

Shining Armor reluctantly did so, and his mouth dropped open in shock at the sight that greeted him.

Standing off in the distance, was the same Princess Luna that had brought him back in time. But this Princess Luna did not seem happy at all, a massive frown was displayed on her face.

It was then that Shining Armor noticed, this Princess Luna was looking down at Princess Celestia, who was basking in the waving and cheering of a crowd of ponies.

"Look at them, look at them all," the Princess Luna of the past muttered darkly to herself, and turned and walked away from the balcony "They all adore her 'Precious Light' and cherish it so deeply. Yet, when my night roles around, they all turn around and shun it. Only a few even bother to say much of anything to me."

"Is this-" Shining Armor began.

The Princess Luna of the present nodded "What are you seeing, is indeed my past. Specifically, the day I made that faithful decision that would forever define my legacy. And not in the way I thought it would."

"So then, that means I'm witnessing the start of your downfall?" Shining Armor realized.

The Princess Luna of the present just nodded silently in agreement, before she instructed Shining Armor to be quiet once again.

Suddenly, there was a gust of wind, and into the room came a faint purple mist of some sort. It slowly approached the Princess Luna of the past, who seemed a little concerned at the presence of her guest. "Who art thou, and why has thou come here?!" she asked, raising her tone of voice to The Royal Canterlot voice "Answer me at once!"

The purple mist was silent for a moment, then, much to the surprise of its guest, it began to speak. "You needn't be worried around us, Princess Luna. We are only here to help."

"Who is this 'we' thou speakest of?! I only see one being before my eyes." the Princess Luna of the past said angrily.

The purple mist responded, by splitting into several identical copies of itself, all of which spoke at the same time "Do you see now, Princess? We are a force the likes of which nopony has ever seen before. We are The Nightmare Forces."

"What reason have thou for showing yourselves before me? Why should I not inform my fair sister, and have you all destroyed?!" the Princess Luna of the past replied, stomping her hoof on the ground.

"Don't you wish to see your subjects respect and appreciate the night that you bring forth?" The Nightmare Forces asked "We have come here, because we sensed your unhappiness."

"You can help me?" the Princess Luna of the past asked nervously.

"Of course we can, for a price." The Nightmare Forces replied in a fiendish echo, returning to the concentrated solo form of the purple mist.

If the Princess Luna of the past was at all worried about what the price would be, she did not show it. She stepped forward and said to The Nightmare Forces "I shall gladly accept thy help, if thou promise me that no matter what, thou will not ever recruit other ponies to serve you!"

"As you wish, your majesty," The Nightmare Forces agreed "Now, extend your right front hoof out, and embrace the power that will allow you to emerge from your sister's shadow."

The Princess Luna of the past obeyed, and The Nightmare Forces surged into her body. The princess of the night lightly groaned and struggled for a moment, as the increase in power took some getting used to.

But at last, the pain settled down to a comfortable level, and the Princess Luna of the past was smiling rather fiendishly. "Princess Celestia, your days of tyranny are numbered. Soon, you will face the greatest threat to your life since Discord. And all of Equestria will see you for what you really are." Then, she began to laugh wickedly.

And that was where the memory ended.

* * *

"The Nightmare Forces drained me of most of my energy during my time on the moon," Princess Luna explained, as she and Shining Armor returned to the present "And unfortunately, with my powers having only recently returned, I have been largely unable to revisit any further back into the past. And now you know how Nightmare Moon was born."

Shining Armor said nothing, he was still recovering from traveling back and forth through time, and the strain on his body and mind had been quite taxing. He was panting heavily, and found it hard to stand. Beads of sweat poured down his face, as he drew his breath frequently. He could even feel the onset of a headache (thankfully, not powerful enough to be a migraine).

"I apologize for the condition you are in, Shining Armor," Princcess Luna said with concern "Time travel is a very difficult thing to pull off for non-alicorns. Even somepony as magically gifted as Star Swirl The Bearded could not find a way to ease the burden."

"It's alright, Princess. This is nothing compared to the pain I've endured while training for my re-evaluation." Shining Armor panted, his breath finally returning to normal, and his headache slowly dying down.

"Now that I have answered your question, the time has come for me to see if you are fit to return to active duty." Princess Luna declared, and lit up her horn, producing a ghostly light blue glow. She then bent down to touch Shining Armor's forehead.

Shining Armor was understandably worried, and began to back away "What are you doing to me?" he asked "Are you trying to control me?"

"You have a right to be concerned, Shining Armor. But I do not wish to control you," Princess Luna explained "In order for me to know that there are no traces of Discord's influence, I must probe your mind. But I will only do so if you give me permission. If you decline, I will not press further, and will assume you are fit to return to active duty."

Shining Armor felt incredibly tempted to back off and accept Luna's proposal. Returning to active duty would be nice, and the thought of doing so made him smile.

But, in the wake of his mental breakdown, Shining Armor had come to learn a very hard truth about himself. One that he had found difficult to accept. He was not completely invulernable. As much as he might like to think otherwise, his mind was every bit as vulnerable as the rest of him, perhaps even more so.

There was only one way he could be sure he'd truly recovered from the mental scars Discord had inflicted upon him. With a sigh, he walked towards Princess Luna and said to her "My mind is ready for probing. I won't try to hide anything from you."

Princess Luna did not smile, but she did not frown either. She merely said in reply "Very well, hold still and this should not take long." And in a matter of seconds, her horn touched the tip of Shining Armor's forehead. In a powerful flash, Princess Luna could see everything.

Shining Armor shut his eyes, as the flash grew brighter and brighter. Whatever Princess Luna saw now, was beyond his control.

Seconds passed, but to Shining Armor they felt like minutes. At last, however, the flash died down, and Shining Armor opened his eyes again. Princess Luna appeared to be completely unaffected by the task she had just performed, and maintained her usual serious appearance. Which made Shining Armor wonder just how magic an alicorn could hold.

Princess Luna cleared her throat, and looked Shining Armor in the eyes. She said nothing for a moment, she just looked at with a glance that made Shining Armor feel like a bug under a microscope. But at last, she spoke up and told Shining Armor "Your mind has recovered quicker than I expected. It seems that there is no permanet damage from your battle with Discord, though I can sense your memories of said battle will not likely fade anytime soon."

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Shining Armor asked, even though he was certain of the answer.

Princess Luna nodded "Once I return to Canterlot, I shall see to it that the necessary paperwork is filed to arrange for your return to active duty, as Captain of The Royal Guard. That is, unless you would be interested in resigning your post."

"Why would I want to do that?" Shining Armor asked.

"As Princess of The Night, I have my own Night Guard. Just as my sister has her own solar guard, which is the very guard that you currently serve as Captain of," Princess Luna explained "The Captain of the Solar Guard cannot be Captain of the Night Guard, and the same is true of the Captain of The Night Guard. Since my return from my banishment, my sister has spoken highly of you. And my Night Guard could use a stallion of your skills. The choice is yours, Shining Armor. Whichever guard you serve with, you will serve with dignity and honor."

"Thank you very much for the offer, your majesty," Shining Armor said with a bow "But I've been with the Solar Royal Guard since I was a colt, and I'll always be loyal to them. I'm sure your Night Guard is every bit as impressive though."

"Indeed it is," Princess Luna replied "Very well then, you have made your decision, and it would be wrong of me to force you to change your mind. Now then, seeing as this night is almost over, I shall return to Canterlot to rest. It will take some time for everything to be worked out, so you will likely remain on leave for a couple of weeks, possibly even a month or two. But before I leave, I suggest you heed this warning. Do not live your life without thinking what will happen if you lose control of yourself. The wisest of leaders, are the ones who prepare for a situation where they are the ones causing a problem." And with those words, the alicorn princess of the night took off.

* * *

Shining Armor returned to The Golden Oak Library, and quickly fell asleep. But all the while, Princess Luna's parting words played over and over in his mind.

Shining Armor knew for certain that he would have to start planning, for the possibility that he might become a threat far worse than the ones he'd sworn to vanquish.


	41. Chapter 41: A Trip To Canterlot

From outside the carriage he was riding in, Shining Armor could see the sights of Canterlot. It still amazed him, even after all the years he'd spent living in the city, and all the times he'd come back to it as Captain of The Royal Guard.

All the same, this was the first time he'd come back to the city, for a reason other than because it was his duty as captain to make The Royal Guard was properly trained. And the reason for his visit this time around, made him more than a little nervous.

Fortunately, he wasn't alone. He was accompanied on this trip by his good friend Fancy Pants, his wife Fleur, and their business partner, Rarity.

"Thanks again for letting me tag along with you guys on your trip to Canterlot," Shining Armor said to Fancy Pants, as the carriage began to slow down "I really appreciate it."

"Think nothing of it, Shining Armor. We've been friends for at least a year now," Fancy Pants replied "After everything you've done for Fleur, Miss Rarity, and I, this is the least we could do to repay you."

"If I may ask, why did you insist on coming along with us on this trip to re-establish business contacts?" Rarity asked Shining Armor "Your sister's birthday will fall on one of the days we are here, and I'm sure she will be a little disappointed to know you couldn't make it."

"I'm well aware of that fact, but when I learned who was going to be back in Canterlot after all this time, I knew I needed to see her." Shining Armor explained.

"Are you by chance talking about Princess Cadence, the quote unquote 'Crystal Princess'?" Fleur asked Shining Armor, who blushed a bit in response.

"You caught me, Cadence is the reason why I wanted so badly to accompany you all on this trip," Shining Armor confessed "We haven't seen each other for years. That is, assuming you don't count her brief appearance in my mind when Discord was turning Ponyville into the chaos capital of the known world."

"I must say, when it comes to romance, you certainly aim high. But I would've expected no less from The Captain of The Royal Guard," Rarity commented "How long have you had these feelings for Cadence, if I may ask?"

"Probably since Twily was just a filly, maybe even longer than that," Shining Armor replied, and explained "Cadence was Twilight's foalsitter, and she was really good at it. She was so sweet, and so kind, it was impossible not fall for her. But every time I tried to tell her how I felt, I kept choking, or something came up. Eventually, I started to see Cadence less and less, and when Twily no longer needed a foalsitter, there was nothing to keep her from her duties as a princess. But I never gave up on my feelings for her, I kept hoping that I'd bump into her again, and finally be able to tell her how I felt. And when I learned she'd be back in Canterlot this weekend, I knew I had to find a way to see her."

"So, you intend to propose to her?" Fleur asked, as the carriage slowed to a halt.

"Perhaps," Shining Armor said glumly "But more than likely, I'm going to have to face reality. Cadence is probably seeing somepony else, especially now that I'm no longer Captain of The Royal Guard, at least for the time being."

"I'm sure that Cadence doesn't care what sort of title you have." Rarity replied seriously.

"Maybe, but the odds of her still having feelings for me after all these years doesn't seem very likely," Shining Armor admitted, before sighing a bit "I suppose there's only one way to know for sure. I'll have to find her, and see how she reacts to my presence."

"In that case, I assume this is where we shall part ways for the time being," Fancy Pants declared, as the carriage doors opened, and the ponies inside it stepped out onto the streets of Canterlot "Fleur and I shall be meeting with some of our esteemed, and not so esteemed contacts. And Miss. Rarity shall be busy with maintaining our wardrobe fo all the parties, balls, and other formal events we will undoubtedly be attending."

"I wish you the best of luck, darling. And something tells me that you will find great success in your quest for love." Rarity said kindly, as she went off with Fancy Pants and Fleur.

Shining Armor sighed, now he was on his own. " _Well, no sense in beating around the bush,_ " he thought to himself " _I need to find Princess Cadence, and if she's still single, I'm going to ask her out on a date!_ " With that goal in mind, Shining Armor set off for the castle courtyard, where he knew Princess Cadence would be waiting.

* * *

It didn't take long for Shining Armor to reach the castle courtyard, he knew his way around Canterlot like the back of his hoof. But when he arrived at his destination, he was shocked to find that a massive crowd of ponies was already there.

Apparently, the reappearance of the crystal princess in Canterlot was major news, and everypony wanted a chance to see the newest alicorn.

Shining Armor was barely able to find a good place to stand amongst the crowd, and he had no sooner done so, when a trumpet fanfare sounded through the courtyard. "Mares and gentlestallions," a royal guard announced "It is with great pleasure, that we humbly announce the arrival of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, better know as Princess Cadence, The Crystal Princess!"

The crowd of ponies burst into thunderous applause, clapping and stomping their hooves, as the royal guards parted two by two. And then, walking down the red carpeted pathway was a pink coated alicorn with a mane styled into locks of violet, rose, and gold. Her light purple eyes reflected her youth, as her cutie mark depicting a heart made of crystal, sparkled in the bright sunshine. She smiled and waved to all the ponies that were there to greet her, who only clapped, cheered, and stomped even louder in response.

As Princess Cadence neared the end of her walk, she was more than a little surprised to see a familiar white coated stallion waving to her from amongst the crowd. His somewhat bushy sapphire blue mane and tail with dark blue and cerulean streaks, and his moderate cerulean eyes were unmistakable to her. But, what was he doing in Canterlot? He hadn't been part of The Royal Guard assigned to protect her, in fact, Cadence hadn't seen him with the royal guard once since arriving in Canterlot. Just what had changed since she'd last seen him?

Everypony present in the crowd was surprised when they saw Princess Cadence stop, just before the end of the red carpeted pathway. She then made her way through the crowd, until she stopped in front of the stallion that had been Captain of The Royal Guard. Did she not know that he was currently on leave, and that a debate was currently being held as to whether or not he should return to active duty?

Nopony was more surprised than Shining Armor, however. He had not been expecting Princess Cadence to single him out from the crowd. He had expected to have to make her notice him, especially considering his position amongst the crowd.

"What are you doing here, Shining Armor? Princess Cadence asked, looking the stallion in the eyes while her own eyes reflected a look of confusion.

"I came here to see you, why else would I be in this crowd?" Shining Armor replied. With the whole crowd watching him, he felt very much like a bug under a microscope. He could feel himself start to sweat a bit. Sure, he had wanted to talk to Cadence, and potentially even ask her for a date. But he had wanted to do so in private, not with an entire crowd of strangers looking at him. He was certain that if word got out that he was dating the crystal princess, the Canterlot nobility would conspire to sink his chances of returning to his title of Captain of The Royal Guard. To say nothing of what they would do to Cadence.

"You could've offered to be part of my private guard, or is there something I don't know about?" Princess Cadence asked Shining Armor, her look changing from one of confusion, to one of concern.

"It's a long story, and one that I don't want to discuss in front of all these ponies," Shining Armor explained, then he gulped and plucked up courage "Do you think that, maybe I could tell you about it over lunch? Don't know about you, but I'm kind of hungry."

Princess Cadence could easily see where Shining Armor was going with the conversation, but decided to play along and humor him for a bit. It would give her a chance to learn just what changed since she'd last seen Shining Armor, as well as get away from the crowd that was only interested in gawking at her, and taking pictures of her. "Sounds good to me, it's been a while since I've had a chance to have lunch with anypony besides my aunts and my guards."

"Great, lunch it is! And I know just the place!" Shining Armor said, and hastily grabbed Princess Cadence by the hoof, and led her away.

"That stallion is trying to run off with The Crystal Princess!" a random pony in the crowd shouted.

"Stop him!" another pony bellowed.

Princess Cadence's guards quickly sprang into action, and prepared to go after Shining Armor. But before they could so, Princess Cadence spoke up and instructed "It's okay, guards. You may stand down, I am not in need of your protection."

"But your highness, we are sworn to protect you from any and all threats, you must let us do our duty." one of the guards insisted.

"I appreciate your concern, but I know this stallion enough to know that he isn't a threat," Princess Cadence told the guards "And I am more than capable of looking out for myself. If this stallion wishes to spend time with me, I won't deny him what he is rightfully entitled to. But don't worry, I promise that I'll be back by sundown. If I don't return by then, you may come look for me. And that is an order."

The guards reluctantly backed away. "Very well. If that is what you wish, your highness, we will hold you to your word." one of the guards replied.

"But, if you are not back by the time you designated, we _will_ come looking for you, and your aunts _will_ be notified of what happened." another guard said in a gruff voice.

"We'll both keep that in mind, now I must be off." Princess Cadence replied with a nod, and allowed Shining Armor to take her away. The crowd of ponies was speechless. The Captain of The Royal Guard and The Crystal Princess knew each other, to the point where they could actually go off on their own together, even when neither of them should have the ability to do so.

Just what was the world coming to?

* * *

Shining Armor couldn't believe his luck. When he entered Donut Joe's, the entire restaurant was deserted, Joe himself was the only pony actually there.

Clearing his throat, Shining Armor called out "Hey, Joe. Got room for two?"

Donut Joe spun around, he hadn't been expecting company. Especially not the presence of The Crystal Princess. And yet, here she was, with The Captain of The Royal Guard standing close by "Ah, a t-thousand pardons, your highness," he stuttered, his teeth chattering a bit "I was not aware you'd be visiting my humble shop. P-please, make yourself comfortable. I can see about maybe sprucing up the place a bit."

"It's alright, Donut Joe. You don't need to make any special arrangements. Shining Armor and I just want to be treated like your regular paying customers," Princess Cadence replied "Wherever you want us to sit is fine."

"Then, by all means, pull up a seat and see what interests you," Donut Joe encouraged, as he gave Princess Cadence and Shining Armor two menus to read over "Despite my name sake, I don't just sell donuts."

Shining Armor and Princess Cadence sat down at a table near the back of the restaurant, and looked over the menus they had been given. They quickly agreed to split an order of Donut Joe's famous donuts, and for both of them to get their own cup of hot chocolate. For dessert, they agreed to share a chocolate milkshake. And Shining Armor insisted on paying for everything out of his own pocket.

"You don't have to do this, Shining Armor. I can pay for my own food." Princess Cadence insisted.

"I'm sure you could, but I'm the one who invited you out. You shouldn't have to worry about anything, other than having a good time." Shining Armor replied, as Donut Joe accepted his payment of bits.

While Shining Armor and Princess Cadence waited for their food to arrive, Princess Cadence took the time to ask Shining Armor some questions. "So, how come you didn't offer to be part of my personal guard?" she asked Shining Armor "I'm sure my Aunt Celestia would've said yes."

Shining Armor sighed, he knew this sort of question was going to pop up sooner or later, and he knew there was no use in trying to lie to Princess Cadence. "You know about Discord, right?" he asked bluntly.

Princess Cadence was surprised, and a little bit confused that Shining Armor mentioned such a thing, as was evidenced by her eyes growing wide and her tilting to the side a bit. "Of course I do. What does that have to do with anything?" she asked in reply.

Sighing again, and a noticeable frown emerging on his face, Shining Armor explained "Well, apparently Discord did more damage than even I thought. For weeks after my encounter with him, I kept having nightmares of him. And I kept feeling like he was out to get me, waiting for the right moment to strike. Eventually, that constant paranoia caused me to snap, and I went crazy. I actually tried to hurt a bunch of innocent children with a stun spell."

Princess Cadence's mouth dropped open in shock at such a statement.

"I know, but it's true," Shining Armor glumly admitted "As a result of that incident, Princess Celestia put me on an unpaid leave of absence. Princess Luna re-evaluated me and said I was fit to return to active duty, but she said it would take weeks for the necessary paperwork to be filed. And right now, there's a huge debate going on about whether or not I deserve to remain Captain of The Royal Guard. Several ponies, including your brother, Prince Blueblood, think I should be replaced. That's why you saw me in the crowd."

Princess Cadence said nothing, she had no idea that was the reason for Shining Armor not being part of her personal guard. She never would've imagined that Shining Armor would snap so badly. He had seemed like the kind of pony that rarely lost his cool, and that was what drew her to him in the first place.

Neither Shining Armor or Princess Cadence said anything else after that, and they just ate their meal in silence. On a few occasions, they tried to start up a conversation, but quickly dropped it when the other pony showed no interest in replying.

When they had finished eating, and felt quite full, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence left Donut Joe's. Sundown was still a few hours away, and they intended to make the most of the time they had left.

Donut Joe just smiled, as he observed Shining Armor and Princess Cadence leaving his restaurant walking side by side, and holding hooves. He could see the signs, he'd had plenty of experience with young love since opening his donut shop.

"Shining Armor's growing up," he said with a smile "And it seems like only yesterday he was in my shop for the first time. It's true what they say, they grow up so fast."

* * *

With nowhere they needed to be, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence were currently strolling through the streets of Canterlot. As they passed by the various shops and government buildings, many ponies and visiting ambassadors either waved to them, or stared at them with odd looks.

But the two of them didn't mind, at this point they only cared about catching up on what happened to each other since they'd last met.

Shining Armor in particular, had a question that had been nipping at the back of his mind for a long time now, and he knew he needed an answer. "So, Cadence, do you mind telling me just where you were while Discord was running free?" Shining Armor asked "Discord didn't seem to be aware of your presence, though he very well could've been and was just putting on an act."

Princess Cadence pondered for a moment, putting a hoof to her chin. Apparently, she had never considered such a question. But at last she answered with "I was in hiding. Discord didn't know about the existence of a third alicorn, and I knew that if you and your friends somehow failed to defeat him, it would fall to me to do so. Rather than allow Discord to corrupt what was Equestria's only wild card in the fight against unending chaos, I maintained a low profile in a small outpost in The Frozen North."

"But then, how were you able to appear in my mind after Discord corrupted me?" Shining Armor asked.

"I don't have a precise answer for that," Princess Cadence replied "I could just sense that you were in trouble and needed my help. It might have been related to the dream walking abilities that Aunt Luna taught me, or it could've been something entirely unrelated."

"Well, I guess I shouldn't look that gift horse in the mouth. I'm glad you came, when you did." Shining Armor said, smiling for what felt to him like the first time he'd done so in months.

"It's too bad I couldn't be there to help you when you were worrying about Discord's return, after you defeated him." Princess Cadence said glumly. She had sensed that something was off about Shining Armor, but hadn't been able to do anything to help him.

"Even if you'd appeared in my mind, I doubt there was much you could've done to help me out," Shining Armor replied "I was keeping my struggles secret from all of my friends, and even from my sister. I thought it was my burden to bear, and no one else's. Perhaps, if I hadn't been so thickheaded, I could've avoided the end result."

"Perhaps, but if there's one thing both of my aunts have taught me, it's that you should never allow yourself to live in fear of your past," Princess Cadence said seriously "It can hurt, but you can either run from it and pretend it doesn't exist, or learn from it and ensure you don't make the same mistake again. They've also taught me, that nopony is perfect. We all have our faults, and what separates the good from the bad, is how those faults define us."

"Your aunts have taught you well, I should know, I've met them both." Shining Armor replied, surprised at just how much insight and wisdom Princess Cadence had gained from the other alicorns.

"You've met Aunt Luna?" Princess Cadence asked, to which Shining Armor nodded in confirmation "What did you think of her?"

Shining Armor paused for a moment, as if deep in thought about something. Then, at last, he said "She was... interesting. She actually showed me a glimpse of her troubled past. I have to say that she went through quite a bit. Though I didn't get the whole story from her."

"Aunt Luna really doesn't like to talk about her past very much, I think it's obvious to everyone that she still feels guilty about what happened all those years ago," Princess Cadence replied, her voice taking on a more somber tone "The fact that she was willing to share even a part of said past with you indicates that she has a lot of trust in you."

* * *

Shining Armor and Princess Cadence had a lovely afternoon together. As time went on and they got comfortable being around each other, they started opening up more and more. They talked not just about their lives, and what was happening to them, but also about the latest news and gossip. They even swapped some funny stories about ponies that they'd overheard.

It became too obvious to everyone, including themselves, that they were on a date. And they enjoyed every minute of it.

But all good things had to come to an end eventually, and the date was no exception. As the sun began to set in Canterlot, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence knew that their time together was over, at least for now.

"Thanks for not declining my offer, even though it was in public." Shining Armor said to Princess Cadence, as he guided her to the royal suite she was staying in.

"Oh, I'm the one who should be thanking you, Shining Armor," Princess Cadence replied kindly "It's nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of political life in Canterlot, and just unwind. I've been very busy lately."

"Busy with what?" Shining Armor asked.

"Aunt Celestia has been training me quite a bit, so that should The Crystal Empire ever return, I'll be ready to take over the throne. But she won't tell me why," Princess Cadence explained "She says that when the time comes, she'll fill me in on all the details."

"I see," Shining Armor said seriously, then he decided to pluck up courage "Say, Cadence. If you're not too busy tomorrow, why don't you and I go out on another date? This time, you can decide where we go."

"Oh, Shining Armor. I would love that very much! You've got yourself a deal!" Princess Cadence replied, and kissed Shining Armor on the cheek "Consider that my way of saying thanks, for just being yourself. See you tomorrow at noon!" And with that, she retreated to her private quarters.

Shining Armor felt incredibly overjoyed at receiving a kiss from Princess Cadence. And all this time he'd been worried that she might not feel the same way about him anymore.

A smile that could rival Pinkie Pie's formed on Shining Armor's face, as he happily walked to the castle suite where Fancy Pants, Fleur, and Rarity were staying.

"Well, well, it looks like someone had the time of his life." Fancy Pants commented, as Shining Armor entered the suite.

"I take it this means Princess Cadence returned your feelings of affection?" Rarity asked Shining Armor.

"She sure did, in fact, I'm going on another date with her tomorrow. What do you think of that?" Shining Armor replied.

"I'd say you're the luckiest stallion in all of Equestria. You've landed what many consider to be the most attractive mare in all of Equestria," Fleur commented "Reminds me of the time when Fancy Pants and I first met and started dating. I'd never felt so happy before, and Fancy Pants was a true gentlecolt."

"And I love just as much now, as I did back then." Fancy Pants replied happily.

"Say, Rarity, can I ask you something really quick?" Shining Armor asked, hoping that Rarity would be able to answer his question, despite not actually being married herself.

"What is it you wish to ask, Shining Armor? I'm currently working on making some very important arrangements." Rarity replied, looking over pieces of paper that Shining Armor assumed to be sketches (they actually weren't, but he didn't know this).

"Would you by any chance, happen to know of any good jewel makers in Canterlot?" Shining Armor asked "There's a little something I'd like to get for Princess Cadence, to give to her if all goes well on our next date."

* * *

Shining Armor found it hard to sleep that night, with his thoughts constantly drifting to Princess Cadence, and what he planned to do if their next date went smoothly. But eventually, he managed to close his eyes and rest.

The next morning, he awoke bright and early, and after learning that Fancy Pants, Fleur, and Rarity would be hosting a garden party in the castle courtyard later that evening, he raced out the door with his saddle bags in tow. " _Today may very well be the most important day of my life!_ " he thought to himself, as he ran through the streets of Canterlot to reach his destination.

The second date with Princess Cadence was every bit as enjoyable as the first date, especially since Princess Cadence knew many of the best places in Canterlot for young couples to visit. None the least of which was _Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns_ , the same school Twilight had been attending before moving to Ponyville.

As the afternoon changed to evening, the date began to wind down. Which meant it was time for Shining Armor to make his move, he only had one shot at this. The question now was, how would Princess Cadence react?

Princess Cadence was surprised, when Shining Armor stopped in front of a magnificent crystal fountain in the heart of Canterlot. Just what was he up to?

"Cadence, ever since we first met, you captured my heart. I never thought about any other mare the way I thought about you," Shining Armor said, as he looked Princess Cadence in the eyes "I always wanted to say something to you about how I felt while we were in school, or while you were foalsitting Twily, but I could never bring myself to do it. I thought I'd missed my chance when I had to move to Ponyville, and for a while I thought you might have forgotten about me. But now I've come to realize, that it was foolish of me to think that way."

Princess Cadence was certain she knew where the conversation was headed, but just to make sure she wasn't possibly misreading the situation she asked "Shining Armor? Are you saying, what I think you're trying to say?"

Shining Armor nodded, then he said "I'm not the greatest with words, at least when it comes to something like this. But maybe this will help explain my intentions." He then reached into his saddle bag, and pulled out a small black box.

Princess Cadence opened it, and that was when her eyes beheld a gold ring with the most magnificent diamond on the tip. The diamond shimmered in the glow of the evening sun. Princess Cadence could feel her heart start to beat with excitement, was this it? Was Shining Armor about to pop the question?

Her answer came a moment later, as Shining Armor cleared his throat and said to Princess Cadence "Cadence, will you marry me?"

Princess Cadence blushed bright red, and a massive smile formed on her face. Try as she might, she couldn't maintain her calm composure for long as she said in reply "Of course I'll marry you, Shining Armor! I always thought we were perfect for each other, but I felt like perhaps you couldn't see that. Then we started dating again, and I could tell you felt the same way I did about our relationship!" And with that, she leaned in to kiss Shining Armor, who returned the kiss wholeheartedly.

* * *

Shining Armor felt like he was on top of the known world, as he happily made his way through the streets of Canterlot. His destination was the courtyard of Canterlot Castle, he couldn't wait to share the exciting news with the friends that had accompanied him on this trip to Canterlot.

" _It's too bad Twily's birthday is in Ponyville, and I'm in Canterlot,_ " Shining Armor thought to himself, as he could see the castle courtyard in the distance " _I can't wait to tell her the good news!_ "

But as he neared the castle courtyard where the garden party was being held, he was surprised at the sight that greeted his eyes. There were the rest of his Ponyville friends, Braeburn, Big Macintosh, Soarin, and Thunderlane. As well as his sister, Twilight, Spike, and the rest of their Ponyville friends, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, as well as Fancy Pants, Fleur, and Rarity. And from the looks of things, the courtyard and nearby ballroom had been decked out in festive style. Colorful banners hung from trees, pillars, and walls, bits of confetti littered the grounds, and the ballroom itself looked like it was decorated with the intent of celebrating a birthday party.

In fact, that was exactly the case, as Shining Armor saw a large banner painted in purple letters that read: _Happy Birthday, Twilight!_. On a nearby table, there was a birthday cake with pink frosting and several candles on top.

"Well, look who just showed up." Soarin commented, as Shining Armor came upon the scene.

"Howdy there, Shining Armor, you came just in time," Braeburn said cheerfully, blowing on a party favor "The fun's just about to start."

Shining Armor was confused and speechless, he tried to open his mouth and ask what was going on, but all that came out was "How...what the... but I thought..."

"Isn't it wonderful, B.B.B.F.F?" Twilight asked, a massive smile displayed clearly on her face "Rarity took the liberty of booking the ballroom, and transfering my birthday party from Ponyville, to here!"

"It wasn't easy to change up the party plans at the last minute, but with help from Braeburn and all of my friends, it was possible," Pinkie Pie explained, as she bounced from place to place to put up the last couple of decorations "Of course, I had some help from my secret weapon. My trusty rusty, patent pending, Party Cannon!"

"No joke, she has an actual cannon that shoots out party decorations! You should see it in action, it's pretty cool!" Rainbow Dash commented.

"Rarity did all of this?" Shining Armor asked.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied, he and Applejack were currently setting up a small apple bobbing tub for the party.

"Gotta hoof it to her, Rarity sure knows her stuff when it comes to Canterlot rules and regulations." Applejack added.

"But why did she do this? Especially with the garden party Fancy Pants and Fleur are hosting." Shining Armor spoke up.

"She did it for you, of course." Thunderlane told Shining Armor.

"Rarity knew how crushed you were about the fact that your trip to Canterlot would have you out of Ponyville during Twilight's birthday," Fluttershy added "Naturally, she knew she had to rectify that problem at once."

"Fleur and I were more than happy to reschedule the garden party for another day," Fancy Pants chimed in "We knew this was more important to you, and to us."

"A few of our business clients weren't too happy with our decision, but most of them understood after we mentioned that you were The Captain of The Royal Guard, and that your sister was Princess Celestia's student." Fleur finished.

"Rarity even made arrangements with Princess Celestia to have us flown into Canterlot by chariot," Spike commented "And that's not all. Just before we left for Canterlot, I got a message from Princess Celestia informing Twilight and I that your title of Captain of The Royal Guard had been restored, and your unpaid leave of absence was over."

"Oh, Rarity, you shouldn't have. But I'm glad you did!" Shining Armor said happily, he couldn't believe his luck. Today was turning out be the best day of his life.

"Think nothing of it, Shining Armor. After everything you've done for Fancy Pants, Fleur, their friends, my friends, and I, it was the least I could do to repay you." Rarity smiled.

"So, if we're done chit chatting, it's party time!" Pinkie Pie declared, whipping out her party cannon and pressing a button. Streams of confetti and party decorations shout out from its barrel, landing perfectly on the few tables and pillars not already decorated.

But before the celebration could begin, Shining Armor had some very big news that he knew he needed to tell to everyone. He cleared his throat, turned to Twilight, and asked "You remember Princess Cadence, don't you?"

Twilight smiled "Of course I do, how could I forget? She was only the best foalsitter in the history of foalsitters! She was so kind, so sweet, and so compassionate! Why do you ask?"

"Well, I'm getting married to her!" Shining Armor declared proudly.

"Really? You're marrying Cadence?" Twilight asked, her eyes expressing a look of hope. Surely, her brother wouldn't joke about such a thing.

"Indeed I am, we're going to start making plans for our Canterlot Wedding very soon." Shining Armor declared. This prompted a deafening chorus of cheers and applause from everyone gathered, most of all, Twilight.

"Oh, B.B.B.F.F, that's the best birthday present I could ever ask for!" Twilight said happily, as she embraced her brother in a massive hug. Shining Armor returned the hug full force, and nothing more needed to be said.

* * *

Unknown to Twilight, Shining Armor, Spike, and their friends, they were being watched. From a bush in the distance, a mysterious bug like creature had its eyes fixated on Shining Armor. "A wedding," it said to itself, a fiendish grin forming on its lips "How delightful. This is exactly what I've been waiting for."


	42. Chapter 42: Goodbye, Spike

Even after Twilight's birthday party wrapped up, and everyone else returned home to Ponyville, Shining Armor stayed in Canterlot. He remained with Princess Cadence for the rest of the time she stayed in Canterlot, during which point the young couple went on several more dates.

After Cadence left for The Frozen North, Shining Armor finally bordered a train and headed home to Ponyville. He was looking forward to telling his parents the good news, when he, Twilight, and Spike went back to Canterlot to spend Hearth's Warming with their family.

Upon arriving back in Ponyville, however, Shining Armor was horrified at the sight that greeted his eyes.

The town of Ponyville was under attack, but not from some ancient evil like Nightmare Moon or Discord, or a creature from The Everfree Forest like an Ursa Minor or a Hydra. The creature responsible for laying waste to Ponyville, was a giant light purple colored dragon with familiar green scales. Shining Armor only knew one dragon that was like that, and that made him all the more horrified, his mouth almost dropped to the floor in shock "Spike!" he exclaimed "Just what has gotten into him?!"

Knowing that he needed some answers, Shining Armor raced to the pony who knew Spike best, his sister, Twilight. He found her, and her friends, as they were running all over town, heading for Carousel Boutique.

"Twilight, what's going on?! What's happened to Spike?! Why is he attacking the town?!" Shining Armor asked.

"It's a long story, and we don't have time to talk about it! Spike's on his way to Carousel Boutique!" Twilight exclaimed in reply, refusing to slow down.

"And Rarity's completely unaware! Spike's probably gonna ponynap her!" Applejack shouted "If only he moved a little slower, I could trip him up with my lasso!"

"What about Fancy Pants and Fleur?!" Shining Armor asked.

"They went out to get some supplies for the Boutique!" Big Macintosh told Shining Armor "Chances are, they've seen Spike as well, and realize where he's goin'!"

And both Big Macintosh and Applejack were right, Spike was indeed heading for Carousel Boutique. And try as they might, Shining Armor, Twilight, and their friends, were just not fast enough to catch up to Spike in time.

They arrived at Carousel Boutique, just in time to see Spike grab hold of Rarity with one of his claws, and carry her away with the rest of his looted treasures.

"He's headin' for the mountains!" Braeburn exclaimed "There's no way we can reach him!"

"Then it's all up to The Wonderbolts!" Rainbow Dash said seriously.

"The question is, will Soarin be willing to actually attack Spike?" Thunderlane asked.

* * *

It didn't take long for word of Spike's rampage to reach Wonderbolts HQ in Cloudsdale, and it took even less time for Spitfire to call all of the available Wonderbolts together.

"As I'm sure you all know by now, Spike has somehow grown to massive size, and he's attacking Ponyville! It's up to us to stop him, and save Rarity, who has he ponynapped!" Spitfire said seriously "This is going to be a very difficult mission, and one that is likely to result in serious injury! So, I ask only for volunteers! If you don't think you can handle the assignment, I suggest you back out now!"

"Captain, you and I have both met Spike before!" Soarin spoke up.

"I know that, Soarin, and I didn't want to believe he was responsible for the attack!" Spitfire replied, before shaking her head sadly "Unfortunately, the facts don't lie, and it's up to us to make sure he's stopped!"

"But we know Spike, or at least I do," Soarin protested "And that Spike is not the kind of guy who would do stuff like this. He's not himself! I'm sorry, Captain, but I won't hurt my friend for something that's not his fault."

"Does anypony else wish to follow Soarin's example?" Spitfire asked, she hadn't gotten to the role of captain by ignoring the opinions of her fellow Wonderbolts. But she was still surprised to see that not one of them was willing to step forward and say they would go after Spike. Spitfire sighed "If none of you wish to attack Spike, then as your captain I won't make you."

"Spitfire, let me go!" Blaze spoke up, she was Spitfire's kid sister, and had been itching to prove herself since joining The Wonderbolts shortly after Discord's defeat. Looking at her coat, it was easy to mistake her for Spitfire, at least when she was in her Wonderbolt flight suit.

"Out of the question, Blaze! I can't let you put yourself in harms way like that!" Spitfire said with a shake of her head "I'm saying this not just as your captain, but as your big sister."

"Somepony's got to stop Spike, and I can tell you don't want to be the one that has to hurt him," Blaze pleaded "Allow me to take your place, Spike doesn't know me at all. I'll take High Winds and Surprise with me, the three of us should be able to handle the situation."

"You're going to bring my sister and her friend? Are you crazy?!" Soarin asked angrily.

"I'm doing this, with or without permission! I refuse to stand by and do nothing, while innocent ponies suffer!" Blaze replied, a look of determination appearing in her fiery red eyes.

Spitfire and Soarin both sighed, as much as they disliked the idea of their siblings doing their jobs for them, they both knew they were less likely to let personal feelings interfere with the job. And so, reluctantly, they allowed for Blaze, High Winds, and Surprise to take off.

Soarin set off on his own soon afterward, but he wasn't going to join the fight against giant Spike. "My friends are down there, and I have they're going to need my help!" he told Spitfire, just before he set off for Ponyville.

Spitfire said nothing as Soarin left, she just stood there with a smile on her face. " _Don't know what I'd do without somepony like you to hold me in check, Soarin._ " she thought to herself.

* * *

It didn't take long for Soarin to find his friends, they were standing on a bridge not too far from the outskirts of Ponyville. They were looking alternatively through a pair of binoculars, as Spike held onto Rarity with one claw, while using the other claw to swipe at The Wonderbolts as they buzzed round him like flies.

"Hey, guys," Soarin called, landing on the bridge "Things aren't looking too good right now, are they?"

"Well, if you're here, then who is that Wonderbolt that looks just like you?" Fancy Pants asked.

"That's my younger sister, High Winds. She's a good mare, but sometimes a bit too eager to prove herself," Soarin explained "And that pony that looks like Spitfire is actually her kid sister, Blaze."

"And that third Wonderbolt is called, Surprise, isn't she?" Pinkie Pie asked Soarin.

"How did you know?" Soarin replied.

"She was my foalsitter, once upon a time, but that's another story." Pinkie Pie explained.

"Oh no! Look!" Twilight exclaimed in horror, as she observed the fight through the binoculars. Using the empty water tower he had stolen earlier, Spike managed to catch all three Wonderbolts, and trap them in the side of the mountain. The water tower serving as a makeshift prison.

"I don't believe it, The Wonderbolts didn't stand a chance! Spike brushed them off like they were nothing!" Rainbow Dash said in a state of shock.

"Now who will save us?" Fluttershy wondered out loud.

"It's all up to Rarity, now," Shining Armor said glumly "She's the only pony who can talk some sense into Spike before Celestia calls in The Royal Guards."

"Oh dear, what if Spike doesn't listen?" Fleur asked.

"Then things are gonna get ugly." Shining Armor replied in a somber tone. Even if Celestia ordered The Royal Guards to be gentle with Spike, they would still need to subdue him and defeat him. And as Captain of The Royal Guard, it would fall to Shining Armor to lead the charge, something he wasn't sure he would be able to do.

From the mountain he was currently in the midst of climbing, Spike let out a huge roar. The soundwave was so powerful that it shook the ground beneath it all the way through Ponyville.

"Oh, be quiet. You've got nothing to be proud of," Rarity lectured, she had yet to realize that the giant dragon that had abducted her was Spike "You steal everypony's things, terrorize the town, and use _me_ as a weapon against my own friends! You've got a lot of nerve, but as horrible as that is, I can almost understand because you're greedy and all. But you tore a hole in this lovely dress after I worked so hard on it."

It was then that Spike's eyes drifted to the jewel around Rarity's neck, it was a bright red fire ruby, and he could swear he had seen it before, somewhere.

Rarity, unaware of why Spike was interested in the fire ruby, quickly protested "Oh no. You are not getting your claws on _this_ gemstone! This was given to me by my dear Spikey-Wikey. He is the kindest, sweetest, most generous dragon ever. And a gift from someone as thoughtful as him is too precious to me to give to a greedy old beast like you! This fire ruby is staying where it is!"

Rarity's words caused Spike to reflect back to when he had given Rarity the fire ruby the week before his birthday. He had planned to eat it for his birthday dinner, but Rarity had looked like she needed it more. And she had rewarded him for his generosity, with a kiss on the cheek.

Spike, finally realizing what was going on, fought against the instincts of his new body, and this caused him to return to his normal size. Unfortunately, as a result, both he and Rarity began to plummet to the ground.

"Somepony do something, quick!" Pinkie Pie shouted, observing the possible tragedy through the binoculars.

"Don't worry, we're on it!" Soarin replied, as he and Thunderlane grabbed the torn cape of Rarity's dress, and flew off to catch Spike and Rarity before they could fall very far.

In only a matter of seconds, the two were caught in the makeshift net, and Rarity even gave Thunderlane a small hug to show her gratitude (she gave Soarin a hug as well). Just after Spike and Rarity were safely on the ground, the water tower broke away from the mountainside. Without Spike to hold onto it, it could not stay in place. Blaze, High Winds, and Surprise were all huddled together in fright, but quickly regained their composure and flew off. They were relieved that not a lot of ponies had seen them.

At last, Spike's rampage through Ponyville had ended. But the damage had been done, and it was clear to everyone that it would take some time to repair and clean up.

* * *

While his friends, Twilight, and her friends, all set off to examine the extent of damage done to Ponyville, Shining Armor stayed behind. He could sense that something was wrong with Spike, and wanted to see if there was anything he could do to help.

Spike sat on the edge of the very same bridge that Shining Armor, Twilight, and their friends had been standing on only moments ago. He looked out across the water, and turned his attention to the sights of destruction that lay all around. No tears were present in his eyes, but his face conveyed a look of horror, worry, and most of all, guilt.

Shining Armor was certain he already knew what the problem was, but rather than jump to conclusions, he approached Spike and lightly tapped him on the shoulder with a hoof.

Spike jumped a bit, but calmed down when he saw that it was only Shining Armor. "Oh, hey Shining. Don't mind me, I'm just hanging around." Spike said glumly, barely making eye contact.

"I can see that." Shining Armor replied, as he noticed Spike looking at his reflection in the water, as it flowed under the bridge and out the other side.

"You've come to try and cheer me up. That's why you're here, isn't it?" Spike asked, not even bothering to turn around and face Shining Armor.

"Spike, take it from me, you can't let yourself wallow in self pity. It doesn't help anyone, especially not yourself." Shining Armor said seriously, as he rested his hoof on Spike's shoulder.

"That's easy for you to say, you didn't almost destroy an entire town because of your greed!" Spike complained, angrily brushing off Shining Armor's hoof "You saw what I did, you saw the destruction I caused! I'm a monster, don't deny it!"

"You're not a monster, Spike. A monster wouldn't feel regret for what he did." Shining Armor quickly replied.

"But I felt like a monster, and acted like a monster! I couldn't control my own instincts, and that's what caused all of this to happen!" Spike said angrily, before he buried his head into his claws and began to cry a bit.

"Just what happened to you that made you grow so big? I never expected you to stay small forever, but I certainly never imagined you'd grow so tall you could give those movie monsters a run for their money." Shining Armor asked Spike, hoping that if he knew what caused Spike to turn into a giant dragon and attack Ponyville, he could better understand what Spike was going through.

"It all started with my birthday, and it was stupid!" Spike said crossly, raising his head up and finally making eye contact with Shining Armor after several minutes of not bothering to do so "I noticed that whenever I mentioned my birthday to other ponies, I got gifts. First it was presents, then a cupcake, then a hat, and one thing led to another. I tried to stop myself from going too far, I kept telling myself what I was doing was wrong, but it didn't work. Part of me found that was it great to get presents, and that it was nice to not be so little any longer."

"And then you turned into that giant dragon, and started to lay waste to Ponyville, correct?" Shining Armor asked.

"Well, not entirely," Spike sighed, before telling more of his story "Twilight had been doing research on dragons, to try and figure out what would be a good gift to give me. Then, when she saw my behavior, and my abnormal height, she tried to see if someone could tell her what was wrong with me. Turns out that Zecora had the answer. Dragons eventually grow big and strong on their own, but greed can accelerate the transformation process, making us turn into giants in the blink of an eye. And when that happens, we lose control of ourselves. Our instincts start telling us to horde as much stuff as possible, without any regard for what it is."

"So, how did you manage to snap out of it and return to normal? More importantly, why did it happen while you and Rarity were on that mountain?" Shining Armor pondered.

"It was the fire ruby Rarity was wearing, it was a gift from me to her. It reminded me of who I was, and who I wanted to be," Spike explained "And well, you saw what happened after that. But if you took a look around, you'd know what I stole, or tried to steal. And you'll know why it's no one's fault but my own that so much of Ponyville is the way it is right now," As soon as he finished saying that, Spike began to cry "I never asked for any of this. I never wanted to hurt my friends, let alone the town that's become a second home to me. But because of what I am, it happened. And it's all my fault! If I had just been stronger, more informed about my dragon heritage, I could've kept myself in check and avoided all this! But I was weak, and Ponyville suffered as a result!"

"There is nothing you could've done, Spike. You made every effort to stop yourself, when a weaker guy would've caved in and accepted his fate," Shining Armor said seriously "You need to stop beating yourself up for what you've done in the past. No one knows better than I do how hard it is to come to terms with your limitations as an individual. But we're not gods, we're not meant to be perfect."

"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean I have any sort of excuse for my behavior. And it's certainly not going to fix what I did," Spike said, before a twinkle came into his eyes, and an idea came to him "There's only one way I can truly make sure that this sort of thing never happens again!"

"And that would be what?" Shining Armor asked, as he saw Spike jump down from the bridge. A look of determination was reflected in the young dragon's eyes.

"As it turns out, there's a whole bunch of dragons that migrate from place to place, before eventually returning to their homeland. They'll be passing by Ponyville in a matter of months." Spike explained.

"And you're going to join them?!" Shining Armor exclaimed, hoping he'd somehow misheard things.

"You read my mind, that's exactly what I'm going to do!" Spike said seriously "They're currently headed for Manehattan. If I pack up my things and leave in the next couple of days, I should be able to catch up to them. Then, hopefully, I'll finally know the truth about who I am, and what it means to be a dragon! Then I'll come back!"

"Spike, haven't you stopped to consider the effect your decision will have on me, and and on Twilight?!" Shining Armor asked seriously "Twilight's practically raised you for years, you're like her son! How do you think she's going to feel if you leave to go join this migration?"

"I know it'll hurt, but in time she'll move on. Twilight is a strong pony, and so are you," Spike told Shining Armor "The rest of Ponyville won't miss me that much, and even if it does, it's not like I'll be gone for good. Look, Shining Armor, I have to go on this quest! I have to know about my past, and what being a dragon is all about!"

"And you think Twilight is just going to approve?! You're a part of her life, Spike!" Shining Armor said, he was trying to come up with all the arguments he could to talk Spike out of his decision.

But no matter how hard Shining Armor tried, it was no use. "I'm sorry, Shining Armor, but my mind is made up. I actually ran this decision by Twilight when I first learned of the migration, and before any of this greed stuff occurred," Spike told Shining Armor, as tears rolled down his cheeks. What he said next, took every bit of courage he had "She said yes. I'm leaving Ponyville, don't bother trying to stop me!"

It took a moment for the reality of the situation to sink in for Shining Armor, largely because he didn't want to believe it was true, but it was. Spike was going away, and it wasn't likely that he would be back for several months. Even if that wasn't all that long of a length, it was still too long to Shining Armor. But he knew in his heart, that if Twilight had said yes, there was little he could do to stop it from happening.

"If you're really that determined to leave, then I have no right to stop you." Shining Armor began.

"Glad you see things my way." Spike said with a sigh, as he prepared to head home and pack up his things.

"But at the very least, you should stay in Ponyville, until Pinkie Pie gets the chance to throw you a goodbye party. You know how much she loves to throw parties, even for occasions like this." Shining Armor continued.

* * *

The very next day, Pinkie Pie (with Braeburn's help) managed to put together a decent sized "Farewell Party" for Spike. All his friends gathered to say their goodbyes, as did many of the citizens of Ponyville, including Mayor Mare herself. Some of them were still not too happy about what Spike had done, but they all knew it wasn't his fault, and they didn't hold it against him. Some of them even felt, that perhaps because they'd been so hard on Spike in the aftermath of his attack, they'd unintentionally made him feel unwelcome.

Those who found it hardest to say goodbye, were those who knew him personally. Rarity, Shining Armor, and Twilight.

Rarity was the first of the three to make an effort to say farewell. Even as her tears caused her make-up to run, Rarity approached the dragon that she knew had a crush on him, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't have some feelings for him buried in her heart. "I'm sorry if I unintentionally called you anything really mean when you ponynapped me," she said, occasionally dabbing at her eyes with a tissue "I'll always cherish that fire ruby you gave to me. It's the nicest thing anypony's ever done for me, except for Fancy Pants agreeing to go into business with me of course. Do take care out there, Spikey-Wikey, and try to come back unharmed. Of course, if you do end up dirty when you return, you can always come over to my place for a bath. I find that a relaxing hot bath can be just the thing to help you unwind after a long journey."

"I'll keep that offer in mind, and I'll do my best to stay out of trouble." Spike promised, and let Rarity give him another kiss on the cheek, so that he'd always have something to remember her by. He then watched, as Rarity walked away, collapsed onto her fainting couch, and began to cry heavily.

She was going to miss her Spikey-Wikey.

Shining Armor went next. He'd already told Spike months ago that he saw the dragon as a little brother, but he knew it was still going to be difficult to go through life in Ponyville without him. Spike had been by his side on that faithful mission from Princess Celestia that had changed everything. in many ways, he was the first friend Shining Armor had ever had. Twilight and Cadence were both wonderful ponies to be around, but when one was always busy with studies, and the other had been absent from Shining Armor's life for years, Spike was the only one that Shining Armor could trust to be there to listen to him.

"I'm really going to miss you, and I hope you'll never forget about me," Shining Armor said to Spike "Just be careful out there, you know much I'll worry if anything happens to you."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Spike replied "I'll miss you too! You've been a wonderful pony to be around and work with, and I'm sorry for all those comments I made about certain aspects of your life. I was only trying to have a little fun."

"I know you were, and truth be told, I think those comments of yours are what about you that I'll miss the most." Shining Armor said, as he walked away slowly.

This left only Twilight to say goodbye, and everyone in the crowd knew how difficult that was going to be for her. Silence fell over Sugarcube Corner, and no one dared to say anything, as Twilight slowly approached Spike. It took only a few seconds for her to reach him, but to everyone it felt like minutes.

The silence continued, as Twilight and Spike just looked at each other, neither one of them saying anything, even as tears came into their eyes and flowed down their cheeks.

At last, Twilight cleared her throat and began to speak "Spike, there is something I've always wanted to say to you, since the day you were hatched. But I never got the chance to do so, because I was too afraid and too absorbed in studying."

"Twilight, are you trying to say, what I think you're trying to say?" Spike asked.

"Spike, I-I... I love..." Twilight spoke, but the words she wanted to say died on her tongue. She was too overcome with sadness.

"It's okay, Twilight. I love you too, you've been a wonderful mother!" Spike said, as he embraced Twilight in a full body hug.

"You're just saying that." Twilight said sadly, the tears continued to trickle down her cheeks.

"No I'm not, you're the best mother anyone could ever ask for! Don't you dare think otherwise for even a moment!" Spike replied, as he and Twilight ended the hug.

"I'll miss you, please don't forget about me!" Twilight insisted.

"I won't, and I won't forget about the rest of you either! You've all been like family to me, and I'll always cherish the good times we had together," Spike said with a smile, even as the tears continued to form. He then retrieved a bundle tied to a stick, picked it up, and made his way out of Sugarcube Corner, and out of Ponyville itself.

All the while, his friends waved to him and tried their best to smile. But not a single eye was dry.

"Goodbye, Spike, we're gonna miss you!" Shining Armor called, as Spike began to disappear over the horizon.

Spike stopped, and briefly looked back at Ponyville. " _Spike. Somehow, even that doesn't feel right anymore,_ " he thought to himself " _I'm a dragon with no name._ " And as he thought this, a sad little song began to play in his head:

 _I know that I've changed,_

 _On the 'outside'._

 _But on the 'inside'_

 _I... still feel the same._

 _Perhaps, one day,_

 _I'll know for sure, who I am._

 _But... for right now,_

 _Somehow, I just... don't have a name._

As Spike disappeared completely, and the crowd began to disperse, Soarin wiped the tears from his eyes. "Come on guys!" he said seriously "We've got to stay strong, it's what Spike would want!"

"No, Soarin," Shining Armor replied, as he held his weeping sister with his hooves "I know what you're trying to do. But this is one time, where it's okay to cry." And as he spoke those lines, Shining Armor didn't care at all that he had tears in his eyes himself. With Spike gone, life was going to be a lot different.


	43. Chapter 43: Foalsitting Woes

Not long after Spike left Ponyville, Winter came to Ponyville, and with it came the holiday festivities of Hearth's Warming.

The holiday was usually a time of happiness and joy for everypony in Equestria, but for Shining Armor and Twilight, Spike's absence left a hole in their hearts too big to be filled by the cheer and holiday spirit of Hearth's Warming.

Even a trip to Canterlot to spend the holiday with family (during which time Shining Armor announced he and Princess Cadence were getting married in the spring), wasn't enough to completely heal their broken hearts.

But they both knew that it was pointless to try and beg Spike to come back. He needed answers, and the dragons were the only ones who could give them to him.

It wasn't easy, but Shining Armor and Twilight managed to get through the winter months without Spike, largely thanks to the support they recieved from their friends.

And then, not long after Winter was wrapped up, something exciting and wonderful happened. Mrs. Cake (who had become pregnant not long after Discord was defeated) gave birth.

* * *

Shining Armor, Twilight, and their friends, had all gathered at Ponyville General Hospital. They could hardly contain their excitement, though Pinkie Pie was, understandably, the most excited of all.

Clearing his throat, Mr. Cake tried his best to look presentable, despite his noticeable panicked state. He stood next to two beds, one of which had a blue blanket, and one of which had a pink blanket. With a smile, he pulled back both blankets, revealing a pegasus colt with a coat that was light goldish gray, almost like cake batter. He had a brown mane and tail in a wavy style, while his eyes were a darker shade of brown. In the other bed, was a unicorn filly with a coat that was light yellow, but could easily be mistaken for orange from a distance. Her mane and tail were light orange, and were as wavy as the pegasus colt Mr. Cake had revealed seconds ago. And her eyes were a brilliant blue in color.

"Say hello to Pound Cake, and Pumpkin Cake. They're twins." Mr. Cake said with a smile.

"Well, aren't they just adorable?" Fluttershy commented.

"They are pretty cute, but I'm certain they'll be quite a hoofful." Soarin added.

"No kidding, when Rumble was a foal, he was quite difficult." Thunderlane said to his friends.

"Congratulations Carrot Cake! You and Cup Cake must be very proud!" Shining Armor smiled.

"We sure are, we've always wanted children of our own. And after all these years, our dreams have come true." Mr. Cake replied, still smiling brightly.

"Say, just how in the hay do two earth ponies have twins that are a pegasus, and a unicorn respectively?" Big Macintosh asked.

"Took the words right out of my mouth, Big Mac. I was thinkin' the same thing." Applejack added.

"Cup Cake and I wondered that as well when the twins were born," Mr. Cake explained "So, we did a bit of research into the family tree. Turns out, my great grandfather was a unicorn. He served in the royal guard as an admiral under Captain Steel Trap."

"Ah, Steel Trap. From what I heard, he was a harsh leader, but he produced good results," Shining Armor said with concern "He was one of the few captains to serve for life."

"And what about the pegasus?" Braeburn asked.

"Cup Cake's great aunt was a pegasus, she flew in The Wonderbolts but never held any noticeable rank." Mr. Cake replied.

"She must've flown with Captain Firefly II, now that was a captain who knew how to attract a crowd. Though, she's got nothing on Spitfire." Soarin commented.

"Oh, this is so exciting! I've got two new foals to play with! That's twice as much fun!" Pinkie Pie cheered, forgetting that she was suppose to be quiet so as to not wake the babies up.

"You'd better be keep an eye on Pound Cake, pegasus foals have a tendency to start being able to fly for short periods of time when you least expect it." Thunderlane warned.

"He'll grow out of it once he gets old enough, then he'll have to learn how to fly again." Soarin added.

"I get the feeling Pound Cake is gonna make for one awesome flyer when he gets older!" Rainbow Dash commented.

"And take great care with Pumpkin Cake." Twilight told Mr. Cake.

"Baby unicorns can get powerful magic surges that come and go." Rarity explained.

"Much like pegasus foals and flying, they grow out of it when they get older." Fancy Pants finished.

"All the same, you'd better make sure their surges don't get too powerful. Otherwise, they can cause lots of problems." Fleur warned.

"Foals in general can be very demanding, and raising twins that are different species from your own will only make it more complicated." Shining Armor said to Mr. Cake.

"Don't worry, Cup Cake and I are prepared for whatever the twins throw at us. And with friends like you, we have access to all the help we could need and then some." Mr. Cake replied, a look of determination reflected in his eyes.

Throughout all of this, Shining Armor noticed that Braeburn remained surprisingly silent. Aside from an occasional comment, he didn't say or do anything.

No one else seemed to notice, they were all too busy fawning over The Cake Twins. Or, in Pinkie Pie's case, bouncing around and making noise. In fact, Pinkie Pie was so loud that Nurse Redheart had to escort her out of the nursery.

* * *

The weeks passed, and before long, Spring was in full bloom across all of Equestria. Even in places winter's icy grip hadn't touched, such as the desert sands of Appleloosa.

This was made clear to Shining Armor, as he observed the lovely arrangement of flowers that greeted his eyes at the train station in Appleloosa. Braeburn had invited him to come alone, saying that there was something urgent he wanted to discuss with Shining Armor.

"Ah, Shining Armor. Right on time, as always," Braeburn greeted cheerfully "Thanks for comin' on such short notice, but you're really the only one I feel comfortable discussin' this subject with."

"You know me, Braeburn, I never turn my back on a friend in need." Shining Armor replied, as he and Braeburn made their way through Appleloosa. Shining Armor was amazed at just how far the quaint little town had come in such a short amount of time. Several buildings that had not been even close to completion during the previous visit, now stood tall and proud amidst the desert landscape. Visitors and citizens mingled with no trouble. And the local buffalo tribe happily stampeded through the orchard road to their heart's content. All in all, things seemed rather peaceful.

So, Shining Armor couldn't help but wonder, what reason could Braeburn have for calling him to Appleloosa on such short notice? Even if it was something personal, why couldn't Braeburn have just told him about it while they were in Ponyville?

"Welcome to my humble abode. It's not much compared to what you're probably used to, but it's as cozy as any motel." Braeburn said with a smile, as he led Shining Armor into his house.

Braeburn's house wasn't anything really fancy, it had all the basic necessities any home should have. This included a kitchen, a bathroom with indoor plumbing, a dining room, two bedrooms (one for Braeburn, and one for any guests that might stay the night), and a living room. It also had electricity.

Everything was styled into the type of theming you'd expect from a town like Appleloosa. This included wooden walls and floors, and colors like yellow, orange, green, and brown.

"What is it you wanted to talk to me about, Braeburn?" Shining Armor asked, once he and Braeburn were seated on the living room couch "And did it really require you to meet me here, instead of just talking it out in Ponyville?"

Braeburn nodded "I know it's sudden, but you're really the only pony I could disclose this to, outside of my family." He then sighed, and the smile on his face was replaced with a frown.

"It's got something to do with The Cake Twins, Pound and Pumpkin Cake, doesn't it?" Shining Armor asked.

"It's that obvious, huh?" Braeburn replied, the frown on his face only growing bigger "Guess I couldn't hide it for long."

"You didn't really think I didn't notice how you were the only one who didn't seem excited to see the new baby ponies, did you?" Shining Armor replied, then, without waiting for an answer he added "What I wanna know now is, what's the reason behind it? I get the feeling it's something you haven't told me, that you probably should've told me long ago."

Braeburn, knowing that it was no use trying to skirt around or change the subject, cleared his throat. "Back when Apple Bloom was just a baby, I helped foalsit her on one occasion. But it didn't go so well." he told Shining Armor.

"It couldn't have been that bad." Shining Armor said innocently.

"Granny Smith certainly didn't think so, and considering what happened, I can't blame her." Braeburn said with a shake of his head.

"Just what exactly happened, if you don't mind me asking that is?" Shining Armor asked Braeburn.

"I don't really like thinking back to that 'episode', but I guess I don't really have a choice in the matter," Braeburn replied after a moment of silence, then he began to tell his story to Shining Armor. "She said she forgave me for it, and she probably meant it. But it's still arguably one of the worst things I've ever done. You know how they say you should never leave a foal unattended, right?"

"You didn't listen to the first rule of foalsitting?!" Shining Armor said with shock.

Braebrun nodded "I really didn't mean to, I thought for sure Granny Smith was watchin' her. I just left to use the bathroom for a moment or two."

"And when you came back, Apple Bloom was gone?" Shining Armor concluded.

"Right again, but that wasn't the worst part," Braeburn explained "In fact, that's not even the half of it. When Granny Smith found out Apple Bloom wasn't in her playpen, she very nearly blew a fuse right then and there. I'd never seen her so angry before, and I don't think I've ever seen her so angry since."

"So, after Granny Smith was done chewing you out, how long did it take for the two of you to find Apple Bloom?" Shining Armor asked.

"It took quite a long time. We searched all of Sweet Apple Acres from top to bottom, but we couldn't find her anywhere," Braeburn continued "At last, just as we were about to give up and assume she'd escaped into the fields, Granny Smith got the idea to check the bathroom. And it's a good thing we did, because Apple Bloom was about to fall into the toilet. If Granny Smith hadn't found her at that moment, Apple Bloom probably would've actually fallen in. And if that had happened, I don't even want to think about what else could've happened to her."

"Even if that was a pretty bad mistake on your part, it was only one instance," Shining Armor said kindly "And considering you're going to be foalsitting The Cake Twins when Pinkie Pie brings them on a visit, I'd say you're getting all worked up over nothing."

"Trust me, Shining Armor, if Apple Bloom was the only bad experience I had with foalsittin', I wouldn't be so nervous," Braeburn replied "I foalsat for a lot of ponies, back when I was first tryin' to strike out on my own. But everytime I did, it was like an unending nightmare."

"Foals can be a hoofful, but I highly doubt every experience was as bad as you claim it was." Shining Armor told Braeburn. And Shining Armor knew he spoke from experience, he'd helped foalsit his sister on quite a few occasions, even after Princess Cadence took up the role full time.

"Believe me, I wish that was true," Braeburn said glumly "But every experience is one that I wanted nothing more than to forget. It didn't matter how old the foal was, what species it was, or what it liked to do. For some reason, I could never quite manage to take care of them well enough to make any repeat customers. There was always somethin' I was doing wrong, whether it be feedin' them the wrong type of food, or not puttin' them down for a nap or sendin' em to bed when they were supposed to. And now, The Cakes and Pinkie Pie are askin' me to take care of the twins? Knowin' my luck, they'll be twice as much trouble."

"But this time, you don't have to go through it alone, you've got Pinkie Pie to help you. And from what Mr. and Mrs. Cake have told me, she's a surprisingly competent foalsitter," Shining Armor said, as he looked Braeburn in the eyes "In fact, I hear she has a secret weapon that's guaranteed to get the twins to laugh, no matter what."

"Which just means she's going to have to work extra hard, because I'm not goin' to be much help," Braeburn said glumly "Look, I know what you're tryin' to do, but it ain't gonna work. I like kids, and one day I'd very much like to start a family of my own. But I have to face the facts, I don't know the first thing about how to handle foals. If I did, all those experiences in the past wouldn't have turned out the way they did."

" _There's gotta be someway I can convince Braeburn that he's better at taking care of children then he thinks he is, but how?_ " Shining Armor thought to himself, as he saw just how unhappy Braeburn looked. Braeburn seemed about ready to cry, and that was the last thing Shining Armor wanted.

"Braeburn, let me ask you something!" Shining Armor suddenly spoke up.

"Whatever it is, you'd better be quick about it." Braeburn replied, suspecting nothing.

"I know you think you're a bad foalsitter, and that you can't take care of foals-" Shining Armor began.

"Didn't I just get through telling you that?" Braeburn asked crossly, folding his arms across his chest.

"But, if you truly _were_ bad, don't you think you wouldn't feel bad about all the times you screwed up?" Shining Armor went on, finishing his statement.

Braeburn said nothing for several minutes. He just stood there, with a puzzled look on his face. He hadn't thought of that before.

"So, you had a few bad experiences with foalsitting when you were younger. But every time you messed up, you learned something new," Shining Armor said, explaining his point "You won't have to go through it alone, and with all that you've learned, you should be able to manage. The Cakes obviously trust you, or they wouldn't have allowed you to help Pinkie Pie look after their children. Don't you think you owe it to them, and to yourself, to try one more time? If you still somehow screw up, you don't have to foalsit for anyone ever again for as long as you live."

Braeburn, after a moment of consideration, said to Shining Armor "If you really have that much confidence in me, and it'll make you happy, I suppose I can give foalsittin' one more chance. But that's all I'm gonna give it, if it doesn't work, I've never doin' it again," Then, he decided it was his turn to ask Shining Armor something. Something very important for that matter "How have you and Twilight been holdin' up since Spike left? I know it's been really hard."

Braeburn expected Shining Armor to skirt his way around the subject, or at least hesitate for a little bit before talking about it. But to Braeburn's surprise, Shining Armor immediately replied with "It has been difficult, both for Twilight, and for myself. They say that time heals all wounds, but the pain of Spike's absence hasn't gotten any better since that day. In fact, I think it's only gotten worse. Twilight and I have had to come to grips with the fact, that Spike may not ever come back. If he finds the information he's looking for, it's not likely he'll come back to live with us. I've even had to consider the possibility, that he won't be around for my upcoming wedding to Cadence."

"Wow! I... had no idea," Braeburn exclaimed.

"I've been trying my best to manage, and not let the pain interfere with my life," Shining Armor explained, as he tried his best not to look too upset "It hasn't been easy, especially considering Twily considered Spike to be her son. But I've lasted this long, and I know that Spike wouldn't want me to spend the rest of my life moping around. He can only hope, that joining the migration at least gave him something of an idea about who he is."

"When does that migration come through Ponyville? That's when Spike said he'd return, isn't it?" Braeburn asked.

"It's next weekend, after Hearts and Hooves Day. And about two weeks after that, Cadence and I are getting married." Shining Armor told Braeburn.

"Well, I know for sure I'm gonna have to be in Ponyville on that day! I've missed Spike just as much as you and your sister have, and that's no lie!" Braeburn replied, feeling more like his usual cheerful self for the first time since inviting Shining Armor to Appleloosa, to discuss his problem.

"Maybe, while you help Pinkie Pie foalsit The Cake Twins, the two of you could start thinking of plans for a party to welcome Spike back. And, assuming Princess Celestia approves, I hope you'll both be willing to help plan the wedding reception," Shining Armor offered "It doesn't have to be anything really grand, though if that's what you want to do, I won't stop you. It just needs to be something that both Cadence and I will like, and something that will make sure everypony knows we're determined not to let anything ruin our union."

"It's a tall order, but you can count on us to throw the best wedding reception Equestria's ever seen!" Braeburn boasted "I guarantee it!"


	44. Chapter 44: Brother to Brothers

The birth of The Cake Twins was not the only significant event to occur in Ponyville as Winter changed to Spring. Being close friends with Big Macintosh, Applejack, and Apple Bloom, both Shining Armor and Twilight knew that Spring meant the start of perhaps the most important part of the year for the Apple family, Cider Season.

They also learned that Rainbow Dash had an absolute obsession with Sweet Apple Acre brand cider. An obsession that led to lots of problems.

But Rainbow Dash's obsession with cider took a back seat to a much bigger problem that the Apple family faced, a lack of cider for everyone who wanted it. Everytime Cider Season began, no matter how many barrels the Apple Family made, they always ran out and had to encourage the customers that hadn't gotten any to come back the next day.

That didn't stop the citizens of Equestria from complaining though, and they complained quite frequently.

* * *

"Sorry folks, we're all out of cider. Come back tomorrow." Applejack announced to the crowd. The last cider barrel had been drained just seconds ago.

"You always say that!" Caramel complained.

"Why can't you guys make more cider?! You know how much it's in demand!" Rainbow Dash added. She was especially cross, because once again she had not gotten a cup to enjoy on the first day.

"I'm sorry, but the whole cider makin' process takes time," Applejack explained "If we sped up the process, we wouldn't be able to make the cider the way ya'll like it."

"If you guys can't produce the cider in a way that meets demand, and maintain the quality, then maybe it's time we got our cider somewhere!" a random pony in the crowd suggested.

"Last time I checked, we're the only ones who supply this stuff. But if any of ya think you can do a better job than us, by all means go ahead!" Big Macintosh spoke up.

As if responding to Big Macintosh's challenge, in the distance there came a most unusual sound. It seemed to be the sound of steam, and the sound of gears and machine parts moving up and down.

The noise grew louder and louder, attracting even the attention of Shining Armor and Twilight.

" _What's going on here?_ " Shining Armor thought to himself. Just a few seconds later, a large machine painted bright red appeared in the distance. It quickly became obvious that said machine was the source of the unusual sounds, as it drew closer and closer. At last, it came to a halt in front of the crowd (breaking a fence in the process).

Out from the machine jumped two unicorn stallions with light yellow coats and wavy red manes and tails, both of them wearing bowler hats there were yellow with blue ribbons. One of the stallions had a mustache.

With the crowd's attention drawn to them, they began to sing.

* * *

"Now that we have your undivided attention-" Flim began.

"We hope you're impressed by what we have to offer," Flam finished "This machine could revolutionize all of Equestria!"

The Apple Family wasn't so convinced, despite having witnessed the machine's potential with their own eyes. They huddled close together, and began to discuss their next course of action.

"There ain't any way that darn fangled machine is just gonna up and replace us!" Granny Smith said furiously "Those brothers have another thing commin' if they think they can take Cider Season from us!"

"But do we really know for sure that's what they're tryin' to do?" Apple Bloom asked "I don't think we want to make them our enemies without at least givin' them a chance to be our friends."

"That machine's got potential. As much as I hate to admit it, I think we're outclassed here." Applejack said glumly.

"Even so, we gotta stand our ground! You all know how important Cider Season is to us!" Granny Smith said seriously, with a shake of her head "No matter what, we need the money from cider sales to stay afloat in the winter."

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied, then he and the rest of the Apples became aware that The Flim Flam brothers were close by, and wished to speak to them.

"So sorry to eavesdrop on your conversation, Apples, but we have a proposal to offer." Flam spoke up.

"Whatever it is, we don't want to hear it! You can just take your machine and leave!" Granny Smith said angrily.

"Granny Smith, calm down!" Big Macintosh pleaded, then he turned to The Flim Flam Brothers "What's yer proposal?"

"It's simple, really," Flim explained "We go into business together. You give us the apples, and we'll produce the cider."

"Then we split the profits, 75/25. And we'll throw in the magic to power the machine at no extra cost," Flam added "So. whadya say, Apples? Do we have a deal?"

"Who gets the 75 percent?" Applejack asked the brothers.

"Why, us of course, that machine requires a lot of tender love and care, and that doesn't come cheap." Flim replied.

"75 percent is outrageous! You don't need that much money to power that contraption, or maintain it!" Applejack protested, angrily stomping her hoof to make a point "We, on the other hoof, need the money from Cider Season to stay in business durin' Winter! Without it, we'll have to shut down! You'll be without business partners, and we'll be homeless! We'll all lose!"

"Nonsense, we can take over Sweet Apple Acres if need be and run things on our own." Flim explained.

"But we're being generous, and offering you Apples a chance to keep your home. I'd suggest you take it." Flam added.

"Sorry, but unless you're willin' to split those profits 50/50, we ain't acceptin' any offers you propose to us." Applejack said seriously, and turned her back to the brothers.

"Sorry Apples, but I'm afraid we can't accept anything below 75 percent, it's just not doable." Flim said, as he and his brother began to walk away.

"Since you refuse to be our business partners, you leave us no choice but to drive you all out of business! When next we meet, we're rivals!" Flam added, and he and his brother got onto their machine and disappeared.

"Good riddance, that's what I say!" Granny Smith said angrily.

Big Macintosh, however, was not so sure his family had acted rationally " _If only I hadn't been so afraid to speak up, I might have been able to work out a compromise. But now I feel like we've just made some very powerful enemies._ " he thought to himself. Part of him hoped he was wrong, and that Flim and Flam were just blowing off steam.

* * *

But the very next day, Big Macintosh found out that The Flim Flam Brothers hadn't been bluffing. When they showed up in their machine, and broke the same fence Granny Smith was trying to repair, everyone could sense that they were clearly determined to follow through on their promise to drive the Apple family out of business.

"You Apples wanted to compete us, and that's exactly what you're going to get!" Flam insisted.

"We're officially challenging you to a cider making contest," Flim proposed "It would be in your best interest to accept."

Upon seeing this disturbance, Shining Armor took immediate action "You two had better not be trying to force the Apple family into a contest against their will. It could end very badly for you both." he told the brothers.

"Thanks for the help, Shining Armor, but we can take these two clowns by ourselves!" Applejack said seriously, stepping forward "We accept your challenge, Flim Flam Brothers! Name your terms and conditions!"

"How does this sound?" Flim offered "We'll use your south field for the contest. If we win, Sweet Apple Acres is ours to do whatever we want with. And we get control of Cider Season, but we'd be more than happy to let you work for us, for a price."

"Should we lose, we'll pack up our things and leave. But the machine stays with us!" Flam added "That good enough for you, Apples?! Or are you chicken?!"

"Nopony calls Granny Smith a chicken!" Apple Bloom insisted.

"You youngins got yerselves a deal! And when we whoop your sorry flanks in the contest, we don't ever want to see hide or hair of ya on our turf ever again, understand?!" Granny Smith said angrily.

"We understand perfectly." Flam said with a smile.

"I just hope you're prepared to accept your defeat when we beat you!" Flim boasted, and so a contest was held.

The rules were simple, both sides were given a small amount of time to prepare and get ready, then they had 30 minutes to make as many barrels of cider as possible. Whichever side produced more barrels would be the winner.

* * *

"Time is up!" Mayor Mare declared when the 30 minutes had ended "After a careful tally of the barrels produced, The Apple Family wins with 65 barrels, to The Flim Flam Brothers 64!"

"You know what that means, you whippersnappers! Time for you to make like a tree, and leave!" Granny Smith ordered furiously "Don't either of you ever come 'round here again!"

Flim and Flam, realizing they'd been beaten, reluctantly accepted the outcome. "A deal's a deal, we've lost fair and square." Flim said, as he and his brother hopped onto their machine.

"But mark our words, Apples, this isn't over! We will be back, someday!" Flam vowed, and the brothers and their machine sped away.

Not long afterward, everypony was helping themselves to a cup of cider. And for once, no one seemed to be complaining about not getting any cider.

And yet, Big Macintosh wasn't happy, even though he had every right to be.

"Hey, why the long face?" Soarin asked his friend "It's not like you to be all gloomy, what's got your goat?"

"It's nothin' really, nothin' that concerns you at least." Big Macintosh replied, his tone of voice indicating he clearly didn't think that way.

"It's no use trying to hide your feelings from us, Big Macintosh." Thunderlane spoke up.

"We're only here to help," Shining Armor added, having long since polished off his cup of cider "It's got something to do with The Flim Flam Brothers, doesn't it?"

"It's like you can read minds or somethin', Shining Armor." Big Macintosh replied.

"Or just being able to sense what's troubling you," Shining Armor explained "But why are you so concerned about them? They were pretty rude, and it seems that they really have it out for you and your family."

"That may be so, but I feel like I could've prevented all of this if I'd just spoken up," Big Macintosh told his friend, the frown on his face only growing bigger "Instead, I kept my mouth shut, and I allowed my family's stubborness to do the talking for us. And said stubbornness cost us two ponies that could've been valuable business partners."

"Considering the way they acted, I find that highly doubtful," Soarin remarked "I'm all for seeing the good in other ponies, but those two seemed like exactly the kind of ponies I hate. Or rather, I should say, dislike very much."

"As much as I hate to admit it, Soarin has a point," Shining Armor commented "Flim and Flam seemed to be very much in love with the sound of their own voices. They remind me of that Trixie fellow from a little over a year ago, except far more boastful and without any sort of excuse."

"Even if they were pretty rude, that's hardly an excuse for not at least tryin' a little harder to get on their good side," Big Macintosh replied with a shake of his head "Ma and Pa always used to tell me that you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. And I feel like the impression my family and I left, was one that would've made anyone want to take us down a few pegs."

"If you really think that's the case, why don't you try to explain things to those two? I doubt they've gotten too far." Thunderlane suggested.

Much to everyone's surprise, Big Macintosh said in reply "I suppose I will. At the very least, I want know I made an honest effort to reach out to them." And he set off at once.

* * *

It turned out that Thunderlane was right, Flim and Flam had not gotten far by the time Big Macintosh had found them. They were just on the outskirts of Ponyville, their machine apparently having broken down and leaving them stranded.

"I thought I told you, brother, to ensure that every part of the machine was inspected before the competition!" Flam shouted angrily, as he held a wrench in his hooves.

"Hey, don't be blaming me, brother!" Flim replied, as he poked his head out from under the machine "You were the one who was supposed to give this machine a tune-up before we started the contest! It's your fault we were defeated!"

"My fault?! You were the one who didn't want to turn the machine to full power when we started to lose!" Flam shouted back.

"You said it yourself, we had never tested it at that power before! We have no idea what might have happened if we'd done so! For all we know, it could've blown up and taken out everything nearby, including the Apples, and us!" Flim protested.

"Well, today is just a day for things to go wrong, isn't it?!" Flam pondered out loud.

"Relax, brother. I think I've discovered the source of the problem," Flim replied "It should only take a couple of minutes to get it fixed, and then we can be back on the road."

" _This is it, it's now or never!_ " Big Macintosh thought to himself, as he cleared his throat. Attracting the attention of The Flim Flam Brothers. "Uh, hello."

"What do you want?!" Flam asked angrily.

"Come to rub your victory in our faces?! Well, go ahead, laugh yourself silly for all we care!" Flim added.

"I just came here to talk, that's all." Big Macintosh said nervously.

"Talk about what?! There's nothing to discuss!" Flim replied.

"Now, tell us the _real_ reason you came here!" Flam demanded "You've got five seconds!"

"Would you just listen?! I wanted to apologize!" Big Macintosh insisted.

"Apologize?! Do you take us for a bunch of fools?!" Flim said angrily.

"We weren't born yesterday, pal! You say you want to apologize, but in reality you're just luring us into a false sense of security so you can bring us down! Nice try, but it won't work!" Flam told Big Macintosh.

"You guys could've beaten us easily, that machine of yours was really powerful. But you disposed of the last few barrels, and let us win. What I wanna know is, why?" Big Macintosh asked "After the way my family and I treated you, why did you let us win?"

"You're mistaken, Big Macintosh. We didn't let you win on purpose, if that's what you're implying." Flim spoke up.

"Those last few barrels of cider were terrible, nopony would've wanted to drink from them. So, rather than risk public humiliation, we got rid of the bad barrels. Unfortunately, we didn't make enough good barrels to beat you," Flam explained "That's why we did what we did, not because of pity or anything like that."

"But why should you even care? With us out of the way, you and your family have Cider Season all to yourselves!" Flim said crossly.

"Just admit it, you only came here to gloat and make us feel bad!" Flam demanded.

"That's not the reason at all! Why do you two seem to think I'm trying to bring you down?" Big Macintosh asked "My family and I treated you badly, and I wanted to make an honest effort to apologize for it. Whatever it was that led to the contest, it doesn't have to define our interactions for years and years to come. I wanna build a bridge, not put up a fence."

"And what do you even have to apologize for? You and your family reacted no differently from the hundreds of other ponies we've pitched our fine machine to." Flam told Big Macintosh.

"And considering the state it's now in, it's hardly a surprise we get that sort of treatment," Flim said glumly "This is the third model we've designed, and we still haven't worked out all the bugs. Let's face it, we're con artists! Always have, and always will be. We've tried to make an honest living, but it's never worked out."

"Then my family and I should've treated you better, but instead, we let our stubbornness and pride get in the way. That machine of yours could've easily produced enough cider to keep the town happy for weeks, and save us a huge amount of backbreaking labor," Big Macintosh said honestly "But all we could think about, was ourselves."

"You feel pity for us, don't you?" Flim asked. Big Macintosh nodded.

"Well, we don't need your stinking pity, or anypony else's for that matter!" Flam said furiously "Is the machine fixed yet, brother of mine?"

"It is, and I think I managed to correct the problem that kept causing it to break down." Flim replied.

"Then let us depart at once!" Flam insisted, as he jumped onto the machine. And with that, The Flim Flam Brothers took off. But Big Macintosh had the gut feeling that he hadn't seen the last of the two.

" _They're just like that Trixie fellow that Shining Armor talked to,_ " Big Macintosh thought unhappily to himself, as he made his way back to town " _They're so used to having the world drag them down, that they see no way out, except to give in and embrace the hopelessness._ "

If only there was some way, he could make them see that they didn't have to be who they were.


	45. Chapter 45: First Date

As the days left until the dragon migration passed through Ponyville grew shorter, Shining Armor and Twilight could hardly contain their excitement. They were looking forward to seeing Spike once again, though they both knew there was a very good possibility he might not want to come back and live with them.

Preparations for Shining Armor's wedding to Princess Cadence were being finalized, and the news spread like wildfire throughout Canterlot and Ponyville. The excitement was so high, that Shining Armor found it hard to sleep at night.

But there was one last major event that had to take place in Ponyville, before the dragon migration came along. Hearts and Hooves Day.

* * *

Most ponies looked forward to Hearts and Hooves Day, especially those that were looking for a very special somepony to call their own. And even those who were already in love enjoyed Hearts and Hooves Day in their own special way.

But for Big Macintosh, Hearts and Hooves Day was a holiday he could very much do without for one reason, the endless amount of mares that tried to go out with him since he was THE most sought after bachelor in all of Ponyville.

It wasn't that Big Macintosh wasn't looking for love, but none of the mares who attempted to flirt with him felt right. They all seemed interested in dating him solely because he was so attractive, and didn't seem interested in getting to know him on a personal level.

The sort of mare Big Macintosh was looking for, was one that would treat him well, and cared about knowing who he was on the inside, not the outside. And in his many years of being a bachelor Big Macintosh had not a single mare that matched his standards. And he didn't think they were very high standards to have.

And so it was that as another Hearts and Hooves Day dawned, Big Macintosh felt himself filled with a familiar sense of dread. This Hearts and Hooves Day would be especially hard, since his cousin Braeburn was in Appleloosa, and Shining Armor was in Canterlot, making sure everything was just right for his wedding.

This meant that Big Macintosh was going to have fewer friends to lean on, and would attract more attention than he had in years prior.

* * *

It was just after sunrise in Ponyville, and Big Macintosh was certain it was only a matter of time until the many single mares of Ponyville woke up, and sought out stallions to spend Hearts and Hooves Day with. Sometimes, he was lucky, and got mares like Rarity or Fluttershy, who he'd met on numerous occasions. But often times, he got mares he knew nothing about, and this made dates awkward and uncomfortable.

" _I hope this day ends soon._ " Big Macintosh thought unhappily to himself, as he went about his morning work. Just because today was Hearts and Hooves Day didn't mean he had an excuse to slack off, as much as he wished it was an actual excuse.

"Hey, Big Macintosh? How's it hanging?" Soarin asked, breaking Big Macintosh out of his chain of unhappy thoughts.

Big Macintosh was surprised for a moment, before he regained his senses "Oh, it's just you, Soarin. I'm glad to see a friendly face on a day like today."

"What's got you acting so glum? You're usually not this down in the dumps." Soarin commented.

Big Macintosh sighed "You know me well enough to know what the problem is. Today's Hearts and Hooves Day, my personal tartarus!"

"Oh yeah, kind of forgot about that." Soarin admitted nervously.

Big Macintosh just sighed again "That doesn't surprise me, you don't know what I suffer. You don't attract quite the same amount of attention that I do."

Soarin shook his head "Well, that's only half true. I don't get the same kind of mares gunning for me every Hearts and Hooves Day, but I have my own special problems. I've got two mares in my life that mean a lot to me, and I don't really know which of them I'm interested in pursuing a relationship with. To make matters worse, both of them are frequently in my life, and they've made efforts to try and win over my heart."

"You're talking about Rainbow Dash and Spitfire, aren't you?" Big Macintosh deduced.

Soarin nodded "I'm kind of leaning more towards Rainbow Dash, just a little, because she's really devoted and determined. And I like that in a mare. But Spitfire and I have been childhood friends, it's kind of hard for me to not feel something for her. I just don't know if the love I feel towards her is more of a sibling sort of thing, or an actual romantic attraction."

"You're lucky, at least you've actually got mares that are interested in you for who you are on the inside," Big Macintosh said to Soarin "For me, I'll be lucky if, by the end of the day, I don't have every eligible mare in town trying to ask me out on a date. And knowin' my luck, I'm not gonna get any mares like Rarity, Fluttershy, or Pinkie Pie askin' me out."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that. Something tells me that this time will be different." Soarin told Big Macintosh.

"What you makes say that?" Big Macintosh asked.

"I'm not really sure, it's just something I could sense when I woke up this morning. I got the feeling that this would be a Hearts and Hooves Day unlike any other." Soarin explained.

"Thanks for tryin' to cheer me up, Soarin. But I'd rather not get my hopes up, as far as I'm concerned, Hearts and Hooves Day is a day that's goin' to keep hauntin' me until the day I either settle down, or die." Big Macintosh said glumly, a huge frown forming on his face. He then set off to complete the rest of the things he needed to do today.

"Big Macintosh, wait!" Soarin called, but it was no use, Big Macintosh was already gone. Soarin just sighed "Shining Armor's always better at this sort of thing. It's too bad he's not here to talk to Big Macintosh. Oh well, at least I tried. Maybe, Fancy Pants will know what to do to cheer up our friend." And with that, Soarin set off.

* * *

At first, Hearts and Hooves Day passed the way it always had passed for Big Macintosh. Several mares tried to ask him out on dates, but he declined each one with an "Eenope." As far as he was convinced, there was no point in going on a date with somepony who was just asking him out to make her friends jealous.

But everything changed when Scootaloo randomly (and innocently) asked him if he was doing anything special for Hearts and Hooves Day. Not suspecting that the answer he gave would change his life forever, Big Macintosh had replied with a simple "Eenope." And that was all that was needed for The Cutie Mark Crusaders to set into motion a series of events that would change his life forever.

Upon arriving at the gazebo in Ponyville Park, Big Macintosh was surprised when he bumped into Cheerilee, the teacher at the schoolhouse. The two of them had not seen each other in years, despite having grown up in Ponyville and having attended the same school.

With Apple Bloom and her friends having taken the liberty of fixing up the gazebo on their own, Big Macintosh was lured into a romantic setting with Cheerilee. And he found himself unable to say much of anything besides "Eeyup" or "Eenope". He wanted to ask Cheerilee something, but his nerves got the better of him, and he said nothing throughout the entire experience.

" _I can't believe I was so stupid!_ " he thought unhappily to himself, as he returned to Sweet Apple Acres to sulk " _That was my big chance to tell her how I felt, and I completely blew it! She'll never go out on a date with me now!_ "

Before he had much of a chance to really beat himself up for his inability to say what was on his mind, Big Macintosh was invited back to the gazebo at The Cutie Mark Crusaders request. They told him it was important, and although he could easily see what they were trying to do, he decided to play along. If it meant he would have a chance to tell Cheerilee what he wanted to tell her, he was willing to humor his sister and her friends for a little bit.

Minutes passed by, and Big Macintosh found himself drinking a cup of punch that Apple Bloom and her friends had made. The next thing Big Macintosh knew, he was sitting on a featherbed mattress in a trench just outside of Carousel Boutique. Cheerilee was sitting next to him, wearing a wedding veil that had no doubt come from Carousel Boutique.

It turned out that The Cutie Mark Crusaders' punch was actually a love poison, and they had served to Big Macintosh and Cheerilee without knowing that it would turn them into love obsessed zombies. Fortunately, all was forgiven, and Cheerilee and Big Macintosh quickly agreed that the best way to make sure the three fillies had learned their lesson, was to make them do all of Big Macintosh's chores for the next couple of days.

As Hearts and Hooves Day drew to a close, Big Macintosh found himself getting comfortable enough to call Cheerilee "Pumpkin Pie" after she had called him "Sugar Bear" (a nickname that he became quite fond of). One thing lead to another, and before he knew it, he and Cheerilee were enjoying a nice picnic dinner at the fixed up gazebo, while Celestia's sun slowly set.

"Well, today was certainly a day for surprises, wasn't it?" Cheerilee asked Big Macintosh, as the two earth ponies made their way home from the park.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied. He was still not quite comfortable saying much else to Cheerilee.

"Thanks for not trying to exploit the aftermath of the love poison incident, I think I'm going to have to start a petition to have the book containing that recipe removed from the Golden Oaks Library until said recipe is taken out." Cheerilee added.

"No kiddin'." Big Macintosh said with a chuckle, before he quickly went back to being silent.

"Say, Big Mac? Can I ask you something?" Cheerilee said to Big Macintosh.

"Eeyup, ask away." Big Macintosh smiled. He was ready for anything, or so he thought.

"Do you think, tomorrow, you could swing by the schoolhouse, and we could have a picnic lunch together?" Cheerilee asked "If not, I'll understand. This is kind of sudden, but, well, you're just such a gentle stallion. And I like that about you."

"Well... uh... I'h... guess I... could maybe do that," Big Macintosh said nervously, his face turning red to the point where you could notice it even with his red coat "When do you want to meet up?"

"Whenever you find the time, I'll be waiting." Cheerilee said with a smile, and she kissed Big Macintosh on the cheek.

* * *

"And that's the whole story," Big Macintosh told Shining Armor "I've got a date with Cheerilee for later this afternoon. And I'm really nervous, I was hopin' you'd be able to help me out."

Shining Armor was more than a little surprised to hear Big Macintosh asking him for advice on how to date Cheerilee, especially considering he'd always considered Big Macintosh to be more of the kind of stallion who knew what mares liked.

But upon returning home from Canterlot, Shining Armor had been quite surprised to learn what had taken place in his absence. And now, here he was, inside the familiar confines of the Golden Oaks Library, with one of his friends asking for romantic advice.

Shining Armor remained silent for a little bit, then he looked Big Macintosh firmly in the eyes and said "The only advice I can give you, is to be yourself. If you try to act like somepony you're not, it'll show. And chances are, who you are is what attracted Cheerilee to you in the first place. Besides, I'm hardly an expert on what mares like. No two mares are the same, and the only way you'll ever know what the mare interested in you likes, is if you get to know her personally. I know this might sound cheesy, but it's the truth."

"Really? That's all you have to offer for advice?" Big Macintosh complained, he had expected more than what he'd got.

"I'm afraid so, but it's the honest truth," Shining Armor said, as he put a hoof around his friend "Just be yourself, and try to relax. The more you spend time with her, the more comfortable you'll feel around her. Who knows, maybe, one day, the two of you will get married."

"I'd rather not think about that for right now, I'm currently just interested in gettin' through this date without a hitch," Big Macintosh replied "I ain't lookin' to get hitched just yet. We've already got one weddin' to worry about, I don't think our friends need the added pressure of two weddin''s back to back."

"I wasn't trying to rush you, the two of you should take the time to see how you feel, before you decide if you're willing to spend the rest of your lives together," Shining Armor encouraged "Marriage is a very important turning point in your life."

Big Macintosh couldn't help but smile "You sure know an awful lot about love and marriage. Cadence has really rubbed off on you, hasn't she?"

Shining Armor tried his hardest not to blush "What can I say? When you get to know the alicorn of love, you start to learn things you never really gave a second thought to before."

"You aren't worried about marryin' her? Are you?" Big Macintosh asked bluntly.

"Me? Worried? Nah," Shining Armor protested, but Big Macintosh could easily see that Shining Armor was lying. With a sigh, Shining Armor admitted "Oh, alright, I can't really hide anything from you. I _am_ worried, but not because I think she'll back out at the last second or anything. I didn't want to tell Twily or anypony else about this, but all is not well in the land of Equestria right now."

Big Macintosh could clearly sense that what Shining Armor was worrying about was far more serious than just wedding nerves. Reluctantly, he asked "What do you mean?"

Shining Armor's mood quickly became more serious as he told Big Macintosh "A threat has been made against Canterlot, we're not really sure who or what issued the threat, but we're not taking any chances. I've been asked by Princess Celestia, to provide extra security in the days leading up to the wedding, to ensure nothing gets in or out of the city without permission! I wanted to call off the wedding, but Cadence insisted we hold it as originally planned, so as not to seem intimidated by whoever or whatever issued the threat. If I wasn't so in love with her, I wouldn't have agreed with her. I would've called it off until the threat passed."

"Whoa! Sorry I asked," Big Macintosh apologized "But are you really sure it's a good idea to keep your sister, her friends, and our friends, in the dark about the threat? I'm pretty sure they'd want to know, so they can keep an eye out for anythin' suspicious."

"If it weren't for the fact that the wedding is only days away, and the threat was made just last week, I would tell them," Shining Armor insisted "But at this point, there's not really much they could do other than reassure me everything will be okay. And I don't want to make them worry about something that not even Princess Celestia knows about. It's probably nothing, and the threat is just some elaborate prank devised by the members of the nobility, that are still against me marrying Princess Cadence."

"Like that Prince Blueblood fella?" Big Macintosh asked.

"Actually, Prince Blueblood is surprisingly in favor of our marriage," Shining Armor replied "He claims that it's only natural low class members of nobility like us would get married. Coming from him, that's probably the closest I can get to an actual compliment."

"No kiddin'," Big Macintosh chuckled "I know I don't have to worry about becomin' him, I'm actually surprised he doesn't have more suitors. Then again, considerin' the way he treated Rarity, I guess most mares want nothin' to do with him. I know for a fact that if I were a mare, I wouldn't touch him with a fifty hoof pole."

"Exactly," Shining Armor replied, and shifted the subject back to its original line of discussion "So don't worry about your date with Cheerilee. You'll do fine, as long as you remember to be yourself and no one else. In fact, I think you'll do even better than I did with Cadence on our first date."

"Really? Or are you just sayin' that to make me feel better?" Big Macintosh asked.

"I wouldn't lie to you about something like that, you'd see right through me in a heartbeat." Shining Armor assured Big Macintosh.

"Well, thanks for that much needed vote of confidence in me," Big Macintosh said kindly, then he looked at the clock "Oh my! It's gettin' late, I'd better get goin'! Ma always said it's not polite to keep a lady waitin'! Wish me luck!"

"Hey, you don't need luck!" Shining Armor said, as Big Macintosh hurried out the door "You'll do just fine!"

* * *

Cheerilee was waiting just outside the school house, for Big Macintosh to show up. She was certain she wouldn't back out, he'd seemed genuinely interested in giving their relationship a chance.

But as she glanced at the clock tower, and saw what time it was, her heart began to sink. It was almost sundown, and Big Macintosh had yet to show up. " _I guess he's not coming after all. And I was so sure that this time would be different from my previous pursuits for love,_ " she thought unhappily to herself, and frowned " _Well, at least I tried. Guess it's back to being single, again._ "

However, before Cheerilee could head home, and drown her sorrows in a cup of apple cider, she could see a stallion with a familiar red coat appear in the distance. As said stallion drew closer and closer, he seemed to running full speed towards Cheerilee.

"I-I, I'm sorry I'm late," Big Macintosh apologized "I was just talkin' with one of my friends and I guess I'h lost track of the time. I didn't mean to make you wait so long. We still on for that picnic lunch?"

Cheerilee smiled "Of course, though now it's more of a picnic dinner, than a lunch." Was it Big Macintosh's imagination, or had her smile been a frown just seconds ago?

"You're not mad I made you wait all this time?" Big Macintosh asked.

"We can discuss that once we actually find a spot to set up the picnic blanket," Cheerilee said, as she grabbed Big Macintosh by the hoof "Now come on, time waits for nopony and we're only young once. We should make the most of the time we've got. Isn't that right, sugar bear?"

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied, as he grabbed the picnic basket and set off with Cheerilee. He was really looking forward to this date. All in all, the little love poison incident from Hearts and Hooves Day had worked to his advantage. Now, he had a promising relationship with Cheerilee. And he was certain he was going to enjoy being in love.


	46. Chapter 46: Spike Returns

It had been a long couple of months, but at long last the wait was over. The annual dragon migration was due to pass over Ponyville in a matter of hours, and both Shining Armor and Twilight could barely contain their excitement. They were looking forward to seeing Spike again, though they had to remind themselves that he might not necessarily be coming back for good.

Everyone else who know Spike was also eager to see him come back, Ponyville hadn't been the same without him. Rarity in particular, had found it surprisingly hard to concentrate on her work.

And so it was, that on the day that the migration was slated to pass through Ponyville, Shining Armor, Twilight, and their friends, were all watching from the safety of a trench. All of them had their eyes to the sky, trying to spot the dragons and hopefully, Spike. So far, they hadn't spotted a single dragon.

"Do you see anythin' yet?" Applejack asked Big Macintosh.

"Eenope." Big Macintosh replied.

"I don't see any dragons either," Soarin added "Where could they be?"

"Are you sure you got the right date for the migration?" Rainbow Dash asked Twilight "Cause it looks like those dragons aren't coming!"

"But this doesn't make any sense! I know I have the right date! I studied all the information I could find about dragons and their migrating patterns!" Twilight complained "They _have_ to pass through here!"

"Maybe they're just being fashionably late?" Fancy Pants suggested.

"Or maybe something happened to them that held them up?" Thunderlane proposed.

"Whatever the case is, they aren't here even though they should be," Shining Armor said seriously "Looks like Spike's homecoming will be delayed." And he turned to leave the trench, and head back home.

But just then, Pinkie Pie began to jump up and down, all the while shouting "Look! Look!"

"I don't believe it! The dragons are coming!" Braeburn exclaimed, and he was right.

Using their binoculars, everypony in the trench turned their attention to the sky above them. In a matter of seconds, it was filled with dragons of all sorts of different sizes and colors. Some were very big, and some were rather small. But all of them were a sight to behold for the ponies in the trench, most of whom had never seen anything like it before.

However, Twilight was concerned only with trying to find one particular dragon amongst the migrating group. She looked all around, but there was no sign of him. She searched high, and she searched low, but there was no sign of him anywhere. Not even a single green scale. " _I know he has to be in the migration somewhere,_ " Twilight thought to herself, unwilling to give up hope " _Where is he? Maybe I should've tried to send him a letter asking him where he'd be during the migration?_ "

Seconds passed, then minutes, but nopony was able to spot any sign of Spike amongst the dragons. As the migration came to a close, and the last of the dragons passed by the trench, Spike was still nowhere to be seen, much to the disappointment of everyone in the trench.

"Well, I guess... Spike isn't coming home. He must've found his calling somewhere along the path of the migration, and decided to stay." Twilight said sadly, trying her best not to cry.

"And to think, I never even went on a date with him, even once." Rarity added, now wishing she'd done so at some point. She still wasn't sure if her feelings for Spike went as far as actual love, but at least part of her still felt empty without Spike in her life. He may not have been the sort of prince charming she'd always imagined she'd marry, but in many ways he was a suitor that she'd actually appreciated the more she got to know him.

"I'm gonna miss seeing that little guy, he was a lot of fun to play with." Rumble commented, as he climbed down from Thunderlane's back. With the dragon migration over, he had no reason to stay up there.

"We're all gonna miss him, very much," Shining Armor spoke up "And it's a real shame, I was really looking forward to having him at my wedding," Shining Armor then sighed "I guess, I'll have to break the news to Cadence that our wedding will short one baby dragon. She won't take the news very well, Spike was just as much a part of her life as he was a part of my life, as well as Twily's."

"I was especially looking forward to throwing him a 'Welcome Home' party." Pinkie Pie said, barely able to hold onto her smile.

"It won't be easy to adjust to a life without Spike around, but somehow, I think we'll manage." Fancy Pants said glumly, even though he was not so sure of the statement himself.

And so it was that the dragon migration passed, without any sign of Spike. Everypony that gathered to welcome him back, even if it would only be for a little while, went home with heavy hearts. Twilight in particular, found it hard not to shed tears. " _I probably drove him away with all the demands I placed on him as my number one assistant._ "

But upon reaching The Golden Oaks Library, opening the door, and walking through it, Twilight and Shining Armor were dealt a surprise they never could've imagined.

"What kept you two? I've been waiting here all afternoon." a familiar snarky voice called out. A second later, Twilight and Shining Armor laid eyes on a light purple skin with green scales that they had not seen in months.

"Spike!" The Sparkle siblings exclaimed, promptly racing over and hugging him.

"That's right, I'm back!" Spike said happily "Now, tell me all the news! I wanna know just what it is that I've missed out on while I was away."

* * *

Spike could have hardly anticipated just how much he was missed by everyone in Ponyville, as Pinkie Pie and Braeburn's joint "Welcome Home" party for him led to Sugarcube Corner being packed with ponies and non ponies young and old alike.

His friends especially were glad to have him in their lives again, and it wasn't long before Spike caught up on the news he hadn't heard.

* * *

"Just who are these little bundles of joy?" Spike asked, as he held a pegasus colt and a unicorn filly in his claws.

The colt had a coat that was light goldish gray in color, almost like cake batter. He had a brown mane and tail in a wavy style, while his eyes were a darker shade of brown, more like chocolate. The filly had a coat that was light yellow in color. Her mane and tail were light orange, and were as wavy as the pegasus colt, her eyes were a brilliant blue in color.

"They're Pound and Pumpkin Cake of course!" Pinkie Pie said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Cake? As in, the same Cake family as Mr. and Mrs. Cake?" Spike asked Pinkie Pie.

"Yes a rooni!" Pinkie Pie replied, then she said to Pound and Pumpkin Cake "This is Spike, say 'Hi Spike.'"

Pound and Pumpkin Cake spoke up, but all Spike heard was a series of unintelligible babbles of random nonsense.

"They're only about two months old, they're still learning how to talk." Mr. Cake told Spike.

"But we love them very much, and we're glad to have them around," Mrs. Cake added "They've also taken a real shine to Pinkie Pie, they seem to see her as something of an aunt."

"And between you and me, they seem to really like Braeburn, they're the only other pony they're willing to listen to. Besides their parents of course." Pinkie Pie whispered to Spike.

"Well, I'm glad I finally got to meet them. They seem to be really excited to see me." Spike said, as he noticed how much the twins seemed to enjoy being held by him. They especially seemed to delight in lightly poking his scales with their chubby little hooves.

"This is their first time getting to see you face to face, until now they've only heard stories about you," Pinkie Pie explained "I don't think they imagined you'd be a dragon, instead of a pony."

"Well, I am what I am." Spike replied, as Pound and Pumpkin Cake yawned lightly.

"Excuse me, but it's time for the twins to take their nap," Mrs. Cake explained softly "If you would be so kind as to let me have them back." Spike happily obliged, and Mrs. Cake quickly took her children upstairs, so they could nap in peace.

"That ain't the only piece of news you missed out on while you were off tryin' to find your place in life with that migration." Applejack told Spike.

"Oh yeah, that." Spike replied. Was it Shining Armor's imagination, or did he suddenly seem unhappy to hear such a thing? Surely, the migration had provided Spike with the answers he'd been seeking.

"Big Mac here went and hooked up with Cheerilee, they're officially datin' now!" Braeburn explained "I couldn't believe my ears when I first heard the news, but it was all true!"

"No kidding? Ponyville's number one chick magnet finally found one that stuck to him?" Spike joked "Well, it took him long enough. I was starting to think he was afraid of dating or something."

Spike was only teasing, but he was quite surprised to see Big Macintosh give him an angry glare that seemed to convey "That's not funny!". Spike, deciding it was best not to press his luck. "So, Cheerilee, huh?" he said "Well, I gotta give Big Mac credit, he certainly aims to please."

"Eeyup." Was all Big Macintosh decided to say. He was still getting used to the idea of dating a pony, let alone somepony like Cheerilee, who was the town's elementary school teacher.

"So, what was the migration like?" Soarin asked Spike "Did you meet a lot of other dragons?"

"Were they big and scary?" Fluttershy said nervously.

"Were some of them all cutesie wootsie like you?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"I'll bet most of them had stashes of treasure they weren't too keen on sharing." Fancy Pants chimed in.

"They didn't try to hurt you, did they?" Rarity asked, expressing her concern for Spike "If they touched one scale on that cute little head of yours, I'll make them sorry!"

"Did you meet any female dragons by any chance?" Braeburn added "If so, what were they like?"

"I know we're asking a lot of questions, but we're all very curious as to what you saw on that migration," Thunderlane explained "We've missed having you around, and we're all wondering why you came back now."

"Twilight and Shining Armor especially missed having you around," Rainbow Dash chimed in "And you're the first one of us to actually get a chance to see dragons up close and personal."

"When they aren't causing trouble, that is." Soarin quickly added.

"Which is why we're all so curious as to what the dragons you migrated with were like," Applejack explained "So, care to enlighten us with your knowledge?"

Much to the surprise of everyone gathered, Spike replied by saying "I know you all have questions, and under normal circumstances, I'd be glad to answer them. But right now, I'm really tired out. Being part of that migration was exhausting, so I'd like nothing more than to just return home and rest. Once I'm feeling more like my old self, I'll gladly answer all of your questions as best I can." And to emphasize his point, he let out a yawn. Everyone quickly realized they were putting too much pressure on Spike, considering how long he'd been away, and agreed to back off.

Shining Armor, however, could sense that Spike's behavior was more because of some deeper problem that he seemed unwilling to talk about. And he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

* * *

The next morning, when Spike woke up, he didn't seem to be at all worried or concerned about the fact that the migration had moved on without him. In fact, he seemed to be glad to be back to being Twilight's number one assistant. As was evidenced by the smile he wore around his face, as he went about his usual duties as Twilight's assistant.

Considering how much he'd said he needed to go on the migration, Shining Armor was certain that Spike wouldn't just up and leave it. Something must have happened during the migration that made him feel he was better off in Ponyville. The only question now was, what was that something?

Shining Armor's chance to ask, came sooner than expected.

"Thanks for all your help, Spike." Twilight said, smiling the biggest smile she had smiled in months. With Spike back in her life, she felt much more cheerful and upbeat. She'd missed having her son around.

"No problem, Twilight. It's so good to be home again after all this time." Spike happily replied.

"Well, I've got nothing else I need help with at the moment," Twilight told Spike "So, why don't you take a break for right now? I'll let you know when your services are required again."

"Fine by me," Spike smiled "Guess that'll give Shining Armor and I a chance to talk about guy things. You know, hoofball, girls, that sort of stuff."

Twilight just giggled, and set to work on writing down information that she had collected during the dragon migration.

* * *

Shining Armor was waiting for Spike, when he came upstairs. Now was the time to talk, even if Spike wasn't willing to do so.

"Hey, Shining Armor. Long time no see, how's it hanging?" Spike asked "Still set to marry Princess Cadence this coming weekend?"

"Yes indeed, and I'm glad you'll be around to see it," Shining Armor said with a smile "Would you be willing to be the ring bearer during the wedding?"

"Of course I would! I was hoping you'd give me a role in your wedding, considering you've assigned roles to all of our other friends!" Spike replied eagerly.

"Good, I was sure you'd say yes, but I wanted to make sure." Shining Armor said, and he sighed. Now that he'd gotten that out of the way, it was time to find out why Spike seemed unwilling to talk about the dragon migration, and why he'd left it.

When Shining Armor sighed, Spike began to worry. " _He's gonna try to probe me and find out what's wrong,_ " he thought nervously to himself " _I've got to stay strong! I can't let him find out!_ " And he mentally braced himself for whatever Shining Armor would try to do.

"So, just how was the migration? I take it there's a good reason why you left, right?" Shining Armor asked Spike.

"The migration was alright, I just decided I was better off living in Ponyville, and that was that," Spike replied, trying to throw Shining Armor off his trail "I'd tell you more, but there's really not much to talk about. We just drifted from town to town, and talked about things that were of interest only to dragons. You wouldn't enjoy it."

Shining Armor didn't buy Spike's statement for a second, there was definitely more to the story than Spike was letting on. "Spike, tell me the truth. What's the real reason for you leaving the migration? You looked so determined when you set off, convinced that it would give you the answers you wanted so badly. What was it that made you decide you didn't want to stay with the dragons?" he asked.

"I already told you, Shining Armor, I just decided I was better off living in Ponyville! That's all there is, and there isn't anymore!" Spike insisted "I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine."

"Spike, whatever it was that you witnessed during the migration, it doesn't necessarily mean that's what you have to do or be," Shining Armor said with concern "You can always be the exception to the rule. Besides, what you are isn't always the same as who you are. You should know that by now."

"Who said anything about who or what I was?!" Spike replied angrily "If those other dragons want to be selfish, greedy, and rude, that's fine! I'm better off without them! And if the few noble dragons are mocked and shunned, then they have every right to leave the flock and strike out on their own!" Spike then realized, that he'd unintentionally blown the lid on his secret. The truth had been exposed.

"So _that's_ what this is all about!" Shining Armor realized "You went on the migration, and you discovered that you didn't like how the other dragons acted! So, you decided to leave the migration the first chance you got!"

"It's like you're a mind reader, but that's true," Spike admitted with a sigh "I tried to find the answers I needed, but none of the dragons could help me. Most of them were either too busy guarding their stashes of treasure, or just weren't helpful. Then, I met these teenage dragons, and after they tried to steal a bunch of phoenix eggs so they could smash them, I knew I wanted nothing to do with the other dragons. Because they either could not, or would not, do anything to stop Garble and his followers!"

"But the phoenix nests aren't anywhere near Ponyville, they're closer to Los Pegasus and Applewood," Shining Armor said, remembering that he'd seen such information on a map "And those were some of the first cities that the migration passed through. If you left the migration at that point, why didn't you come back to Ponyville? I doubt it took you almost three months to get back."

"I wanted to come back to Ponyville and be with you and Twilight again, really I did," Spike admitted sadly "But after the send off Ponyville gave me, and after what I'd done just prior to leaving, I knew I couldn't come back. I headed to Canterlot instead, hoping that Princess Celestia would have the answers. After all, she's the one who obtained my egg. If anypony could give me the answers, it should've been her."

"And she didn't have them?" Shining Armor asked.

Spike shook his head "Unfortunately, yes. She said that my egg was given to her by a mysterious pony, and no one knew who my parents were, or where I'd come from. Even the Canterlot Archives failed to provide me with any useful information, the only thing I turned up, was this 'Noble Dragon Code'. And that certainly didn't do me any favors."

"But even a trip from Los Pegasus or Applewood, to Canterlot, shouldn't have taken more than a month at worst," Shining Armor realized "And I doubt Princess Celestia was so busy you didn't see her for two whole months. So, after Canterlot turned out to be a dead end, where did you go?"

"I just drifted from town to town, trying to forget about my past. I hoped to make a name for myself as a noble dragon," Spike explained sadly "But no matter where I went, my thoughts kept drifting back to you, and to Twilight. Eventually, I realized that, I had to come back. That it was selfish of me to forget about you two, and all your friends, just for the sake of my past. So, now you know the truth about where I've been for these past three months. I'm sorry you had to find out this way."

"Spike, I'm not going to say that what you did was smart, because it wasn't," Shining Armor said, after a moment of reflection "But I think you truly proved yourself to be different from the other dragons, when you decided to put aside your own glory, and come back home."

"You're just saying that!" Spike protested "I don't need your pity!"

"Spike, think about it. If you were truly selfish and greedy, you never would've come back home. You would've just continued to travel from place to place, all so you could prove your own glory," Shining Armor explained "But instead, you realized where you truly belonged, and you decided to come back home. And on top of that, you were horrified when you learned what the teenage dragons liked to do. If you were truly like the other dragons, you wouldn't have been offended."

"I guess I never really thought about it like that," Spike realized "But promise me one thing, Shining Armor."

"What's that, Spike?" Shining Armor asked.

"Don't tell anypony else about this! I'd rather they not know," Spike insisted "I'll tell them eventually, but I want to do it on my own terms!"

"Well, I'll give you two months, but that's all you'll get," Shining Armor told Spike "If you haven't told them by that point, I will!"

"Deal!" Spike replied, and he and Shining Armor shook claw and hoof respectively.

Spike went back to being Twilight's number one assistant, and he soon forgot to worry about the possibility of becoming the monster he'd become on his last birthday.

But Shining Armor could sense that Spike's time alone had changed him, even if it wasn't noticeable to most ponies. Spike was now more self conscious about his role in Equestria, and even if he wouldn't admit it, he was less than thrilled by the role he currently played.


	47. Chapter 47: Plans and Preparations

"That's the last of em!" Shining Armor said to himself, as the final batch of invitations were sent out. Soon, he was going to be a married stallion.

Despite the increased security in and around Canterlot, Princess Cadence was determined to go through with the wedding. And if Shining Armor didn't love her so much, he would not have agreed. But there was little he could do now. It was his wedding, and he had to trust that the royal guards he had helped to train would be up to the task of protecting Equestria's capital city.

" _If all else fails, my signature shield spell should keep any unwanted guests out._ " he thought to himself. as he gently touched a hoof to his horn. The stress of casting the spell so often was giving him headaches again, despite his best efforts to keep the usage of said spell to a minimum. So far, his head wasn't bothering him, for it had been days since he last fired up the spell. But he knew he would need to maintain the spell again upon arriving in Canterlot, and quickly made a mental note to see about purchasing some headache medicine, just in case.

Shining Armor looked at the clock on the wall, the train for Canterlot wasn't due to depart for about another half hour. "That should be plenty of time to make some final arrangements," he smiled, as he departed the Golden Oaks Library, marveling at the beautiful spring day "The guys are going to be very surprised, but what good does it do to be royalty if you can't pull a few strings every now and then? Besides, few know me better than them."

* * *

Shining Armor found all of his friends, and his sister, sitting on a blanket, and enjoying a fine picnic lunch. They were enjoying the fine spring weather as well, as was evidenced by the bright smiles on their faces.

Shining Armor cleared his throat, attracting everyone's attention. "Well guys, the big day is almost upon us!" he said eagerly "In just a few days, I will officially be a prince!"

"We know, you've been talkin' 'bout it ever since winter wrapped up about a month ago," Big Macintosh replied "It's a shame only Soarin, Fancy Pants, Fleur, and Miss. Rarity are gonna get to help out with the weddin' festivities."

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you all about," Shining Armor said, flashing a massive smile, as he pulled out a huge scroll "Twily, do the honors please."

"With pleasure, B.B.B.F.F," Twilight replied happily, and read what was printed on the scroll "I, Princess Celestia, hereby give my royal approval to the friends and family of the groom to be to assist with the wedding preparations and the wedding reception. Thunderlane, you and Fluttershy will manage the songbird choir that will be present at the wedding. Rumble can help too."

"Oh, thank you, Shining Armor! This is a big honor for Fluttershy! It'll be just the publicity her animal shelter needs." Thunderlane said happily.

"I'm looking forward to working with you, Thunderlane," Fluttershy smiled, turning towards her long time partner and close friend "And you too, Rumble. I'm going to need all the help I can get to keep the songbirds in line."

"Don't worry, with me around, those song birds will know better than to try any funny business!" Rumble said eagerly "Just wait til Mom and Dad hear about this!"

"Now, Rumble, let's not get carried away," Thunderlane cautioned "This is a very important responsibility for all three of us, but Fluttershy knows more about the song birds than we do. We should try to listen to her."

"As long as you're not making googly eyes at her." Rumble teased, making Thunderlane and Fluttershy blush slightly.

Twilight ignored the blushing, and went on reading "Big Macintosh and Applejack, you two will manage the catering for the wedding, including the cake. I know you two live on an apple farm, but please try not to make all the dishes apple themed."

"Just because we live on an apple farm doesn't mean we only eat apples." Applejack said crossly, she was proud of being an apple farmer and hated being teased for it.

"Princess Celestia's just messin' with us," Big Macintosh reassured her, then he turned to Shining Armor "We'll make a cake that'll rival even The MMM, you can be sure of that!"

"Hey, The Cakes worked long and hard on that cake!" Pinkie Pie complained.

"That brings me to the next subject on this list," Twilight spoke up, effectively silencing Pinkie Pie's angry speech before it could start "Pinkie Pie, while I would've loved to have you and Braeburn work on the cake, I can't think of anyponies more qualified than you to plan the wedding reception in the castle courtyard."

"Oh, Shining Armor, you shouldn't have! But I'm glad you did!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear "We'll show those Canterlot ponies what a REAL party's like! Won't we, Braeburn?!"

"You bet your boots we will!" Braeburn cheered "But we'll be sure not to go overboard. I don't think anyone wants a repeat of The Gala, myself included. "

"Well, what about me?" Rainbow Dash asked "You didn't forget me, did you, Shining Armor?"

"Of course he didn't," Twilight replied, and went on reading "Rainbow Dash, Shining Armor has requested that you teach Soarin what kind of tricks can go well with a Sonic Rainboom, because you'll be performing one when the bride and groom exchange their vows and kiss."

"A Sonic Rainboom eh? It's been a while since I've had a reason to bust that bad boy out, but I'll see what I can do." Rainbow Dash promised.

"This time, hopefully, I'll actually get to see it." Soarin commented, remembering the incident during the Best Younger Flyers competition that he'd been involved in.

Twilight read further down the scroll "Fancy Pants, Fleur, Rarity, in addition to designing the dresses for the bride and her bridesmaids, Shining Armor has requested that you help to fix up the suit he'll be wearing to the wedding. It'll require a lot of tlc, but he's certain you three are up to the task."

"Dresses and a suit? You're asking a lot from us, Shining Armor," Fancy Pants said seriously, before a smile crossed his lips "But we can handle it, can't we, my darling Fleur?"

"You bet we can," Fleur said cheerfully "This is already bringing back fond memories of our own wedding."

Rarity, for her part, said nothing. She had fainted from the realization of how much publicity she would draw to her and Fancy Pants' business when word gout out who was responsible for the wedding dress of the bride, and the suit of the groom.

"Spike will serve as the ring bearer, The Cutie Mark Crusaders will be Cadence's flower girls and flower boy," Twilight read "And Twilight, you will have the most important role of all. You will not only be supervising the wedding preparations to make sure everything is okay, but you will also be Shining Armor's best mare. Wait, best mare?!" she exclaimed, and reread the line to make sure she hadn't misinterpreted it.

"You didn't think I was going to leave my little sister out of my own wedding, did you?" Shining Armor teased "You're part of the reason why Cadence and I got to know each other in the first place."

Twilight dropped the scroll, and tackled Shining Armor into a full body huy "Thank you, B.B.B.F.F! Thank you **SO** much for making me your best mare! I won't let you down, I promise!"

"I know you won't, Twily," Shining Armor smiled "Now, could you get off me please? We need to get going, or we'll miss the train to Canterlot."

"We certainly don't want to miss that," Spike said, as he woke up Rarity "Come on everyone, let's get moving!" And with that, Twilight, Spike, her friends, and Shining Armor's friends all set off, with Shining Armor leading the way.

But as Shining Armor walked to the train station, his thoughts turned to the unknown threat that had been made against Canterlot a few weeks ago " _Whoever or whatever made that threat better stay away from my wedding,_ " he thought to himself " _If anything happens to my friends, my family, or Cadence, I don't know what I'll do. Besides, it would be nice to have an important event go off without a hitch for once._ "


	48. Chapter 48: To Canterlot We Go

Shining Armor and Twilight's friends could barely contain their excitement, as they boarded the train, and waited for it depart for Canterlot. Needless to say, they were looking forward to the wedding. Some more than others.

With the familiar shout from the conductor, the doors to the coaches slid shut, the whistle blew, and the train departed from the station.

But while his friends were busy chatting amongst themselves about the wedding preparations, and the important jobs they'd been given, Shining Armor looked out the window towards Canterlot. His eyes reflected a hint of sadness, and concern.

This did not go unnoticed by Shining Armor's first and closest Ponyville friend, Big Macintosh. "Somethin' on your mind, Shining Armor?" he asked.

"You know me too well, Big Mac," Shining Armor sighed, as he turned to face his friend "Maybe it's just pre wedding nerves, but I feel like a nervous wreck. I still don't know who or what made that threat against Canterlot. What if it strikes during my wedding? As Captain of The Royal Guard, I'm supposed to ensure Equestria is safe. Even Princess Celestia agrees that most nations would never host such a significant wedding during a time of uncertainty."

"I ain't gonna pretend I know what you're goin' through, 'cause I don't know what kind of burdens come with your job," Big Macintosh said seriously "But Ma and Pa always used to say this 'Fear is fine in small doses, it keeps us alert and helps us stay safe. But when we let our fears get the best of us, they lead to anger, hatred, and ultimately, sufferin'. You can't let your fears hold you back, you've done the best you can given the circumstances. Remember what happened the last time your fears control you?"

"I know, Big Macintosh, but I just can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen." Shining Armor said glumly.

"Have you told Twilight about this?" Big Macintosh asked.

"That's why I made her best mare for the wedding," Shining Armor explained "With her and Spike around, I know I can count on them to keep me under control. That's also partially why I wanted all of you to help with my wedding. If I only had to Cadence to confide in, I don't know if I could keep myself from falling apart. Hopefully, I'm just being paranoid, and whoever made the threat isn't serious."

"Well, if anythin's troublin' you, feel free to come talk to me, the guys, my sister, or our friends. We've known each other long enough to know we can always count on each other to be there when it matters most." Big Macintosh replied, and left to rejoin the rest of his friends. Nothing more was said on the matter.

* * *

Presently, the train approached the station in Canterlot, and came to a stop. But much to everyone's surprise (except Shining Armor's), the train was greeted by the presence of several armed royal guards.

"Look at all those guards," Fluttershy commented nervously "Why are they here?"

"To provide extra security of course," Fancy Pants explained "Weddings _do_ have a tendency to bring out the most unusual characters." No sooner had he so, when Pinkie Pie sneezed, and a stream of confetti shot out of her nose. Even Braeburn had to admit he'd never seen such a thing before.

The guards marched onto the train without fanfare, and began to carefully search through the cars one by one. When they passed by Twilight, Spike, their friends, and Shining Armor's friends, they cast a spell to examine them. "Standard security protocol," one of the guards explained "It won't hurt you, it'll just make sure you are who you say you are."

When the guards had finished searching the cars _and_ the passengers, they approached Shining Armor and (after making sure he wasn't an imposter) said to him "All clear, Captain. Please step outside and cast your spell."

"As you wish." Shining Armor nodded, and everyone watched as he marched out onto the station platform. His horn sparked to life, and within a minute the pink protective bubble that was his signature spell slowly began to envelop all of Canterlot. Shining Armor groaned, as he struggled to cover the entire city with the bubble. It proved to be a lot harder than he thought, but at last the job was finished.

"So, how exactly are ponies and nonponies alike supposed to get into the city now?" Soarin asked "Shining Armor's bubbles are practically impenetrable. I found that out the hard way."

"It's still possible for anyone who's a friend of Equestria to pass through," Shining Armor explained, as he winced slightly from the onset of another headache "Guards will be posted at each train station, airfield, and carriage stop to check the arrivals. If someone isn't who they say they are, the bubble will detect it and won't let them in. The guards are under orders to make sure all visitors are thoroughly searched."

"Whoa!" Braeburn exclaimed.

"I know. It seems like a lot of security for a royal wedding, but Princess Celestia and I aren't taking any chances," Shining Armor said seriously "Now then, you all have your assignments, and Twilight will be checking up on you from time to time. I'll be spending my time conducting security sweeps and making sure Princess Cadence is alright. I'll be sure to stop by later today to see how you're all doing. I know you won't let me down." And with that, Shining Armor walked away.

Spike was surprised to see Twilight walking away as well. "Where are you going, Twilight?" he asked.

"I'm just going to make sure Shining Armor's okay, I'm worried about him," Twilight admitted "Besides, it's been years since I've seen Princess Cadence, so it's only natural I get to know my sister-in-law to be. Why don't you help the others get everything ready for the big day, and I'll catch up with you later?"

"Alright, just try not to get possessive of your brother." Spike teased.

* * *

Shining Armor went straight to the barracks, and organized the patrol schedules for each of the royal guard units. "Remember, never go off on your own!" he warned "Always use the buddy system! If one takes a break somewhere, the other must stand guard outside and stay alert! If you spot anything suspicious, contact me A.S.A.P! Contain it if you can, but do NOT try to apprehend the threat without backup! Do you understand?!"

"Sir, yes sir!" the guards replied.

"Good, now move out!" Shining Armor ordered, and the guards did so without hesitation.

" _Well, I've done all I can, for now,_ " Shining Armor thought to himself, as he left the barracks and headed for the bridge between the castle towers. From there, he knew he could get a good vantage point of the entire city " _Hopefully, these extra security measures will be enough._ "

But upon arriving at the bridge, Shining Armor was surprised at who was waiting there for him. "What are you doing here, Twily?" he asked "Shouldn't you checking up on the wedding preparations?"

"That can wait for a while," Twilight said with a smile, which quickly faded "There's a reason for this extra security, and it's not because of who you're marrying. There's something else afoot, isn't there?"

Realizing he'd been found out, Shining Armor decided the time had come to share his secret with his little sister. "I was hoping you wouldn't find out, but I guess I should've known better," he said somberly "An unknown threat has been made against Canterlot, it was made just before Hearts and Hooves Day. I wanted to call off the wedding until the threat passed, but Cadence insisted it proceed as planned. And strangely, I found myself agreeing with her, even though a part of me still wanted to say no."

"I'm sure Cadence is more than capable of protecting herself if need be," Twilight reassured Shining Armor "She probably has Equestria's best interests at heart. If Equestria backed down in the wake of a threat, it would seem weak and afraid."

"Maybe, but I think most nations would understand," Shining Armor replied "The good news is, the threat simply specified its plan would be carried out sometime before the wedding. Once the wedding has come and gone, things will hopefully be back to normal."

"Speaking of normal, what exactly will change after you and Princess Cadence get married?" Twilight asked "Will we not see each other as often, because these past two years with you have been some of the best days of my life. I don't want them to end."

"And they won't, I can promise you that much," Shining Armor smiled "For the first couple of months, Cadence and I will probably be adjusting to life together, but after that we'll probably either stay in Canterlot, or move back to Ponyville. Maybe we'll even move into the Golden Oaks Library."

"Oh, that would be fantastic!" Twilight cheered, and began to bounce around happily. But she hadn't been bouncing for very long, when she bumped into a familiar pink coated alicorn. Twilight recognized her at once as Princess Cadence.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything _important_." Princess Cadence said, in a tone of voice that sounded as if she had been rudely awakened from a long nap.


	49. Chapter 49: Confusion and Concern

"Cadence, it's me, Twilight," Twilight spoke up cheerfully "Don't you remember?"

"Twilight?" Princess Cadence responded, as if this was the first time she'd ever heard of such a name.

"Yeah, as in Twilight Sparkle," Twilight explained "You used to be my foalsitter when I was a filly. You always said I was anything but a regular unicorn."

"Did I now?" Princess Cadence replied, sounding very confused.

Twilight found a frown working its way onto her face, how could her old foalsitter just forget about her? But rather than give up, Twilight got an idea. "Maybe this will refresh your memory," she said to Princess Cadence, and began to chant while performing a series of movements "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves, and do a little shake!"

For a moment, Cadence didn't reply. She just stared at Twilight, wondering why the young mare had stuck her rump out at her like that. At last, she carefully made her way past Twilight while saying "That's... 'interesting', I guess."

"You don't remember me at all?" Twilight asked sadly.

"Not really, but it _has_ been a long time since we've seen each other," Cadence apologized "I think the memories are coming back to me now though."

"You'll have to excuse Cadence, Twily," Shining Armor said, as he put a hoof around his bride to be "The preparations for the wedding have been really stressful for her as well. I'm sure she'll remember in time. Right, my dear?"

"Huh? Oh yes, yes, of course!" Cadence replied hastily.

"She _is_ glad to see you, I can tell you that much," Shining Armor told his sister "Now, why don't you run along and make sure everything is going according to plan?"

"Okay, B.B.B.F.F, guess I'll see you later." Twilight replied, and reluctantly set off. In her mind, she was growing wary of Princess Cadence. " _Something about her just doesn't feel right,_ " she thought to herself " _There's no way Cadence could forget me so easily, something must be up. But what?_ "

After Twilight left, Shining Armor turned to Cadence "I'd better get started on my patrols," he said to her "You can take care of yourself while I'm gone, right?"

"Of course, see you later." Cadence called, as Shining Armor set off on his patrols. If he'd looked back, he might have caught the faint trace of a smirk on Cadence's face.

* * *

The patrols passed uneventfully for Shining Armor, though he couldn't shake the feeling that Cadence was hiding something from him. Even pre wedding nerves didn't seem to explain why she would forget about the filly that she claimed she loved to foalsit for the most.

Shining Armor shook his head " _I'm thinking too much,_ " he thought to himself " _I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation for all of this. Besides, I learned my lesson about assuming things without proof._ "

But when Shining Armor arrived to be fitted for his suit, he was shocked at what he witnessed.

Princess Cadence and her bridesmaids were with Rarity, and Princess Cadence was talking rudely to the fashionista about the wedding dress.

"Your majesty, I assure you that this dress is of the finest quality," Rarity said to Princess Cadence "I'm sure you'll love it as soon you try it on. And I know your bridesmaids will love their dresses as well."

"I love them already!" Minuette exclaimed happily, she was one of the three ponies picked to be a bridesmaid, alongside her good friends Lyra Heartstrings, and Twinkleshine.

"Me too!" Lyra added.

"And me three!" Twinkleshine chimed in "They're perfect the way they are."

But Princess Cadence was not impressed, in fact she seemed to look at the three bridesmaids with scorn, as if she despised the fact that they had a different opinion than her. Princess Cadence then turned to Rarity and said angrily "Make them a different color! That's an order!"

"Now see here, your highness!" Fleur said, barely containing the anger in her voice "You cannot just boss my husband's business partner, and one of my closest friends! This may be your wedding, but that does not give you an excuse to be rude!"

"It's fine, Fleur, it's her wedding," Rarity replied "She should demand the very best, the customer is always right."

"Exactly!" Princess Cadence said with a fiendish smile "So make them a different color, now!" Then, she turned to the bridesmaids "As for you three, meet me in my private chambers, and we will discuss your 'punishment'." And with that, Princess Cadence turned, and walked out of the room with a snobbish look on her face.

"Well, I never," Fleur remarked "That Princess Cadence has some nerve!"

"I know, I saw the whole thing, and I could hardly believe my eyes and ears!" Fancy Pants commented "In all my years, I have never met a pony that has acted this cruely to others! Not even that royal pain Prince Blueblood, and that's saying something!"

"I'm sure it was just the stress of the wedding getting to her," Shining Armor innocently insisted "I've heard stories that this sort of thing happens quite often among bride to bes."

"Wedding nerves doesn't excuse Cadence's behavior," Fancy Pants snorted "Our friends have noticed Cadence's rude behavior as well. Big Macintosh told me that after Princess Cadence told Applejack how much she and I quote: 'Love, love, LOVED' her apple fritters, she threw them in the trash!"

"She probably did that to save Applejack's feelings." Shining Armor defended.

"She didn't have to lie to do so, she could've easily said she didn't like them," Fancy Pants said angrily "And that's not all! Thunderlane says she snapped at one of the birds in the song choir, just for singing a little off key."

"Cadence probably didn't mean to be so harsh, and I'll see to it that she apologizes," Shining Armor said seriously "But when I first met Thunderlane, he looked like he was going to yell at the songbirds himself."

"Well, it gets worse," Fancy Pants said with a shake of his head "Braeburn mentioned that Cadence was overly harsh on the party planning. She said it was an insult to parties, and demanded everything be thrown out!"

"What about Soarin, has he noticed anything?" Shining Armor reluctantly asked.

"He's been very busy working with the other Wonderbolts, and Rainbow Dash, so he hasn't spent a lot of time with Princess Cadence," Fancy Pants replied "But he _did_ mention that Cadence snapped at Rainbow Dash every time she crashed."

"She's that bad, huh?" Shining Armor said glumly "I just don't understand why she would do all of this, even when we met in this city all those months ago, she was still gentle, kind, and compassionate. Could the stress of the wedding, coupled with the unknown threat, be responsible?"

"I said it once, and I'll say it again, wedding nerves don't excuse Cadence's behavior at all," Fancy Pants replied "I know this, because I can speak from experience. My darling Fleur was quite the monster during the days leading up to our wedding, but she never took it out on innocent ponies who were only trying to help. She always apologized, and only lost her temper once or twice. I know some brides are less controlled than that, but even then I don't think they would act as mean as Cadence has been acting. Your sister seems to think the same way."

"Twily's been observing all this?" Shining Armor asked, as he was finally fitted for his suit.

"Indeed, and she said she wanted to speak to you as soon as possible," Rarity nodded "As somepony who knows your sister quite well, I think it's best for all of us if you treat her concerns seriously. If not, there's no telling what she might do."

"I guess I have no choice," Shining Armor realized "Whatever's gotten into Cadence, I can't allow it to continue. Even if that means I have to call off the wedding."


	50. Chapter 50: Brainwashed!

It was dark by the time Shining Armor reached the place where his sister was waiting for him. He recognized it at once as his Captain Quarters, and he quickly realized why Twilight would want to speak to him there. " _This is a restricted area of the Royal Guard Compound,_ " he thought to himself, as he walked through the front door " _No one can enter without permission from either Princess Celestia, or myself. Even Cadence doesn't know about this place. It's the one place Twilight knows Cadence can't reach me._ "

Sure enough, as soon as he entered the carpeted hall of the main room, there was Twilight. She looked rather unhappy, as was evidenced by the profound frown upon her face, and the slight slant to her eyebrows. Despite this, she calmly said to Shining Armor "Hello, B.B.B.F.F, we need to talk."

"It's about Cadence, isn't it?" Shining Armor asked, to which Twilight nodded "I was afraid of that."

"I'm sorry this had to come up," Twilight apologized "But Cadence isn't acting like herself. She didn't remember who I was, she forgot our special greeting, and she has been the complete opposite of what I remember her being. There's no denying it, the Princess Cadence we know is not the same Cadence that you're marrying."

"But then, where is the _real_ Cadence?" Shining Armor asked.

Twilight frowned further, and glumly said "That... I don't know. She could be anywhere, maybe even dead!"

"No! That isn't possible! She can't be dead, not after I vowed to protect her!" Shining Armor insisted "I know she's still alive, somewhere! I can feel it! In fact, I've been feeling it since we arrived in Canterlot. But my searches haven't turned up anything."

"Whoever this imposter Cadence is, we need to confront her, and find out what she's done with the real Princess Cadence!" Twilight said seriously, a few sparks escaping from her horn "Even if it means having to hurt the imposter to make her talk!"

"Twily, calm down," Shining Armor pleaded "We don't know who or what we're dealing with, the last thing Equestria needs is an international incident. I'll find the Cadence that's been bossing everyone around, and see if I can't pry some answers out of her. If anything should happen to me, run to Princess Celestia or Princess Luna and tell them everything, they should be help to you!"

"Be very careful, B.B.B.F.F," Twilight said nervously "In many ways, you and Spike are the first friends I ever had. I don't want to lose you."

"Twily, you have to promise me you'll be strong, for both our sakes! The fate of Equestria depends on it!" Shining Armor insisted.

* * *

At that very moment, who should come trotting into the room, but Princess Cadence? Looking as snobbish as ever. "Sorry I was late," she apologized, a hint of deviousness in her voice "I had to search for some new bridesmaids."

"What happened to the old ones?" Shining Armor asked "I thought they were just fine."

"Let's just say they suddenly became unavailable," Princess Cadence replied "But enough about me, let's talk about you. Do you mind if we go into the next room? What I have to say is really important, possibly even life changing."

Shining Armor could sense the imposter posing as Cadence was lying, but decided to play along. " _If she suspects anything, I'll never get her to talk._ " he convinced himself. "You know something about who or what made the threat?" he asked, trying his hardest not to sound suspicious.

"I do, but you won't like it. It involves your sister." Princess Cadence said with concern.

"Very well, I'll be there in a second," Shining Armor insisted, and turned to Twilight when he was certain Cadence was out of sight "Whatever happens, don't let this imposter know we're onto her." he whispered, and Twilight watched as he trotted into the next room to talk to Cadence.

* * *

"I know this is going to be hard for you to accept," Princess Cadence said glumly "But the same Twilight Sparkle who you've appointed to be best mare at our wedding, is a fake! She's actually the one who issued the threat against Canterlot, and is holding your little sister captive to trick you into a false sense of security. She's been trying to cast a spell on me to make me act cruel and deceitful, and I've had to play along to throw her off. That's why I've been acting so off."

Shining Armor was silent for a while, as he pondered the information presented to him. Then, he said to Cadence "You can drop the act, I know you're not really Princess Cadence!"

"What are you talking about?! Of course I am!" Princess Cadence insisted.

"Please, you don't honestly expect me to believe your lies, do you?" Shining Armor asked "You forget, I knew the 'real' Princess Cadence longer than you ever did. And I know her well enough to know she would **NEVER** forget who my little sister is, or the special greeting they shared. From the moment you forgot about that, I became suspicious, but I thought I was just imagining things."

"You're not making any sense!" Princess Cadence pleaded "Why would I lie to you? Don't you trust me?!"

"I trust the _real_ Princess Cadence," Shining Armor said in a defiant tone "And that is not who you are! So, why don't you tell who you are, and what you've done with my soon to be wife?! I want answers!" Unfortunately, at that very moment, a twitch of pain struck Shining Armor's forehead. He groaned, as he put a hoof to his head in the vain attempt to keep it under control "Darn it! Not now!" he said, as the pain forced him to his knees.

"Oh dear, are you getting another one of your headaches?" Princess Cadence taunted "I can fix that!" And she shot a beam of lime green magic at Shining Armor's forehead.

Shining Armor realized too late what was happening, and he tried, in vain, to stop it! " _NO! This isn't happening to me!_ " he thought, as he attempted to fight back against the brainwashing " _I should've spent more time sharpening my mental guard!_ " And that was the last thought he had, before he succumbed to the mental control of the imposter.

"There, now you feel much better. Don't you?" Princess Cadence asked. Shining Armor could only nod in response, even as he tried to no avail to resist. If one had been looking, they would've seen his eyes become the same sickly shade of lime green as the spell that had been cast on him.

Twilight had seen everything from the door, which had been left open ever so slightly. She was horrified "B.B.B.F.F!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, realizing afterwards that such a scream was a mistake.

Without bothering to look back, Twilight turned, and ran out of the Captain Quarters! Remembering her brother's advice, she raced straight to the castle, not bothering to stop for anyone or anything!

* * *

Princess Celestia was finalizing plans for the wedding rehearsal to be held the next morning, she wasn't expecting to see her faithful student come barging into her room with a look on her face that made it seem like her spirit was about to jump out of her coat.

"Twilight, what's wrong?" Princess Celestia asked.

"It's my brother! He's in trouble!" Twilight exclaimed, panting heavily.

"Calm down, Twilight, and tell me everything," Princess Celestia insisted, as she used her magic to shut the door to her room "Are you absolutely sure you're not imagining things?"

"I know what I saw," Twilight panted "But I don't know if you'll believe me."

"Twilight, you're my faithful student, why would I not believe you?" Princess Celestia asked, as a warm and motherly smile formed on her face "I know you wouldn't intentionally lie to me."

"Well, it all started when I met Princess Cadence, and I sensed there was something 'off' about her." Twilight said, as she began to tell her tale.


	51. Chapter 51: Into The Fire

Princess Celestia listened patiently and carefully, while Twilight told her story. By the time Twilight was finished, she looked like she was on the verge of panic.

"What are we going to do, Princess?!" Twilight asked nervously, hoping that her teacher would have an answer "I don't want to lose Cadence, or my B.B.B.F.F! We've got to rescue them!"

Princess Celestia nodded silently, before she spoke up in a soothing but serious tone of voice "Twilight, please calm down," she instructed "Take some deep breaths, and relax. You can't think clearly when your mind is in this state of anxiety."

Reluctantly, Twilight obeyed Princess Celestia's instructions, and took some deep breaths. Sure enough, the deep breathing did the trick, and her mind reverted to its usual relaxed state "So, what are we going to do?" she asked Princess Celestia.

Princess Celestia frowned "We must find the real Princess Cadence, before it's too late," she said to Twilight "Unfortunately, we don't know where she is, or if she's even still alive."

"She's alive, I know she is!" Twilight insisted "We've got to find her!"

Princess Celestia continued to frown "Even if you are right, if we confront the imposter Cadence, there's no telling what she might do to the real Princess Cadence. She might hurt or even kill her, or possibly even use her as a bargaining chip to force our hoof."

"But, there's got to be a way to free Cadence and save my brother, there has to be!" Twilight said seriously.

In response to that, Princess Celestia took another deep breath, and looked Twilight in the eyes. "There is _one_ way we might be able to find the real Cadence before the wedding. But, you won't like it." And she whispered her plan into Twilight's ear.

"That can't be the only way to find her!" Twilight pleaded "It can't be!"

"I'm afraid the only other option would be to tear up all of Canterlot and even beyond in order to find her," Princess Celestia said glumly "That could take days, possibly even weeks. But if it has to be done, then so be it! I will _not_ put you in danger!"

"No, we've got to save them, now!" Twilight insisted "If your plan is the only way to do so, I'll cooperate. Make it look convincing, and the imposter is sure to fall for it."

"Twilight, you don't have to do this!" Princess Celestia pleaded "I can't bring myself to be mad with you, no matter what you might do. And to intentionally put you in danger, even if it's for the greater good, is something I've strived to avoid. Your brother is a member of The Royal Guard, and a bearer of an Element of Harmony, you are my faithful student. If I lost you, or let you get hurt, I'd never be able to forgive myself."

"Princess Celestia, I know how you feel about me, but my brother, my friends, and all of Equestria may be in trouble. If I'm the only one who can thwart the imposter's scheme before it's too late, then I'll do what I must," Twilight said, as she hugged Princess Celestia tightly "I'll be okay, I promise."

Princess Celestia didn't say anything, she just returned the hug full force. Reluctantly, her mind had been made up for her.

* * *

A short time after Twilight had left, a reluctant Princess Celestia spoke to all of her friends, and informed them of her plan. "Remember, you need to make it look as convincing as possible." she told them.

"I don't like it, not one little bit," Applejack complained "Twilight is our friend."

"Yeah, there's no way we could pretend to abandon her for the sake of a wedding!" Rainbow Dash added "No matter how awesome it might be."

"But, if we don't do this, Shinin' Armor may be lost forever." Braeburn said glumly, a rare frown appearing on his face.

"I hate to admit it, but Braeburn's got a point," Soarin reluctantly chimed in "If that imposter really has Shining Armor under her control, and this plan is the only way to free him from said control, it must be done."

"I just hope the imposter doesn't see through our act." Thunderlane said nervously, and everyone reluctantly agreed to go along with the plan.

As all of Shining Armor and Twilight's friends left her room, Princess Celestia looked out to the moonlit sky as it shone through her windows. Already, memories of her failure to prevent her sister from falling to the forces of evil worked their way back to the surface of her mind. " _I failed Equestria once before, and my sister paid the price,_ " she thought unhappily to herself " _Now, to prevent another catastrophe, I must risk the life of my faithful student. I can only hope, Twilight will survive, and won't hate me for this._ "

* * *

The next morning, at the wedding rehearsal, Celestia's plan was put into motion.

Soon after what most ponies thought was Princess Cadence (but Princess Celestia and all of Twilight and Shining Armor's friends believed was an imposter) came trotting leisurely into the room, Twilight came storming in, looking quite angry. "I'm here, and I'm not going to stand with her," she said, pointing a hoof to Princess Cadence accusingly "And neither should of any you! 'Why?' You may ask?! Because she's evil, that's why!"

As expected, an uncomfortable silence fell over the throne room. Everypony just stood there in silence, not daring to say a word, as Twilight teleported towards Princess Cadence and began to lodge accusations at her. "She's been acting like a complete jerk for the past whole day! She's obviously done something with her bridesmaids, because they aren't here! And, I saw her cast a spell that made my brother's eyes go like this!" And she proceeded to spin her eyes around like crazy.

For a moment, Princess Cadence was silent. But then, she burst into tears as Twilight approached her. "Why are you doing this?! Why are you ruining my wedding?!" she asked, and ran away sobbing.

"I told you, it's because you're evil! EVIL, with a capital E!" Twilight shouted, only to suddenly find herself looking into the disapproving eyes of her big brother.

In his mind, Shining Armor saw what was going to happen. But he was powerless to stop it from occurring, even as he screamed internally " _Twilight, get out of here! Don't believe what I tell you! You're onto something!_ ".

Unfortunately, thanks to the spell, what came out was "Do you want to know 'why' my eyes went the way you say they did?! It's because I've been having PAINFUL migraines! Princess Cadence hasn't been using her magic to brainwash me, she's been using her magic to HEAL me! She's been under a lot of stress lately because of the wedding, something that obviously wasn't important to you! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and comfort my wife! And you can forget about being my best mare at the ceremony! In fact, if I were you, I wouldn't show up to the wedding at all!" And he went off in a huff, turning his back on Twilight and refusing to make eye contact.

Just after Shining Armor left, Rarity spoke up "Come on, everypony," she said to her friends and boss "Let's leave Twilight alone until she's had time to think about her actions." And one by one they all left too.

"You have a lot to think about my faithful student, I'm _very_ disappointed in you." Princess Celestia said unhappily, as she walked past Twilight and shut the door, leaving Twilight alone.

"Do you think the imposter took the bait?" Applejack whispered to Princess Celestia, as she teleported all of Twilight's friends away.

"I don't know, Applejack. I can only hope that she did." Princess Celestia said glumly.

* * *

Twilight was alone at the altar, but not for long.

"There, there, Twilight," Princess Cadence said in a soothing tone of voice "Everything will be okay."

"I'm so sorry." Twilight apologized.

Suddenly, Cadence's eyes flashed a sickly green "You **WILL** be! I'll personally see to that!" she said angrily, lighting up her horn and surrounding Twilight in a ring of flames. Smiling evily, Princess Cadence turned and walked away, while the flames carried Twilight to a location where no one would ever think to look for her.


	52. Chapter 52: A Queen Exposed

Princess Celestia and Twilight's friends waited for as long as they possibly could for her to return, but it didn't occur. At last, Princess Celestia admitted defeat. Barely able to contain the sadness in her eyes, she reluctantly said to everyone gathered "We can not delay the wedding any longer, or the imposter will become suspicious. Even if Twilight managed to locate the real Cadence, we must assume they could not escape. We will hold the wedding as planned, and then we will have to confront the imposter when she is vulnerable."

All of the friends took the news hard, not a single smile could be found on their faces. All that fake anger in front of the public had all been for naught. But Spike took the news hardest of all. "My family is gone," he said glumly "My mother has been captured and possibly killed, and my uncle is brainwashed completely. I couldn't protect them when they needed it most."

"Don't blame yourself, Spikey-Wikey," Rarity replied, putting her hoof around the little dragon "There was nothing any of us could've done. We should've noticed something was off much sooner, and acted on it before Shining Armor was brainwashed."

"I alone hold the burden of guilt for these recent events," Princess Celestia insisted, her voice sounding not unlike that of a mother who had lost her child to a war "Cadence was my niece, and yet I couldn't sense the change in her behavior until Twilight came charging into my room. If I acted sooner, we would not be having this discussion. But to the public, we must hide our grief. If we wish to thwart the imposter's plans, we can't let her suspect we know her secret."

"I still say we should just call off the wedding and 'persuade' the imposter to tell us everything!" Rainbow Dash said angrily, smashing her front hooves together "And if she's done anything to Twilight, I'll make her regret it in an instant!"

"Hatred and violence won't bring back Twilight, or free Shining Armor from the imposter's control," Fancy Pants replied with a shake of his head "Such an act would only lead to suffering for us all."

"So we just pretend we don't care that we cast our best friend out of the most important day of her life?!" Applejack asked, steam blowing out of her nostrils "It sickens me that we have to keep up this _lie_! What point is there in keepin' up the act?!"

"This imposter snuck into Canterlot under my very nose, impersonated and imprisoned or even killed my niece without my knowing," Princess Celestia replied unhappily "There is no telling what else she might do if she believes her plan is at risk of being thwarted."

"How can you even be sure the imposter is a girl?" Soarin asked.

To everyone's shock, Princess Celestia replied by saying "There is only one creature I know that is capable of such advanced deception, though why she has not yet made her demands clear, I do not know. Her name is Chrysalis, Queen Chrysalis. I encountered her once before, but could not bring myself to destroy her and her race. Instead, I sealed they away in a remote location where I thought they would never be able to escape. It seems, that is yet another mistake of my youth. And yet another threat that I have been powerless to stop. If I act now, Twilight and Cadence could be lost forever, if they are still alive."

"And if they aren't?" Big Macintosh nervously asked.

"Then Chrysalis will likely turn the public against me. They will only see an innocent young mare being harassed and tormented by her overbearing aunt for no good reason. Such an act would leave me with no choice but to step down, and with Luna's lack of knowledge about the evil queen, she will be powerless to stop her." Princess Celestia explained, and nothing more was said. Twilight's friends sadly realized that there was little that they could do against a queen that Princess Celestia had once faced.

Reluctantly, the wedding would have to take place as planned.

* * *

It was not easy to convince Shining Armor and Twilight's friends to keep up the act, and pretend that nothing was wrong, even when they knew the truth. Multiple times, Applejack looked like she was going to crack and expose the secret. But Big Macintosh just barely kept her under control, as the imposter posing as Princess Cadence made her way to the altar.

"Princess Cadence-" Princess Celestia began.

"Please, call me Princess Mi'Amore Cadenza. After all, it is the title I was given when you adopted me." The imposter Cadence interrupted rudely.

Princess Celestia sighed, but obeyed "Princess 'Mi'Amore Cadenza'," she said, barely able to maintain a straight face "Do you take Shining Armor Sparkle to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, for as long as you shall live?"

"I do." The fake Cadence said with a grin.

"And what about you, Shining Armor?" Princess Celestia asked, even though she secretly knew the truth "Do you take Princess 'Mi'Amore Cadenza' to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, for as long as you shall live?"

"I do." Shining Armor replied slowly, sounding almost emotionless and robotic like. To everyone but Princess Celestia, Twilight and Shining Armor's friends, Spike, and the imposter Cadence, they assumed it was because he was recovering from the grief of having to kick his sister out of the wedding.

"Very well then," Princess Celestia nodded "Now, if there is anyone among us who wishes to object to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace."

As if to actually respond to Princess Celestia's request, the doors suddenly flung open, and in marched a furious looking Twilight Sparkle covered in dust and scratch marks. Her mane and tail looked like they had not been styled in a few hours, but otherwise she seemed to be alright. "I object! Nopony as mean as that **WITCH** is marrying my brother!" This prompted the entire audience to gasp in surprise, and it wasn't long before everyone started whispering to each other about what was going on.

"Why does she have to be so possessive of her brother?" The fake Cadence asked rudely, causing all eyes to be cast towards her. "Why does she have to ruin my special day?" she sobbed, tears streaking down her face.

"Because, it's not _your_ special day!" a familiar voice replied, and into the room trotted what appeared to be a second Princess Cadence. But this seemed to be as dirty and beat up as Twilight.

"Imposter!" The Cadence at the altar shouted "She's with the enemy! They've been sent here to capture me!"

"Don't listen to her, _she's_ the imposter!" The Cadence at the door shouted back.

"Ignore her, she'll say anything to make you believe she's me and I'm not!" The Cadence at the altar pleaded.

" _She's_ the one who's trying to trick you! She kidnapped me and took my place, she's been posing as me the whole time!" The Cadence at the door insisted.

* * *

"I don't believe what I'm seeing," Rumble exclaimed, as he and his fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders observed the situation "Two Princess Cadences, and both of them say they're real and the other's a fake!"

"This must be a dream!" Scootaloo remarked "Any moment now I'm going to wake up and you're all going to laugh at me for watching too many movies before bed!"

"But if this _is_ a dream, why are we all having the same one?" Sweetie Belle asked "Besides, this feels more like a nightmare."

"This ain't a dream, I can feel it!" Apple Bloom said with a shake of her head "The only problem is, I don't know who to believe."

Having overheard this conversation, the Princess Cadence in the dress smirked as she said "Well then, perhaps we should correct that problem before somepony does something they'll regret."

"But, how do we prove who's real, and who's a fake?" Thunderlane asked.

"Why don't we let Twilight decide?" the beaten up Princess Cadence suggested "After all, she's the one who claims to know me so well, and is the one who suspected something was off about me."

"For once, I agree with you," the Cadence at the altar chuckled fiendishly "Twilight started this whole fiasco, it's only fitting that she should solve it. Let her ask us both a question. One that only the REAL Princess Cadence would know. Whoever answers correctly gets to stay, the loser will be arrested!"

"Is that okay with you, Twilight?" the Cadence at the door asked nervously "I'd hate to put more pressure on you after everything we've been through."

"It's fine, I already know what question I need to ask to put an end to all this," Twilight said seriously, and cleared her throat "What is the nickname that Shining Armor gave me as a filly, and still occasionally likes to call me?"

Almost as soon as the question had been asked, the beaten up Princess Cadence said with a smile "That's easy, Twily. I should know, it's a nickname I used from time to time when I foalsat you. You were the filly I loved to sit for the most, although you _were_ quite the hoofful from time to time."

"That can't be! You cheated!" the Princess Cadence in the dress growled "How did you escape my brides maids?!"

"They were easily distracted, I knew their weakness," the beaten up Cadence said with a smile "Now, why don't you drop the act, and show us who you really are? You don't honestly think you can fool anyone any longer, do you?"

For a moment, the Cadence at the altar was silent. She just glared at the other Cadence, and Twilight with a look that rivaled even Fluttershy's personal stare in terms of intensity. Then, her eyes grew a sickly shade of green, as a similarly colored circle of flames surrounded her. "So be it, I have no use for this disguise any longer!" she shouted furiously, as she began to transform "Now you'll see me for who I REALLY am! The mighty Chrysalis, Queen of The Changelings!" And the fake Cadence began to transform into what could only described as a giant bug that had somehow fused with a pony's body. She had several holes in her legs and arms, sharp fangs, and a darkly colored blueish-green mane and tail that hung limp at her side.

* * *

"It may be a first, but it's far from a pleasure," Queen Chrysalis hissed, her voice echoing throughout the throne room "I have been humiliated and made a fool of, and I don't like that at all!"

"Well, I 'hate' to break it you, but you walked right into a trap," Twilight said with a smirk "What you saw earlier was all a well staged act by my friends, and Princess Celestia."

"Did you really think we'd be so petty as to cast our friend aside for the sake of a royal wedding?!" Applejack said angrily, glad that she could finally drop the act "If so, you're either really arrogant, or really stupid!"

"What?! That's impossible! My plan was fool proof!" Queen Chrysalis bellowed, as the rage inside her continued to build "Equestria has more love than any place I've ever encountered! Ever since I took Princess Cadence's place, I've been feeding off of Shining Armor's love for her! With each passing second he grows weaker and weaker, as does the spell he cast that has kept my children at bay! But even as we speak, they are chipping away at that protective forcefield! Once it falls, so does Canterlot! And once we take this city, we'll bring all of Equestria to knees! After your high and mighty ruler ruined my good looks, and locked me in that volcanic prison, I'd say this is only fair! An eye for an eye, and a nation for a nation!"

"So, that was your plan all along?!" Princess Celestia asked, locking horns with Queen Chrysalis "You're even more cocky and careless than you were when we last met!"

"You won't be so lucky this time!" Queen Chrysalis hissed "When we last fought, I was but a learner! Now, the roles have reversed, and it is I who is the stronger mare!"

Princess Celestia responded with a smile as she said to Queen Chrysalis "Maybe, but you've overlooked a key detail. You've made two fatal mistakes. The first was replacing Princess Cadence without taking the time to learn how she behaved, thinking that the stress of the wedding would be enough to fool anyone. And the second, was exposing yourself before my eyes! You will not invade Equestria, not as long as I'm here to stop you!" And with those words, Princess Celestia rose into the air, and shot off a powerful blast of magic from her horn.

"Then you'd better be prepared to strike me down, Princess!" Queen Chrysalis taunted, as she countered with a magic blast of her own. The two beams collided in mid-air, producing quite the show for everyone.

But while all that was going on, Princess Cadence seized the opportunity, and raced up to the altar. " _Now's my only chance,_ " she thought to herself, as she carefully lit up her horn " _If this doesn't work, I've lost Shining Armor forever._ " and once her horn was enveloped in a soft blue glow, she touched the tip of it to Shining Armor's forehead, while a few tears trickled down her cheeks. There was a flash, and Princess Cadence shut her eyes.

* * *

Shining Armor wasn't exactly sure what happened. All he knew, was that one second there was a powerful and blinding flash of blue light. And then, when he opened his eyes, he realized he could no longer feel the hypnotic influence of Queen Chrysalis' magic flowing through his mind. He had been set free.

Shaking his head, as the world around him slowly came back into focus, Shining Armor looked up, and gasped! Princess Celestia was engaged in a vicious beam struggle with Queen Chrysalis, and neither side seemed to be gaining or losing an inch of ground. "What's going on?!" he asked.

"You've been freed from Chrysalis's brainwashing!" Princess Cadence exclaimed happily, as she embraced Shining Armor in a hug "That nasty queen tried to use you to bring down Canterlot, but Twilight thwarted her plans, and now Auntie Celestia is gonna give that witch what she deserves!"

Cadence had no sooner spoken those words, when an unexpected development occurred. Princess Celestia seemed to finally gain the upper hoof, as her beam almost completely overpowered Queen Chrysalis'. "THIS INVASION ENDS NOW!" she bellowed in her Royal Canterlot voice "SURRENDER, OR BE DESTROYED!"

Queen Chrysalis screamed and winced, as she struggled to muster up the strength needed just to keep her beam pressing against Princess Celestia's "NEVER!" she shouted defiantly. Then, the unthinkable happened! Somehow, Chrysalis' beam managed to push back Princess Celestia's beam and completely overpower it. The blast was so powerful, that it knocked Celestia's crown off her forehead and sent it flying through the air, until it hit the ground with a faintly audible "tink".

Princess Celestia hit the floor a second later, the top of her horn was covered in black scorch marks as a result of the blast "I... failed." she muttered weakly. Everyone gasped!

Queen Chrysalis smirked with triumph, as she stood at the altar, looking down on her defeated foe "Well, that was unexpected," she said to herself "It seems that even though he's no longer under my control, Shining Armor's love for Princess Cadence is stronger than I could've ever imagined. Consuming it has made me more powerful than even your precious Princess Celestia! And now, there is no one left who can stand in my way!"

"You... won't win... Chrysalis." Princess Celestia groaned, as she struggled to stand. It turned out to be a pointless endeavor, her body could not hold out and she collapsed onto the floor again.

"It was foolish of you to hold back like that," Queen Chrysalis taunted "Not that it matters, you and I both know you could never bring yourself to unleash your full power against me. That's why you'll always lose, you're too soft."

"Just you wait, Auntie Luna will-" Princess Cadence warned.

"You idiot!" Queen Chrysalis interrupted "Don't you think I'm aware of Princess Luna's existence?! I'll see to it that she never makes it here, I'll send some of my best forces to tie her up! And anyone else who attempts to challenge me will meet the same fate as Princess Celestia."

"Then you'll have to defeat me as well!" Princess Cadence boldly proclaimed, and quickly shot off a magic blast from her horn. The blast caught Chrysalis by surprise, knocking the changeling queen back a bit.

"Why couldn't you just stay in those caves like a good little princess?" Queen Chrysalis asked, as she fired off her sickly green magic blast.

"That's one trick I could never learn." Princess Cadence replied, as she countered with a soft blue magic blast from her horn. The two beams of magic collided, and a struggle not unlike the one between Chrysalis and Celestia commenced.

* * *

"Cadence, what are you doing?!" Shining Armor asked. Cadence was no match for the queen of changelings, surely she had to know this. What could she possibly stand to gain by engaging in battle with someone that had just stricken down Princess Celestia?

"I'm buying you time!" Princess Cadence explained, as she struggled to keep her beam from being overpowered "You and your friends must reach the Elements of Harmony, before it's too late! They're the only things that can put this royal pain in her place!"

"Cadence, I can't leave you! Not after you just freed me!" Shining Armor insisted "If you keep this up, you're likely to be killed!"

"It's a risk I must take, for the sake of Equestria, and for you!" Princess Cadence replied "Now go, don't worry about me!"

"But Cadence-" Shining Armor pleaded.

"GO, NOW!" Princess Cadence ordered in her Royal Canterlot voice. It would seem that such a trait ran in all three alicorns that currently existed, and for two of them, it appeared whenever they were angry or wished to make a point.

Reluctantly, Shining Armor nodded "Just hold on tight, Cadence! I'll be back for you, I promise!" he said, and whistled to his friends "Come on guys, let's go!"

"We'll stay with Twilight," Applejack insisted "She's goin' to need our support. Besides, we won't be much help against those changelin's."

"Cousin Applejack, you _do_ realize that by stayin', you're likely to be captured." Braeburn said nervously.

"I know that, Braeburn, and so do the other girls," Applejack nodded "Just go, we'll be fine. No matter what happens, you've got to get to those Elements of Harmony, so you can bust those bad boys out and give Queen Cheeselegs somethin' to really be afraid of."

"I heard that, you insolent worm!" Queen Chrysalis shouted angrily, before she was hit by another beam of magic from Princess Cadence.

"Oh, did that hurt? Sorry!" Princess Cadence taunted, sticking her tounge out at Queen Chrysalis.

"We're wasting time standing around here," Soarin said seriously "Let's move it!" And with that, he, Big Macintosh, Braeburn, Thunderlane, Fancy Pants, and Shining Armor, all raced out the front door as fast as they could.

* * *

"It's just you and me now, Cadence," Queen Chrysalis smirked, as the beam struggle continued "And this time, Shining Armor isn't here to save you."

"You won't win, Chrysalis," Princess Cadence replied, even as she attempted to keep her beam of magic from being overpowered "When Shining Armor and his friends come back, you won't have anything to be smiling about."

"Oh, what a lovely but absolutely ridiculous sentiment." Queen Chrysalis taunted, and she began to sing:

 _This day is going to be perfect,_

 _The kind of day of which I dreamed since I was small._

 _Everypony was gathering round,_

 _Said I looked lovely in my gown._

 _Not once did they suspect I'd fooled them all!_

Much to the surprise of everyone watching the struggle, Princess Cadence began to sing in response:

 _This day was going to be perfect,_

 _The kind of day of which I dreamed since I was small._

 _But instead of having cake,_

 _With all my friends to celebrate._

 _My wedding bells, they may not ring for me at all._

With an evil laugh, Queen Chrysalis sang:

 _I could care less about the dress,_

 _I won't partake in any cake!_

 _Vows,_

 _I was lying all the way!_

 _That through any kind of weather,_

 _I'd want us to be together._

 _The truth is, I never cared for him at all!_

 _No, I do not love the groom!_

 _In_ _ **my**_ _heart there is no room!_

 _But I still want him to be, all mine!_

Princess Cadence heroically sang in response:

 _I escaped before it was too late,_

 _I'll find a way to save the day!_

 _Hope,_

 _I'd be lying if I say:_

 _'I don't fear that I may lose him,_

 _To one who wants to use him._

 _Not love for him, and cherish him each day.'_

 _For I oh so love the groom!_

 _All_ _ **my**_ _thoughts he does consume!_

 _Oh, Shining Armor!_

 _I'm doing this for you!_

As the beam struggle began to wind down, and Queen Chrysalis' beam began to overpower Princess Cadence's, she grinned and sang:

 _Finally,_

 _The moment has arrived!_

 _For_ _ **ME**_ _,_

 _To be one lucky bride!_

Even as she realized she didn't have enough strength left to fight Queen Chrysalis, Princess Cadence sang nervously in response:

 _Oh please,_

 _Tell me it's not too late!_

 _This cannot be,_

 _Equestria's fate!_

The next line was sung by both Chrysalis **AND** Cadence:

 _Shining Armor,_

 _Will be-_

But it was Queen Chrysalis who got the final verse, as her beam destroyed Princess Cadence's, and knocked the young alicorn of love to the floor much like her adopted aunt:

 _Mine! All mine!_


	53. Chapter 53: Race to the Elements

Shining Armor hated to leave his bride to be, one of his mentors, and his sister, behind. But he knew there was little he could do for them without The Elements of Harmony. Cadence was risking her life to buy Shining Armor and his friends enough time to save everyone, seconds counted!

Fortunately, Princess Celestia had the foresight to inform Shining Armor of where The Elements of Harmony were stored during his last visit to Canterlot. And so it was that Shining Armor was leading the race through the streets of Canterlot, with his friends following close behind.

As they looked up above, they could see what seemed to be insect/pony hybrid like creatures hammering away at the protective barrier surrounding Canterlot. It didn't take a genius to realize they were likely the "changelings" that Princess Celestia and Queen Chrysalis had spoken of.

"Come on, guys! We've got to reach The Elements of Harmony before the changelings break through!" Shining Armor shouted, as noticeable cracks began to appear in the pink bubble.

"We're coming as fast as we can!" Soarin shouted back "How much further till we reach them?!"

"Not long now, I think we're almost-" Shining Armor replied, but then he began to wince and collapsed to the ground. His friends quickly raced to his side, and helped him to stand.

"What's wrong? Why did you stop?!" Thunderlane asked nervously.

"I can feel them," Shining Armor said weakly "They're everywhere."

"The changelings?" Fancy Pants asked.

Shining Armor nodded in reply "That Chrysalis drained me of most of my magic, I barely have enough strength to maintain this barrier. And with each passing second, it's getting weaker. I don't think I can hold them off any longer!"

"No! You can't think like that! We need that barrier to stay up!" Big Macintosh pleaded "You're strong enough, we know you are!"

"Cousin Big Mac's right," Braeburn added, putting a hoof around Shining Armor "Look inside yourself, you'll find all the strength you'll need. Right?"

"Just forget me and go on ahead, it's me the changelings want so badly," Shining Armor groaned "If you guys hurry, you might be able to grab The Elements before the changelings destroy the barrier and overwhelm the city."

"Not a chance, we're not leaving you! No stallion's getting left behind on our watch!" Soarin vowed.

"Save yourselves, I'm no good to you now!" Shining Armor insisted, but his friends would hear none of it.

"We're not leaving you! Not now, and not ever!" Thunderlane replied "You've got to hold on, just for a little longer. If we have fight our way back to the palace, we'll do it! We've been in tough spots before and always found a way to win! We can do it again if we don't give up!"

But it was no use. Despite his best efforts, Shining Armor was unable to hold up the shield spell any longer. A thunderous shattering sound shook the city of Canterlot, as the protective barrier finally collapsed. In a matter of seconds, it was gone completely, and the changelings began their assault on Equestria's capital city.

Frightened civilians panicked, running every which way to try and escape the ensuing chaos. While others, tried valiantly to fight the invaders, even though they knew they were likely out matched.

"I'm sorry guys, I couldn't stop them." Shining Armor said glumly, and he hung his head in shame.

"It's not over yet! There's still a chance we can reach The Elements of Harmony!" Fancy Pants said seriously "We've got to try!" And so the six friends took off again, though Shining Armor did so very reluctantly. The changelings were swarming in from all directions, bombarding Canterlot without end. It seemed like it would be impossible to repel them.

* * *

Despite the ongoing attack, Shining Armor and his friends somehow managed to reach the building where The Elements of Harmony were stored. But when they did, a horrifying sight reached their eyes.

Standing right outside the front door, was a massive army of changelings. And they all looked poised for an attack.

"This doesn't look good," Thunderlane remarked nervously "I've got a very bad feeling about this."

"There must be hundreds of them, maybe even thousands." Braeburn exclaimed.

"What do we do now? Any ideas?" Big Macintosh asked.

"There's only one thing we _can_ do," Soarin replied "We're gonna have to fight them."

"What?! That's crazy! They'll completely overpower us!" Fancy Pants remarked "If Fleur and Miss. Rarity see me all bruised and battered, they'll lose the will to resist."

"Then we'll just have to make sure they don't beat us!" Shining Armor spoke up "We have each other, and as long as we stay close we can do anything! But be careful, they can disguise themselves as any one of us! Don't let them trick you!"

"Enough talk, let's do this!" Soarin shouted. And the six stallions raced forward, plowing straight into the heart of the changeling army. An intense and difficult struggle soon broke out. Changelings were knocked every which way, as punches, kicks, and magic blasts were thrown about and traded.

Despite their best efforts, it wasn't long before Shining Armor and his friends were seperated. Now, each of the stallions would have to rely on their wits and quick thinking if they wished to survive.

* * *

Thunderlane looked around, and a look of worry soon crossed his face as he realized that he was on his own. To make matters worse, several changelings disguised as him were heading straight for him.

Thinking quickly, Thunderlane stood up tall and shouted "They went thata way!" and pointed his hoof to his left. The changelings bought it, walking right past Thunderlane without stopping.

But Thunderlane's victory was short lived, as he suddenly found himself surrounded by a bunch of Soarins. But just as he was about to give up, and allow the changelings to capture him, Thunderlane was shocked to see one of the Soarins punch the others away, and help Thunderlane to stand. "These changelings don't seem to be very bright," he said to his friend "Come on, you'd better stick with me. Two heads are better than one."

Meanwhile, Big Macintosh was having his own problems. He had teamed up with what he thought was Shining Armor, only to discover that his partner was actually a changeling. Fortunately, using his massive strength, Big Macintosh was able to bring the changeling to the floor with little trouble. "It'll take more than that to stop me!" he said, as he proceeded to grab another changeling, and roll it like a bowling ball, sending it straight into several other changelings.

Then, Big Macintosh felt himself being grabbed by the magical aura of Fancy Pants, who looked like he was about ready to blast Big Macintosh away. "Real me, real me!" he shouted.

"Prove it, who's my business partner?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Miss. Rarity of course." Big Macintosh replied.

Fancy Pants released Big Macintosh, setting him down on the ground "Sorry, needed to be sure," he said to Big Macintosh, as he proceeded to turn around, and blast away a huge group of changelings with his magic "I so detest this senseless violence. If only there was a better way." he remarked.

While Fancy Pants and Big Macintosh, and Soarin and Thunderlane quickly worked to meet up, Braeburn was having a little fun on his. "Yeehaw, ride 'em cowpony!" he cheered, as he rode atop a changeling disguised as himself, holding said changeling steady with a rope "You didn't really think you could fool me so easily, did ya?" The changeling didn't answer "That's what I thought, now giddy up!" Braeburn shouted, playfully hitting the changeling on the side.

Braeburn used his makeshift stead to plow through the changelings as they tried to knock him off. "Sorry, this ride's taken! Get your own!" Braeburn teased, as he shoved the changelings aside.

"Cousin Braeburn, over here!" Big Macintosh shouted, when he saw Braeburn and his stead. Big Macintosh knew that no changeling would ever be as playful as Braeburn was now. All the other Braeburns were serious to a fault, they even refused to smile.

"Hang on, cousin Big Mac, I'm on my way!" Braeburn replied, and he joined up with his friends a short time later, eagerly helping them take down changelings left and right.

"Say, where's Shining Armor?" Thunderlane asked. He hadn't seen Shining Armor at all since the group was split up.

"I hope he's alright." Braeburn said nervously.

"Look over there!" Fancy Pants suddenly exclaimed, and everyone turned to look. What they saw, made their eyes widen in shock.

All the remaining changelings had decided to gang up on Shining Armor, no doubt sensing the love he still had inside him, and hoping to feed off it. "Snack time!" one of the changelings shouted, prompting the changelings to dog pile Shining Armor.

Rather than lie down and accept his fate, Shining Armor pushed back as best he could "Get off of me!" he said angrily "The love I have is for Princess Cadence, and not one of you is going to take it away! You may have broken through my shield spell, but you will NOT take my love away! NOT TODAY!" And this raw emotion gave Shining Armor's magic enough of a boost to produce one gigantic shockwave, strong enough to send all the changelings flying.

"Whoa! Remind me never to get on your bad side!" Soarin commented, as he and the others rushed to Shining Armor's side.

"There's... no time... to waste," Shining Armor panted "We must... get The Elements."

"Right, let's grab 'em and go!" Big Macintosh shouted, and the six stallions burst through the front door.

* * *

But when they got inside, their hopes were suddenly and immediately crushed. An entire second group of changelings had somehow managed to gain access to the building, and they now guarded the location of The Elements of Harmony with their very lives.

To make matters worse, another group of changelings appeared suddenly behind the six stallions, cutting off their escape route.

"How did they get here ahead of us?!" Fancy Pants asked "That can't be possible!"

"Well, we'll just have to take them out as well!" Soarin insisted.

However, before anypony could do anything, one of the changelings spoke up "Wait! We have some 'friends' who would like to see you."

"What do you mean?!" Shining Armor asked furiously "We're in no mood for your tricks!"

"It's not a trick," the changeling hissed in an echoey voice, and turned to its companions "Show them." it instructed.

A series of changelings flew forward one by one, each of them holding a pony (and one of them holding a dragon) that was instantly recognizable. They included Spitfire and Fleetfoot of the Wonderbolts, Spike, Fleur, Twilight, and all of her friends.

"B.B.B.F.F, it's a trap! Don't listen to them!" Twilight pleaded.

"Silence!" the changeling snapped, and turned to Shining Armor "We will release your loved ones to you, if you surrender to us now, and come with us to see our queen. Resist, and we can't guarantee that your loved one will remain unharmed."

Unable to bring himself to risk the life of his sister, and the lives of her friends, Shining Armor reluctantly told the changeling "Very well, we surrender. Now let them go."

"As you wish." the changeling said, and instructed the other changelings to let their hostages go. Once they were all released, the changelings encircled the reunited group "Don't try anything funny," they warned "Come with us quietly, and no one gets hurt."


	54. Chapter 54: The Power of Love

As the changelings lead their massive group of prisoners back to the throne room, Shining Armor and his friends debated their current course of action. Things looked pretty bleak from where they were standing, but Shining Armor in particular didn't want to give up hope.

"What's the big deal, Shining Armor?" Soarin asked "Why did you surrender to the changelings? They threatened to hurt our friends, and your sister, but there was no guarantee they'd keep their word if you gave up. We could've easily freed them."

"That's not a risk I'm comfortable with taking, and I know it's a risk you wouldn't want to take either, Soarin," Shining Armor replied "You talk a big game, and I respect that greatly. But you would've done the same thing if you were in a similar situation. If there's one thing I learned from those poker nights started by Captain Gleaming Shield, it's that you must know when to hold em, and know when to fold em."

"A valuable lesson to have learned, and you know me all too well, Shining Armor," Soarin admitted "The truth is, I don't think I could've brought myself to endanger Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and all our friends. Even Fleetfoot would've given up in that situation, and she's arrogant to a fault. It just burns me up! The Elements were right there, and they were our only hope of stopping Chrysalis! But somehow, the changelings beat us to them, and now we've lost!"

"It's not over yet!" Big Macintosh growled "Somehow, someway, we'll stop that evil queen!"

"Quiet back there!" one of the changelings hissed angrily "We ordered you to come quietly!"

"Don't make us have to hurt you! Chrysalis wants you all in one piece," another changeling added, then he chuckled evily "Especially you, Shining Armor. Our queen has _big_ plans for you!"

"And she thinks I'm just going to cooperate after everything she's done? Fat chance!" Shining Armor said defiantly.

"Oh, she knows that all too well," the changeling replied fiendishly "But she also knows just how to fix that. Your love will make a tasty treat for us all."

"She got the best of me once before, I won't make that mistake again," Shining Armor said angrily "And there is nothing she could say or do to control me."

"We'll just see about that." the other changeling hissed, and nothing more was said.

* * *

In the throne room, Queen Chrysalis was waiting impatiently. She had already dealt with Princess Celestia and Princess Cadence, and had already dispatched changelings to keep Princess Luna occupied until she could properly dealt with as well. Only Shining Armor, Twilight, and their friends, remained a threat to her entire operation.

At last, she was rewarded with the sound of the throne room door opening. Shining Armor, Twilight, and their friends, were escorted in by an army of changelings.

"Did you forget about my little changeling army, Shining Armor? Shame on you!" Queen Chrysalis taunted "You fool! I KNEW you and your friends would try to use The Elements of Harmony against me, that was one of the first things I learned after I took Cadence's place. All I had to do, was send an army to keep you busy, while another army rounded up your sister and her friends, as well as Soarin's fellow Wonderbolts, and we can't forget Fancy Pant's wife."

"Just leave them alone, Chrysalis!" Shining Armor demanded "It's me you want!"

"Right you are, my love!" Queen Chrysalis purred "But just look around you, and you'll realize the reality of the situation. I'm not taking any chances, anyone who could possibly stand against me must be exterminated!"

Shining Armor looked up, and gasped in horror. There was Princess Celestia, hanging from the ceiling, while trapped inside a massive cocoon from which she could not escape (despite her best efforts). And off to the side of the altar stood Princess Cadence, her legs glued to the floor by a thick green goo.

"I couldn't stop her." Princess Cadence said sadly.

"You never even stood a chance!" Queen Chrysalis gloated "I am an all mighty queen, you are a mere princess of an empire that has been lost for almost 1,000 years by now. Anypony with half a brain would've realized they were beaten, but you had to be Miss. Goody Twohorseshoes and spoil everything! Escaping from that crystal cave, exposing me as an imposter, letting Shining Armor temporarily escape my clutches, and almost ruining my lovely plans! And what plans they are!"

"You won't win, Chrysalis! Evil never wins!" Princess Cadence shouted angrily "Somehow, someway, you'll lose!"

"Oh please, spare me your heroic stupidity, it will do you no good!" Queen Chrysalis hissed, and turned her attention back to Shining Armor "Now then, if there are no more 'interruptions' I'd like to proceed with the ceremony. I think we were at the part where the bride and groom get declared wife and husband, and kiss."

"You're stupid and ugly! Who would ever want to kiss you?!" Scootaloo asked, gagging in disgust "At least when my parents kiss it's supposed to be romantic, and they look good. You look like an overgrown bug that somehow grew a brain!"

"You'll pay for that insult, child!" Queen Chrysalis snapped "Speak up again without permission, and you'll end up in a cocoon, just like Princess Celestia."

"You wouldn't dare!" Scootaloo replied.

"Wanna bet?!" Queen Chrysalis asked, lighting up her horn "I wouldn't try my luck if I were you. I'm in a very _bad_ mood."

"Don't bother arguing with her, Scootaloo," Rumble whispered "It's not worth it."

"Yeah. Besides, somethin' tells me she ain't bluffin'." Apple Bloom added nervously.

Scootaloo sighed, but reluctantly remained silent.

* * *

"Now, where were we before we were so rudely 'interrupted'?" Queen Chrysalis asked, as she once again returned her full attention to Shining Armor "Oh yes, I remember. Come forth, Shining Armor, and accept your destiny as my new king. It's so much better than settling for the title of prince of some random empire that nopony but Celestia gives a flying feather about!"

"I'll never join the likes of you!" Shining Armor replied with a shake of his head.

"I wasn't asking, Shining Armor," Queen Chrysalis smirked, and used her magic to force Shining Armor towards her position at the top of the altar. "Your decision has already been made for you. Either join me of your own free will, and we can put an end to all this suffering, or resist, and I'll see to it that one of your friends suffers an unfortunate 'accident'."

"You're crazy! If your goal is to make me angry, I assure you it's already working!" Shining Armor warned "And when I get angry, bad things happen to creatures like you!"

"Well, I offered you a peaceful solution, but if you'd rather put your friends at risk that's fine by me," Queen Chrysalis said ominously "We shall begin with... your sister, Twilight Sparkle."

"Don't you dare!" Shining Armor warned "Hurt her, and you'll live to regret it!"

Queen Chrysalis only laughed in response "Your feelings betray you, Shining Armor. It's obvious you care about her well being, and already I can sense the hatred welling up inside you. Go ahead! Strike at me with all your hate, for it is the only way you can hope to be strong enough to stop me. I feed off of love, and as long as you have love in your heart, you cannot defeat me!"

But at that very moment, there was a sudden tremendous roar. "ENOUGH!" bellowed a voice, which quickly commanded attention. All eyes turned to the source of the declaration of defiance, and what they saw surprised them, Chrysalis most of all.

There stood Princess Cadence, having freed herself from the goo, and looking rather unhappily towards the evil queen.

"Impossible! That goo bound your hooves to the floor, and you used up all your magic in your vain attempt to overpower me!" Queen Chrysalis exclaimed, just before she was stricken by a powerful blast from Cadence's horn.

"That silly goo was only strong enough to hold me down because I hadn't tapped into my hidden powers as an alicorn," Princess Cadence explained to Chrysalis "Just like my aunts, I can wield more magical power than any ordinary pony ever could. I did not use all of it at once, because I feared I could not control it. I have spent months practicing, but have never had a chance to see if that was true. However, I finally decided to take that risk, and it seems it paid off."

"Then what are you waiting for? Destroy me, do the deed your aunt couldn't do!" Queen Chrysalis taunted "You know you want to!"

But Princess Cadence shook her head "I despise violence, even more than I despise you at the moment. If I struck you down here and now, I'm no better than you are."

"And that is why you Equestrians are so weak, you believe that love and friendship conquers all." Queen Chrysalis snarled, before she knocked down by another magic blast.

"Alone, my love cannot defeat you. But when joined with the love Shining Armor has for me, it will create a love more powerful than you could ever imagine," Princess Cadence insisted, as Shining Armor began to realize what Cadence was trying to do. "It will drive you out of this city, and ensure that you and your changelings never again threaten Equestria!" Then, she turned to Shining Armor "Now's our only chance! We must hurry, or we'll miss our window!"

"But Cadence, Chrysalis all but drained me of my love, I don't have the strength left to repel her and the changelings," Shining Armor replied "Even if the love I have left is powerful, it couldn't possibly be enough to defeat her. She'll just feed off of it, and grow stronger."

"Don't be afraid, Shining Armor, my love will give you the strength you need!" Princess Cadence said kindly but seriously, as she approached Shining Armor "Now, follow my lead, and be ready!" And with that, Princess Cadence lit up her horn. After a moment of hesitation, Shining Armor did the same.

* * *

Everyone watched, as the magic from the two lovebirds (and hopefully soon to be a married couple) began to flow back and forth, lifting them into the air.

"Come on, B.B.B.F.F," Twilight said nervously to herself "I know you and Cadence can do it!"

As the energy from Cadence's magic began to flow through his veins, restoring his energy, Shining Armor shut his eyes. " _Everypony is counting on me,_ " he thought to himself " _I can feel their love and concern. The love from my friends, Soarin and The Wonderbolts, Thunderlane, Rumble and his fellow crusaders, Big Macintosh and Braeburn, Fancy Pants and Fleur, all of my sisters friends, Spike, and even Twily herself. Not to mention, Cadence's love. Please, with all the love I feel, let it be strong enough to defeat Queen Chrysalis, and save Equestria!_ "

"IT'S OVER NOW, FOR THE BOTH OF YOU!" Queen Chrysalis bellowed, as she shot off a beam of magic from her horn, aiming it straight at Princess Cadence in an attempt to bring her down. But to the changeling queen's horror, the beam fizzled out when it made contact with the aura surrounding Shining Armor and Princess Cadence.

"YOU'RE WRONG, CADENCE!" Shining Armor and Princess Cadence replied at the same time "IT'S ALL OVER, FOR YOU!" And with that, they unleashed the blinding combination of pink and blue magic in a massive shockwave.

The shockwave slammed into Queen Chrysalis, sending her flying out a nearby window, and repelling every single changeling with her. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" she shrieked "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" and with those words, the evil queen and her subjects disappeared over the horizon with a twinkle. Hopefully, never to be seen again.


	55. Chapter 55: Resignation and Honeymoon

With the changeling invasion now over, and the city of Canterlot safe once again, no time was wasted in picking up the pieces and carrying on. Fortunately, the city had not sustained significant damage (though Canterlot residents and visitors were quite shaken up by the invasion).

Shining Armor wanted to call off the wedding until Canterlot recovered, but Princess Cadence insisted the wedding proceed according to schedule. "Canterlot and Equestria need something to help them forget about the terror they endured during Chrysalis' invasion," she explained to Shining Armor "Besides, it would be wrong to turn everyone away after they came so far to attend."

Reluctantly, Shining Armor allowed the wedding to continue as planned. And with Twilight in charge, everything went like clockwork. All of Shining Armor's friends did their assigned tasks very well, and what would've likely taken at least a day was done in just a few hours.

But, while everypony else was excited and looking forward to the wedding (Cadence especially), Shining Armor felt unhappy. And he knew there was only one way to rectify this.

* * *

Princess Celestia was busy overseeing the final preparations for the throne room, when Shining Armor came walking in. He had taken off the suit he was going to wear to the wedding, and had put on his captain's outfit.

Princess Celestia was surprised, but tried her best not to show it. "Well, this is certainly an unexpected surprise, Captain Armor," she greeted warmly "What brings you here? You should be getting ready for your wedding. After all, isn't it what you've been dreaming of since you proposed to my adopted niece?"

"It is, but that's not what I came here to speak to you about," Shining Armor replied reluctantly, and removed his captain's helmet, levitating it over to Princess Celestia with his magic "I hope you'll have the honor, to accept my resignation from the role of captain. Effectively immediately, I shall step down. You may appoint whoever you think is worthy to take my place. And don't try to talk me out of it, my decision has already been made."

"Captain Armor-" Princess Celestia began.

" _Shining_ Armor, I'm no longer fit to bear the title of captain," Shining Armor said, hanging his head in shame "I failed. I failed you, Princess Cadence, my sister, and even the city of Canterlot itself. The royal guard deserves somepony better, somepony that would've actually taken steps to prevent the threat, before it occurred. Not somepony who let his feelings of love blind him to the truth, until it was too late."

For a moment, Princess Celestia didn't say anything. She just stood there, looking at Shining Armor, while she held his captain's helmet in her magic. She seemed to be deep in thought about something. At last, she broke the silence and told Shining Armor "You mustn't blame yourself, young Shining Armor. You could not have known that Queen Chrysalis was impersonating Princess Cadence. And there was little you could've done to stop her on your own, she is very underhoofed."

"But the only reason she was able to control me, was because I didn't have my mental defenses up," Shining Armor protested "And all because I was distracted by other things. If I had been able to look past my love and concern, I would've seen the truth much sooner, and would've been able to keep Chrysalis from controlling me. Even Fancy Pants caught onto Chrysalis' act before I did, and he barely even knew Cadence."

"Shining Armor, to love and to show concern is not a weakness, it is a strength," Princess Celestia replied "It is because of your love that Chrysalis was defeated, and Cadence is now free. If anypony is to blame for what transpired here today, it is me. I encountered Chrysalis and her changeling army once before, and should've realized the signs much sooner. It should not have taken me until my faithful student came running to me for help, to take action and flush out the queen. But Chrysalis is right, I've become soft. It happened with Discord, and now it has happened with her. Ever since I was forced to banish Luna to the moon, I vowed that I would never again allow my power and elegance to blind me to reality. I swore that I would work to neutralize threats in advance, and plan for the threats I could not stop. It worked with Nightmare Moon, and after Discord caught me by surprise, I should've been prepared for Chrysalis to return. Instead, I allowed her to enter my kingdom without my knowledge, and almost allowed her to destroy the delicate harmony that I swore to uphold. So it I, and I alone, who harbors all the guilt for this royal wedding fiasco."

"And yet, you were the one set up the trap to expose Chrysalis," Shining Armor protested "Surely, that has to count for something, right?"

Princess Celestia nodded slowly "It does, but one good deed does not automatically erase my past failures. You didn't fail me, Shining Armor. I failed you, your sister, and all of your friends, as well as of Equestria. I should've been able to notice Chrysalis much sooner than I did, and should've been able to have her captured. I shudder to think what would've happened, had Twilight not informed me of what happened the night before."

"Then, I guess we're at an impass," Shining Armor realized "I think we are both to blame, to an extent, for what happened. The question is, who harbors more blame?"

"If we continue to blame ourselves, we will only make the same mistake again the next time a similar situation pops up," Princess Celestia told Shining Armor "I have come to learn, that when you make a mistake, no matter how severe it is, you must learn from it. By learning from your mistakes, you become a better pony."

"So, about my resignation?" Shining Armor asked.

Princess Celestia returned the captain's helmet to Shining Armor as she said to him "I do not accept your resignation! But, I _will_ approve you for a leave of absence, at least for a couple of weeks. You are going to be a married stallion, and you will need time to adjust."

"But, who will lead the royal guard in my place until I return to duty?" Shining Armor asked Princess Celestia.

"Well, I've got good news in that regard," Princess Celestia said with a smile "You know Commander Silverbolt, right?"

"Of course, he was one of my first friends in the royal guard," Shining Armor replied eagerly "What does that have to do with anything? He's only a commander, promoting him to captain, even if it's only temporary, would be unheard of."

"I'm not going to promote Silverbolt, or anypony else in the royal guard to the rank of captain," Princess Celestia explained "But, Silverbolt has a younger brother who recently became promoted to first lieutenant. He, will lead the royal guard while you're away."

"What is his name?" Shining Armor asked.

"His real name is actually Brad, but everypony calls him Flash Sentry because he's so fast," Princess Celestia told Shining Armor "He's a descendent of the famous Wonderbolt leader, General Flash."

"No way! I don't believe it!" Shining Armor exclaimed.

"I take you are happy with the appointment of Lieutenant Flash to lead the royal guard in your absence?" Princess Celestia asked Shining Armor.

"You bet I am!" Shining Armor replied, and he raced away to tell Princess Cadence the good news.

* * *

The wedding went off without a hitch, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence had never felt happier. The wedding reception held afterwards was a grand affair. Pinkie Pie and Braeburn even managed to get Shining Armor's cousin, and rising music star Vinyl Scratch (better know by her stage name of DJ-PON-3) to perform during the festivities.

But the highlight of the entire ceremony, was when Twilight took the microphone to sing a song for the new couple entitled _Love Is In Bloom_. And it was that song which accompanied the new royal couple, as they headed for their carriage ride that would lead them to their honeymoon destination.

Just before climbing into the carriage, Shining Armor approached his sister and said "Twily, none of this would've been possible without your help. Thank you, for everything."

"You're welcome, B.B.B.F.F. Enjoy your honeymoon, and don't forget to write," Twilight replied with a smile, even as a tear came into her eye "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too Twily," Shining Armor nodded "And I'll miss all of our friends. But I'm certain we'll see each other again before too long. After all, tomorrow is another day." And with that, he climbed into the carriage, joining his newly wedded wife.

"So, ready to go?" Cadence asked him.

"Of course, what about you?" Shining Armor asked her.

"Just one thing I need to take care of really quick." Princess Cadence replied, and leaned out of the carriage to throw her bouquet of flowers into the air. All three of the original bridesmaids stood at attention, waiting to receive it.

"It's mine!" Rarity shouted, suddenly pushing past the bridesmaids, and catching the bouquet in her hooves.

"Miss. Rarity!" Fancy Pants scolded, glaring angrily at her.

Rarity sheepishly blushed, and tossed the bouquet back into the air so that the original bridesmaids could have another chance.

"Now _this_ , was a great wedding." Twilight smiled happily, and everypony agreed with her.


	56. Chapter 56: The Empire Returns

It had been a few weeks since the "Royal Wedding Fiasco" as ponies were calling it, and things seemed to have returned to normal in the land of Equestria. Shining Armor and Cadence were now happily married, and Shining Armor's friends and sister all went about their lives as usual. It wasn't easy carrying on without Shining Armor, but they managed.

However, nopony could've suspected that the peace and quiet following Chrysalis' invasion was to be short lived. For a new threat was just about to rear its head.

* * *

In the throne room in Canterlot Castle, Princess Celestia was busy reading over and signing various forms of legislature brought before her, when suddenly the doors burst open. Into the room raced a pegasus guard that stood out easily due to his yellowish tinted coat (nopony knew how to properly pronounce the actual color of his coat), and cornflower blue eyes. Princess Celestia recognized him at once as First Lieutenant Flash Sentry, the stallion tasked with running the royal guard in Shining Armor's absence.

"A thousand pardons for bursting in on you like this, your highness," Flash Sentry apologized, trembling slightly "But I felt it was best if this information was brought before you as soon as possible."

"What do you wish to report, First Lieutenant Flash?" Princess Celestia asked him "It sounds urgent."

"I'm afraid it is," Flash Sentry said gravely "I just received word from our contacts in Northern Equestria, specifically The Frozen North. They say that IT has returned."

"Do you mean?" Princess Celestia began.

Flash Sentry nodded "The Crystal Empire has returned after 1,000 years! Time is of the essence!"

That news was enough to cause Princess Celestia to drop her usual calm and collected composure, she quickly turned to one of the royal guards standing besides her throne "Go find Shining Armor and Princess Cadence, and tell them to meet me here at once!" she instructed.

"Right away, your majesty!" The royal guard replied, and dashed off as fast as his legs would let him.

"Shall I cancel your meeting with the delegates, princess?" Flash Sentry asked Princess Celestia.

Princess Celestia nodded "If they ask, tell them that something urgent has come up and I must be on standby in case my help is needed. Hopefully, that will not be necessary," and with that, she took out a quill and a piece of paper, and started writing a message which read as follows:

 _My faithful student, Twilight Sparkle_

 _Please come to Canterlot as soon as possible! I have an important assignment for you, and your friends._

 _The fate of Equestria could be at stake, please come prepared._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Princess Celestia_

* * *

"Why do you suppose Princess Celestia wanted to meet with us on such short notice?" Shining Armor asked his wife, as they walked to the castle from the suite they'd been staying in since the wedding. (Shining Armor had wanted to return to Ponyville, but both Princess Celestia and Princess Cadence felt that a change of scenery would do him some good).

"Knowing my aunt, it must be urgent. Probably something concerning the fate of Equestria itself." Princess Cadence replied.

"But why did she send for me as well? I'm still on leave as Captain of The Royal Guard for the time being," Shining Armor said glumly "Besides, you're an alicorn, and I'm just a unicorn that let himself be brainwashed, twice!"

"Shining Armor, we've been over this a hundred times before," Princess Cadence said in a soothing tone of voice "You had no way of knowing it was Chrysalis, you were tricked. Nopony's perfect."

"Even so, I could've prevented the invasion if I hadn't gotten so distracted with the wedding," Shining Armor replied "After a failure like that, it's a miracle the nobility haven't petitioned to get me permanently removed from the rank of Captain."

"Well, I'm sure Aunt Celestia has a good reason for requesting we both show up," Princess Cadence smiled "And would you look at that, we're already here." Sure enough, the young royal couple had stopped in front of the throne room. The doors were currently closed, but that was about to change.

As the doors swung open, there stood Princess Celestia, who seemed deeply troubled about something. "Good, you're both here," she said to Shining Armor and Cadence "I'm afraid the information I have to share will be different for the both of you, so Cadence, you and I will speak first. Shining Armor, wait here, and we'll discuss your importance shortly."

"As you wish." Shining Armor nodded, as Princess Cadence walked past him and into the throne room. Pretty soon, the doors closed once again, and now Shining Armor was left alone. But not for long.

"So, my sister has sent for your help as well?" A familiar voice asked "She's certainly not taking chances, though I wish I could be allowed to help out."

Shining Armor spun around, and spotted an alicorn standing in the shadows. He recognized her at once "Oh, it's just you, Princess Luna." He said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Sorry if I frightened you," Princess Luna apologized "But I've been monitoring your dreams closely since the wedding, you seem to be deeply troubled."

"You can monitor my dreams?" Shining Armor asked.

"Indeed I can, it a part of my duties as The Princess of The Night," Princess Luna explained "I can even intervene if I sense my help is needed, though I'm afraid I have been unable to do so with your dreams yet. You clearly regard them as your own personal struggles, which means there is little I can do."

"It's just, I can't shake the feeling of guilt over what happened at the wedding," Shining Armor told Princess Luna "I should've seen the warning signs, should've realized that something was off about Cadence. But instead, I allowed for Canterlot to be invaded, and almost destroyed."

Princess Luna was silent for a moment, as she allowed what Shining Armor had said to embed itself into the forefront of her mind. Then, after some reflecting on the statements, she said to Shining Armor "Do not try to keep these concerns to yourself, it will do you little good. You have friends, a sister, and a loving wife to help you. And you saw for yourself what holding onto your fears will do to you."

"I understand. Thank you for the advice." Shining Armor nodded.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe I shall retire to my personal bedchamber," Princess Luna replied "I still have much sleep to catch up on, staying on guard prior to the wedding took a lot out of me." And with that, she left.

* * *

Shortly after Princess Luna had departed, the throne room doors opened, and Princess Cadence walked out. She seemed to be slightly concerned, if the small frown on her face was anything to go by.

Before Shining Armor could ask what was troubling his wife, Princess Celestia called for him to join her in the throne room. As soon as the two were alone, Princess Celestia turned to Shining Armor and asked "What do you know about 'Dark Magic'?"

Shining Armor's mouth dropped open in surprise, he had not expected Princess Celestia to ask him such a thing. Despite this, he quickly tried to regain his composure and answered honestly "Not much. You've made dark magic illegal to study for decades, and sealed away all the books containing knowledge about it. Must ponies today think dark magic is just an urban legend."

"Well, they're wrong," Princess Celestia replied ominously "Dark magic is real, and very dangerous! It is for that very reason that I have sought to keep all the information about locked up tight."

"What exactly does this have to do with why you contacted me?" Shining Armor asked Princess Celestia. He was starting to wonder if perhaps this was all some sort of test, or trap.

Princess Celestia didn't answer right away. Instead, she took out a crystal from a display stand, and cast a spell on it. Within seconds, a massive holographic display of a location that Shining Armor had never seen before appeared in front of him.

"This, is The Crystal Empire," Princess Celestia explained "It is this very empire that Princess Cadence is the rightful heir to. 1,000 years ago, a greedy and evil unicorn by the name of King Sombra, took over the empire." Shining Armor watched in horror, as the display showed a picture of a pony that looked like they had crawled out of a scary story. The dark red horn and coat as black as night made it obvious that this pony was not one to be messed with.

"King Sombra attempted to rule the empire with an iron fist, forcing his subjects to become his slaves and mine for crystals day and night," Princess Celestia continued "He deposed the previous ruler, Princess Amore, and made himself into a tyrant that nopony could stand up against. Thus, it fell to Luna and I to rise up and defeat him. However, Sombra cast a spell on the empire, so that when he was defeated and imprisoned in an icy crevice beneath The Frozen North, the empire vanished. Now, 1,000 years later, The Crystal Empire has finally returned. And I suspect it is only a matter of time until King Sombra returns as well, he must be stopped!"

"Why exactly is this empire so important?" Shining Armor asked Princess Celestia "I'm sure Sombra deserves to be defeated, but I don't see why Cadence needs to be its ruler."

"You ask all the right questions, Shining Armor," Princess Celestia replied "Allow me to explain," and she picked up the crystal she had used to project the holographic image "The Crystal Empire is a beacon of hope, love, and light. And when those traits are in control, their influence is reflected across all of Equestria in the form of the Northern Lights. But if despair, fear, and darkness take hold, all of Equestria suffers." Princess Celestia demonstrated this, by lighting up her horn. However, instead of its usual soft yellow glow, a mixture of sickly green and bright purple appeared. Princess Celestia's eyes turned the same sickly shade of green, as the magic was cast onto the crystal, which turned black. In a matter of seconds, several similarly looking crystals popped up all around Shining Armor, before Princess Celestia vaporized them with her usual magic.

"Was that dark magic you just used, Princess?" Shining Armor asked nervously.

"I'm afraid so," Princess Celestia admitted "It is not something I enjoy using. Prolonged usage, especially for non-alicorns, can corrupt the user's mind, making them vulnerable to external corruption. So I ask that you use caution when attempting to harness its power."

"Don't worry, Princess, I've no intention of ever wielding such destructive power!" Shining Armor vowed.

"I'm sure you think that with great confidence, but I know that there will be obstacles in the empire you will not be able to overcome with regular magic," Princess Celestia warned "I trust you to use dark magic with discretion, and only if all other options do not work. I will not lose you to the darkness as I lost my sister. Now go! You and Cadence will be reunited with your friends, and Twilight at the train station. You must ensure that The Crystal Empire does **NOT** fall back into Sombra's hooves!" And with that, Princess Celestia escorted Shining Armor out of the throne room.


	57. Chapter 57: Sombra Awakens

Cadence and Shining Armor quickly made their way to the train station in Canterlot, and waiting for Shining Armor on the platform were all his friends from Ponyville, as well as his sister, and of course Spike. They were all going to The Crystal Empire as well, and many of them were incredibly excited (Rarity could barely contain her excitement).

"You didn't really think you could go on this mission without us, did you?" Big Macintosh asked.

"If there's one thing you should know about us by now, Shining Armor, it's that we never miss a chance to help one of our friends!" Braeburn added.

"I must say, an empire made entirely of crystal sounds devine. The funny thing is, I used to believe it was just a legend, but it seems the stories were true after all." Fancy Pants chimed in.

"This is going to be just like old times!" Thunderlane smiled "Here we are, about to embark on another journey to save Equestria."

"It'll be a great opportunity to see a place that nopony has seen in 1,000 years. Won't that be nice?" Soarin asked Shining Armor.

"Sure, I guess," Shining Armor replied flatly "But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We need to remember what's at stake. We're traveling to the empire per the orders of Princess Celestia. First and foremost, our duty is to protect the empire from falling into the wrong hooves. All of you may accompany me if you wish, but don't forget what's at stake."

"Shining Armor is right," Twilight spoke up "We musn't let ourselves get distracted with sightseeing. There's no telling what lies in store for us, or what sort of traps King Sombra might have left behind."

"But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun, right?" Pinkie Pie asked "A little fun never hurt anypony."

"Pinkie Pie's right," Rainbow Dash replied "There's no reason why we can't enjoy ourselves a little while we're busy learning more about those crystal ponies. Who knows, maybe we'll learn something from them?"

"Anythin's possible." Applejack nodded.

"Well, you can all snoop around and see what there is to see when we arrive," Shining Armor told his friends "But for Cadence and I, we're going to focus on the mission given to us by Princess Celestia. And that means, we must be ready to jump into action at a moment's notice. That leaves no time for fun and games!"

"We didn't mean to imply your assignment wasn't important," Fluttershy apologized, as everyone boarded the train bound for The Frozen North "Twilight's actually been given an assignment as well. Princess Celestia wants her to gather information about the crystal ponies, to see what they might remember from before Sombra's time."

"And she's clearly taking this assignment one hundred percent seriously," Rarity said with a nod "However, something tells me we're all going to be needed to complete both tasks. And despite the circumstances, it doesn't do us any good to be overly concerned. I know from experience that too much stress is never healthy for anypony, no matter how well they might handle it."

"I know that, and I'm grateful you're all coming with me," Shining Armor replied, as the doors closed and the train departed from the station "But I don't want any of you putting yourselves in harm's way just to help me. If you did, and any of you were hurt, I'd never forgive myself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to discuss with Cadence what we're going to do once we reach the empire. First and foremost, we'll need some sort of protective barrier to keep Sombra out." And with that, he left for another car.

"Just what was that all about?" Spike wondered out loud "I haven't seen Shining Armor this worked up since just after Discord was defeated."

"It's like he's shut himself off from everything but the mission to protect The Crystal Empire," Thunderlane commented "But why would he do that? He's always been so level headed and collected, but he's never been so aloof and distant."

To everyone's surprise, Soarin spoke up and said with a frown "I've seen this kind of behavior before. I'm no psychologist, but what Shining Armor's going through is something that happens to everyone at some point. When you've been through a really traumatic experience, particularly one you barely got out of, the mind tends to take a while to recover. It shuts itself down and retreats to a safe space, while it tries to figure out how to not let the experience repeat itself a second time."

"And how do you know so much about this?" Rarity asked.

"Because I've been where Shining Armor's been," Soarin admitted "Spitfire went through it shortly after I joined The Wonderbolts. It was a routine surveillance mission in The Griffon Kingdom. We were keeping tabs on a smuggling ring run by a group of pirates, but they caught onto us, and Spitfire and I were lucky to escape the cove unharmed. The others weren't so lucky, Wind Ryder in particularly got hurt pretty badly, and Spitfire blamed herself. It didn't matter what anypony told her, she kept thinking it was her fault we almost didn't make it out alive. It wasn't until Wind Ryder set off on his own to get even with the pirates, that Spitfire snapped out of it. And even then, she didn't fully return to normal until the pirate captain was captured and arrested by Gleaming Shield."

"Whoa! I know The Wonderbolts have been involved in more than just aerial acrobatics, but I never knew they'd had a brush with death before." Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Spitfire doesn't like to talk about it much," Soarin replied "But from the day forward I could sense something was different about her. She became a lot more determined and driven, and she really started dialing up the drill sergeant routine around the academy. I sense that part of her still feels it was her fault what happened. And Shining Armor's going through a lot of the same signs."

"If that's true, how do we get him to snap out of it?" Braeburn wondered.

Soarin shook his head "There's no way we can force him to do so. It's something he has to recover from on his own terms, and nothing we say or do can change that."

"But then, what _can_ we do?" Thunderlane asked "We can't just let him mope around."

"All we can do, is do our best to keep Shining Armor from doing anything he'll regret later," Soarin replied "The rest is up to Shining Armor."

* * *

The rest of the train ride passed in uncomfortable silence for all involved. Shining Armor's friends (as well as Twilight and Spike) all agreed Shining Armor was still struggling with his guilt for the royal wedding invasion. But none knew how to best approach the subject, and help him work through it.

As for Shining Armor, all he could focus on was making sure he didn't allow himself to make the same mistakes he'd made with Discord and Chrysalis. " _This time will be different,_ " he thought to himself " _King Sombra will never get his hooves on The Crystal Empire as long as I have anything to say about it!_ "

At last, the train came to a stop at a small junction in the loneliest part of the arctic wasteland known as The Frozen North. The only sound that could be heard amidst the barren snow covered landscape, was the harsh roar of the blistering cold winds, as snowflakes swooshed through the air.

"This is where we get off," Princess Cadence explained "There is no train station in The Crystal Empire, King Sombra destroyed it and all methods of transportation into or out of the empire soon after he took over the throne."

"Well, it's a good thing I had the foresight to pack an entire suitcase of extra scarves," Rarity smiled, as she opened up said suitcase and gave a scarf to each of her friends, beginning with Spike "Better bundle up, temperatures are probably going to be below freezing."

"Just great, Princess Celestia gave us an assignment in the coldest ice slab in all of Equestria!" Rainbow Dash complained "We'll freeze our butts off for sure!"

"Not if we stay focused, and keep moving," Shining Armor explained "The empire isn't too far from here. But we'd better hurry and make it before nightfall."

"What's so bad about nightfall?" Fluttershy asked.

"There are a LOT of dangerous creatures that call this place home, and most of them only come out after dark," Twilight explained "I've read about some of them, and what little information I picked up wasn't pleasant."

"Then there's no time to lose!" Applejack shouted "Let's stop talkin', and start trottin'!" And with that, the group set off for The Crystal Empire. The going was difficult right from the start. The wind not only blew snowflakes around in a blinding fashion that dropped visibility to almost zero, but also nipped at the hats, coats, and scarves that everypony was wearing.

* * *

After what seemed like an hour long trek through the snow and ice, the dazzling glow of The Crystal Empire commanded attention, as Shining Armor, Cadence, and the others drew close to the outskirts.

"Almost there, just a little further!" Princess Cadence encouraged.

"Just think warm thoughts everypony, we're going to make it!" Pinkie Pie shouted eagerly.

But just then, there came a tremendous roar from afar. A roar that, even amongst the hollowing wind, could be heard as clear as day. Everyone turned around, and gasped at what they saw.

" _No! It can't be!_ " Shining Armor thought, but he knew there was no use denying it. A looming black wall of smoke and shadow was creeping up from the horizon, drawing closer and closer with each passing second. And if one looked closely, they could see a familiar pair of eyes and a dark red horn poking out.

"It's Sombra!" Princess Cadence exclaimed "He has returned!"

"Right you are, princess!" King Sombra replied with a fiendish laugh "You didn't think it was going to be _that_ easy to steal my throne, did you?"

"What are we gonna do?!" Thunderlane asked nervously.

"Run for it!" Soarin shouted, and everyone did so. They ran as fast as their legs would let them, all the while King Sombra gave chase! Everytime anypony turned to look, Sombra seemed to draw closer and closer, even as The Crystal Empire and safety seemed to be within reach.

Suddenly, Shining Armor stopped running. He halted right where he was, and turned around to face Sombra.

"What are you doin'?!" Big Macintosh asked.

"He's getting too close!" Shining Armor shouted above the wind "Stay the others and make sure they reach the empire safely, I'm going to see if I can't slow Sombra down!"

"Are you absolutely nuts?! He'll kill you!" Big Macintosh bellowed.

"That wasn't a request, that was an order!" Shining Armor barked "Now go! I'll be fine, I promise!" And before anyone could stop him, he took off at a speed that would make Rainbow Dash jealous.

"B.B.B.F.F! Come back!" Twilight pleaded.

"Forget it, Twilight," Spike told her "He's on his own now. We can't let his sacrifice be in vain, we've got to get going!"

"But, but-" Twilight stuttered.

"No buts!" Princess Cadence interrupted, taking charge of the situation "I don't like it anymore than you do, Twilight. But we've got to trust Shining Armor. At least if we reach The Crystal Empire, we can hopefully whip up something to keep King Sombra out. Then we can worry about Shining Armor."

Reluctantly, everyone else took off running, and refused to look back. Now Shining Armor was alone.

* * *

"Come on, King Sombra!" Shining Armor shouted, shooting off beams of magic from his horn "Afraid to face me one on one?!"

"Hardly! Prepare to meet your doom!" King Sombra replied, effortlessly dodging the beams with little difficulty.

"You don't scare _me_ , Sombra." Shining Armor said heroically, as he fired off another beam from his horn. Only for Sombra to dodge it, and then disappear into seemingly nowhere.

But then, just as quickly as he had disappeared, King Sombra reappeared, and quickly closed in on Shining Armor. "That's because I haven't tried yet," He said in a sinister tone of voice "But mark my words, young Shining Armor. You **WILL** know the true meaning of fear, and suffering will be your teacher."

Shining Armor didn't realize until too late what was happening, but he tried his best to be brave, as he was surrounded by the darkness. "Do your worst, Sombra!" He said defiantly.

King Sombra chuckled fiendishly "Let the lesson begin." And those were the last words Shining Armor heard, before his whole world went dark.


	58. Chapter 58: Reunion and Research

Shining Armor slowly opened his eyes, struggling to adjust to the light. As he did so, he could hear the voices of some of his friends, albeit faintly.

"Hey, guys, I think he's finally waking up!" Braeburn called eagerly.

"Oh thank goodness, I was starting to worry that he'd never come around." Thunderlane replied.

"It's a miracle he's still alive, I thought for sure Sombra would've killed him by now." Soarin commented.

At last, Shining Armor's eyes adjusted to the bright light, and he saw that he was resting in a bed within the confines of the Crystal Castle. All of his friends were standing by his bedside, and if the looks on their faces were anything to go by, they had been worried sick.

"Hey there, sleepin' beauty," Big Macintosh teased "Finally decided to wake up did ya?"

"I must say, you have quite the tendency to make us worry. Your sister could barely focus on her job after you rushed off and took on Sombra all by yourself," Fancy Pants commented "You're lucky to be alive. If some of the crystal ponies hadn't found you lying in the road in the middle of the empire, I shudder to think what might have happened."

"Sorry I made you worry, guys," Shining Armor apologized "But King Sombra was closing in fast, I knew I had to do something to fend him off."

"Well, at least you'll be happy to hear that Cadence was able to put up a dome around the entire empire. As long as it's in place, Sombra can't set hoof in here, unless he wants to be destroyed." Soarin told Shining Armor.

Shining Armor turned his head slowly, and looked out the window. Sure enough, he could see a bright glowing dome outline that covered the entire empire. But it seemed to occasionally fade for a second, revealing an outside world that looked void of all life, and consumed by darkness.

"Why does the dome look like it's struggling to stay up?" Shining Armor asked.

"Princess Cadence has been using her magic to help spread light and love throughout the empire," Thunderlane explained "At least, that's what she told us. But it's putting quite the strain on her, she hasn't been able to rest, and barely eats and drinks."

"I've got to help her! Shield spells are my speciality!" Shining Armor said heroically, and tried to light up his horn. But he failed to produce even a few faint sparks, and it was now that he became aware of a great pressure emanating from his horn, as if something were stuck to it.

"Ah yes, I was just about to mention that," Fancy Pants commented, and showed Shining Armor a mirror that looked at his horn in greater detail "It seems Sombra left you with a small 'souvenir' of your encounter."

Shining Armor looked in the mirror, and nearly gasped in shock at what he saw. Several small black crystals clung tightly to his horn, thus preventing him from doing much of anything with it.

"Those crystals have made it impossible for you to perform any sort of magic," Fancy Pants explained in a glum tone of voice "As long as they're in place, your magical capabilities are useless."

"Is there any good news?" Shining Armor asked his friends.

"Well, your sister and her friends managed to talk with some of the crystal ponies while you were out cold," Braeburn spoke up "They didn't uncover much, King Sombra seems to have erased most of their memories from before his time. But they _did_ learn from one pony about a library, and Twilight came by just a short while ago to mention that's where she'd be."

"A library? Sounds like as good a place as any to do some research into the empire's past," Shining Armor said, as a smile appeared on his face "You guys see if you can't pry anymore information from the Crystal Ponies. I'll head over to the library, and assist Twilight and her friends with their research. Hopefully, we'll uncover something useful."

"Just don't try to do too much at once," Thunderlane warned "You've been out of commission for quite a while, it may take time for your body to fully recover. Don't overtax yourself."

"I won't, I can promise you that much." Shining Armor replied.

"Then, I guess we'll be going. See you around." Soarin called, and he, Thunderlane, Braeburn, Big Macintosh, and Fancy Pants all left the room.

* * *

"How very wise of you to send your friends away," A fiendish voice echoed from afar "You wouldn't want them to be around when they discovered that the crystals have not completely restricted _all_ of your magical abilities."

Shining Armor looked all around, but he couldn't see anyone besides himself. Even so, he knew who the voice belonged to. "Where are you, Sombra?! Show yourself if you're not afraid!"

"I don't have to show myself to the likes of you, at least not while that dome your wife has cast remains in place," King Sombra chuckled fiendishly "But thanks to those crystals I planted on your horn, you are a part of me. I can come and go as I please."

"Then leave now!" Shining Armor demanded "You will **NEVER** control me! Just as you will never get your greedy hooves on this empire!"

"Oh, I think you'll find that I don't need to even lift a hoof to reclaim what is rightfully mine," King Sombra taunted "I just need to wait until that pathetic excuse for a princess you call your wife runs out of energy. When she can no longer maintain that dome, I will swoop in, and capture the empire without breaking a sweat. And there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

"Big words coming from somepony who has to constantly hide behind shadows and spells!" Shining Armor said angrily, before he suddenly felt a great burning sensation well inside his forehead. He squinted, and tried in vain to prevent what happened next. His eyes became a sickly green in color, as his horn sparked violently with an alternating green and purple aura. Fortunately, the show faded as quickly as it had arrived.

King Sombra laughed "Do you see now, Shining Armor? You can still cast dark magic. Either at will, or on my command. Lucky for you, I can't maintain this mental link all the time. Every second I stay inside you, is a second that my body starts to decay. If I remain in your mind for too long, my body shall fade away completely. So, I must be going. But don't worry, I know for a fact that we will speak again." And with that, King Sombra's voice slowly disappeared, but not without one final evil laugh.

* * *

Shining Armor shook his head, and took off for the library as fast as he could " _I've got to find some way to ensure King Sombra can't reclaim the empire,_ " He thought to himself " _I just hope my mental defenses are able to keep Sombra's influence to a minimum until then._ "


	59. Chapter 59: Crystal Fair

It took Shining Armor a while to find his way to the library, and he ended up having to ask for directions. But within an hour, he was able to meet up with Twilight, Spike, and their friends.

Twilight was currently still in awe of just how big the library was, a fact that she let the rest of her friends know in no uncertain terms. "Just look at this place, it's at least ten times as big as The Golden Oaks Library!" Twilight exclaimed happily "This place could probably even put the Canterlot Public Library to shame!"

"Yeah, but how exactly is that supposed to help us?" Rainbow Dash asked "This library's been gone for 1,000 years like the rest of the empire, everything's gotta be at least 1,000 years out of date."

"Even so, this is the only lead we've got," Shining Armor said seriously "So I suggest we split up, and search each section of the library carefully. Hopefully, we'll at least find something that can tell us more about Sombra, or something that could be used to stop him."

"Sounds like a plan, unless anypony has a better idea?" Rarity asked, there were no replies.

"Then I guess it's settled," Twilight said with a smile "If anypony finds anything, bring it to Shining Armor or I." And with that, Twilight, Shining Armor, Spike, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity all split off to explore different parts of the library. The size of it meant it would probably take a lot of time to comb through everything on the shelves.

* * *

Everyone searched for what seemed like hours, but they found nothing. The librarian wasn't much help either, as they quickly discovered.

"I'm afraid I can't remember much about this place," She said unhappily "In fact, I'm not even sure if I'm supposed to be working here."

"Is there anything you **DO** remember?" Shining Armor asked "Anything at all would be helpful."

"Well, I seem to recall that there was a section of the library on the very bottom floor that King Sombra never wanted ponies visiting after he took over," The librarian told Shining Armor "But he never gave a reason why other than because he ordered it."

"And you just went along with it?" Rarity asked the librarian "No offense, but I can't see why you wouldn't have at least asked that ruffian what reason he had for wanting to keep ponies away from a certain place."

"Sombra threatened to enslave me like he did the others unless I followed his orders without question," The librarian explained, shuddering nervously "With a guy like him, it was best not to argue with him."

"The more I hear about this King Sombra, the more I'm hoping I never have to meet him face to face." Fluttershy said nervously.

"That section of the library must be important if Sombra didn't want ponies to go near it," Twilight concluded "We'd better check it more thoroughly, it probably contains that clue we've been looking for."

Sure enough, that section contained a book that mentioned the entire history of The Crystal Empire, from the very day it was founded. One section in particular, caught Twilight's eye. "It says here," she read aloud "'Once a year, each year, the citizens of the empire would hold a Crystal Fair. A grand spectacle with musical performances, home grown crops, games, and just about everything else you'd expect from your typical fair. It was an important tradition started by the empire's first queen.'"

"So how come they stopped holding it?" Pinkie Pie asked eagerly "Was it because King Sombra was a big old party pooper, and shut it down?"

"Actually, yes," Twilight replied "The book mentions that King Sombra put an end to the fair as soon as he ascended to the throne. The fair must be the key to restoring the memories of the Crystal Ponies, and defeating King Sombra."

"But how are we goin' to hold one, there's nopony within a hundred miles of here," Applejack complained "And in case you haven't noticed, these here Crystal Ponies can't remember anythin' from before Sombra was in power."

"We can hold the fair!" Twilight declared "If we all pitch in and contribute our talents, we should be able to pull it off!"

"You really think we can set up a Crystal Fair in such a short amount of time?" Spike asked "After all, there's no telling how long Cadence's protective dome will last."

"All the more reason why the time for talk has ended," Shining Armor said boldly "You all set to work on getting that fair ready, I'll see if the guys and I can help out as well."

"Sounds like a plan, we'll need all the help we can get!" Twilight replied.

"Which is why I'm trusting you with organizing the entire event, Twily," Shining Armor said to Twilight "You're the most qualified out of all of us to make sure this goes off without a hitch. We **HAVE** to get this right, for the sake of the Crystal Ponies and The Crystal Empire!"

* * *

Twilight quickly wasted no time in organizing the fair, and who would be in charge of what. Big Macintosh, Braeburn, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie were assigned to preparing the food, which mostly consisted of things like crystal berries and crystal corn. In addition, Braeburn and Pinkie Pie were to manage some of the games that would take place during the fair.

"This is going to be the greatest fair I've ever seen!" Pinkie Pie said happily.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Pinkie Pie, remember what's important," Braeburn warned "I'm all for fun and games, but the fate of Equestria comes first."

Fluttershy, with the help of Thunderlane, rounded up a flock of ewes for a petting zoo. The ewes proved tricky to find, but Thunderlane and Fluttershy were used to dealing with rare and unusual creatures.

"Thanks for the help, Thunderlane, I couldn't have done it without you." Fluttershy said to Thunderlane, once the ewes were safely in their pen.

"It was nothing, glad I could be of service," Thunderlane replied "I just hope the ewes don't mind being looked at."

Rainbow Dash signed up for the jousting event that was one of the star attractions of the fair, and roped Soarin into being her opponent.

"Man, how did those Crystal Ponies ever joust in such heavy armor?" Soarin complained, as he was fitted with the appropriate jousting attire "This thing is heavy, and I can barely see much that isn't in front of me."

"That's the whole point of jousting, Soarin!" Rainbow Dash replied eagerly "Just focus on your opponent, nothing else matters. But don't think I'm gonna go easy on you just because you're a Wonderbolt. Those ponies will be expecting a show."

Fancy Pants supervised Rarity, as she recreated the original flag of The Crystal Empire, which was to be flown throughout the duration of the fair. Rarity was then to take over the hat crafting booth.

"I never thought I'd actually be glad to done with sewing something," Rarity said, as she put the finishing touches on the flag "Who knew a flag of so many hues would be so difficult to recreate?"

"Perhaps it would be best if I took your place in the hat crafting booth, Miss. Rarity," Fancy Pants offered "You've been working so hard since the wedding, and you deserve a break."

"Thank you, Fancy Pants, but I can manage just fine," Rarity replied "Hat crafting shouldn't be too difficult."

As for Shining Armor, he tried his best to help with whatever part of the fair needed it most. But his thoughts kept turning to Cadence, and so he eventually excused himself to go see her.

* * *

"Shining Armor, I don't know if I can keep the dome up for much longer," Princess Cadence said with a hawn. Her eyes had grown heavy, and she felt ready to fall asleep at a moment's notice "Sombra's presence is growing stronger, I can feel it."

"Cadence, please, you've got to hold on for a little longer!" Shining Armor pleaded "I know you're strong enough to do so. The Crystal Fair is due to start in a matter of minutes. Once we've restored the Crystal Ponies spirits, they should be able to help us defeat Sombra."

But at that moment, Twilight came bursting into the throne room with a look of concern on her face "I hate to be the bearer of bad news," She said glumly "But I think we've got a problem. And it involves a 'Crystal Heart'."


	60. Chapter 60: Race Against The Clock

"What do you mean there's a page missing?!" Shining Armor exclaimed.

"I mean, King Sombra tore out the last page detailing the Crystal Heart," Twilight explained to her brother "Rainbow Dash overheard one of the Crystal Ponies remembering what the heart was, and why it was so important. If it's not the real thing, the entire fair will all be for naught."

"I should've known it was too easy," Shining Armor said angrily "Any ideas on where Sombra might have hidden the Crystal Heart?"

Twilight shook her head "Unfortunately, no. I suspect it might be somewhere within this castle, since nopony from the empire ever set hoof in it while he was around. But I have no way to know for sure, and it could be anywhere."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to start looking then!" Shining Armor said seriously, dashing off as fast as he could to fetch his friends.

* * *

"And _that's_ why it's important we find that heart A.S.A.P!" Shining Armor told his friends "Without it, there will no stopping King Sombra. The empire will be his."

"Then there's no time to lose! Let's spread out and find it!" Soarin suggested, and everyone present nodded.

Unfortunately, before anyone could do anything, Cadence suddenly collapsed from exhaustion! Shining Armor rushed to her side at once!

"I've tried to hold out, but I can't keep it up any longer," Cadence said weakly, as the glow around her horn ceased "Forgive me." Everything seemed to happen at once. Without Cadence's magic, the protective dome quickly faded away, leaving nothing but the barren wilderness of the Frozen North.

And looming just outside the empire's gates was King Sombra's calling card, a looming wall of shadow. "At last," He chuckled, as he slowly and carefully closed in on his target "The empire is mine once again!"

* * *

It looked like the end for Shining Armor and his friends. But then, just as it seemed King Sombra's victory was assured, the protective dome flared up once again. The powerful protective magic contained within it cutting off the tip of Sombra's horn as it made contact with the evil king.

Everyone turned to look, and gasped at who was responsible!

Twilight was straining heavily, as her horn glowed a powerful violet red in color. Somehow, she had managed to duplicate the spell Princess Cadence had been using, and had put it up just seconds before it would've been too late to stop King Sombra.

"Well done, Twilight!" Spike shouted eagerly "That should take care of old tall, dark, and ugly!"

But Twilight shook her head "You're wrong, Spike. I've only bought us some time," She explained, as she continued to strain from the intensity of the spell "King Sombra will return eventually, and when he does if we don't have the Crystal Heart, nothing will save us! Not even my magic!"

"Thank you, Twilight, but I can't ask you to bear that burden," Cadence replied weakly, as she slowly struggled to her feet "The Crystal Empire is my kingdom, and it is **MY** responsibility to protect it from harm." To emphasize this point, she shut her eyes, and concentrated hard for a moment. But she managed to get her horn to spark back to life.

"Cadence, you need to rest," Shining Armor insisted "If you continue to do this, you might completely drain yourself of your magic for good. Then we'll really be in trouble!"

"Whatever the risk, I have to take it!" Cadence said seriously "Don't worry about me, focus on finding the Crystal Heart! If you find it, we can be rid of Sombra for good!"

"I think it's best if we go back to the crystal fair, and try to keep those Crystal Ponies happy," Thunderlane said to Shining Armor "If they give into despair, the Crystal Heart will be useless."

"Very well then, just make sure to keep them away from the fake heart!" Shining Armor instructed.

"We will! Let's go, guys!" Soarin shouted, and he, Thunderlane, Fancy Pants, Big Macintosh, and Braeburn all left without saying anything more.

* * *

"Aren't you going to go help them run the fair, B.B.B.F.F?" Twilight asked Shining Armor once she and him were alone with Cadence and Spike on the balcony overlooking the empire.

"I think it's better if I stay here and support Cadence as best I can," Shining Armor replied "You focus on finding the Crystal Heart!"

"No, Shining Armor, you have to go and look for it," Cadence insisted "Princess Celestia showed you how to use dark magic, meaning you're the only one who can search for any hidden traps or rooms. Sombra's bound to have the heart hidden well out of sight, and probably heavily guarded."

"But Twily can easily manage that, I can teach her the necessary spells in a heartbeat." Shining Armor said to Cadence.

Cadence shook her head "You don't have to try to protect me, to make up for your failure to do so before the wedding. What happened with Chrysalis was a mistake, but you mustn't allow yourself to dwell on it. You need to focus on what's important now."

"But Cadence-" Shining Armor pleaded.

"No buts!" Cadence replied seriously "Just go! I'll be able to concentrate much more clearly if I know you're looking for that heart."

Shining Armor tried to think of a good counter-argument, but nothing came. "Oh, very well." he said with a frown, and set off on his important mission.

* * *

Just after he had set off, Shining Armor felt a familiar surge of pain in his forehead, and he realized at once what was going on. "What do you want now, Sombra?!" He asked angrily.

"Oh, I just wanted to congratulate you for that close save back there," King Sombra said with a fiendish laugh "Even you must know that you can't simply fight fear. And I am the living embodiment of fear. Fear is my ally, for it attracts the fearful. The strong and the weak, the hopeful and the desperate. But at the end of fear comes only one certainty, oblivion!"

"Your scare tactics won't work on me, Sombra!" Shining Armor shouted defiantly, not caring who heard him "You claim that fear is your ally, but what do you do with the ones aren't afraid?!"

But King Sombra only laughed harder "If there's one thing I know for a fact, Shining Armor, it's that everyone is afraid of something. Some are easier to frighten than others, but sooner or later we all encounter something we fear. Fear is what made me what I am, for ponies fear what is different, and what they cannot understand. The very same Crystal Ponies you're trying to protect feared me, and saw me as nothing but a monster. In the end, that is what I became, for it was what they wanted me to be."

"So you say, but forgive me if I find your claims skeptical," Shining Armor replied "You just keep laughing while you can, Sombra! Because soon, you won't have anything to be laughing about! I'll find that Crystal Heart you tried to hide, and the Crystal Empire will _never_ be yours!"

"We shall see, Shining Armor. Remember, the clock is ticking." KIng Sombra warned, and his voice faded away with an evil (not to mention creepy) echo.

"You'll never win, Sombra! I won't let you!" Shining Armor said valiantly.

* * *

"Are you talking to... yourself?" Spike asked Shining Armor.

Shining Armor turned around, and was surprised to see that Spike was following him "What are you doing here, Spike?" He asked "Shouldn't you be with Twilight or Cadence?"

"They can manage just fine without me," Spike replied "Besides, this is just like Nightmare Moon. You seem to regard this whole thing as your burden alone to bear, yet with every major threat you've needed the help of your friends to save the day. At the very least, you need me to provide you with some much needed moral support, and to pull you back to reality if you start to lose your grip on it."

"There's really no way to convince you otherwise, is there?" Shining Armor asked.

"Nope, I'm sticking with you till the end, like it or not." Spike nodded.

Shining Armor sighed "Oh, very well. You can tag along. But you do as I tell you to, got it?"

"Of course," Spike replied happily "You won't even know I'm there, and I promise I'll cut down on the snarky remarks for once. Even I can realize a situation as serious as this."

"What do I owe you in return?" Shining Armor asked "You love those snarky remarks."

"Nothing, think of it as a well deserved bonus," Spike insisted "Now come on, let's get going!"


	61. Chapter 61: Facing Your Fears

"So, any ideas on where King Sombra might have hidden that heart?" Spike asked Shining Armor.

"I suspect he'd hide it somewhere in this palace," Shining Armor replied, as he looked around "None of the Crystal Ponies ever set hoof in this castle after Sombra rose to power, making it the only place where he could ensure it would never be used against him. The only thing is, it could be anywhere within these castle walls. And I don't know if we've got enough time to search every nook and cranny, even if we split up."

"Then I guess we need to narrow down our search, somehow." Spike concluded.

"From what little I know of Sombra, I know he's extremely cautious," Shining Armor told Spike, as they reached the throne room "He wouldn't just hide the Crystal Heart anywhere within the castle, he'd want it hidden somewhere where if for any reason the Crystal Ponies dared defy him, they still wouldn't find the heart. He's got to have hidden it out of plain sight."

"What do you mean by that?" Spike asked nervously.

"Sometimes, if you want to defeat the enemy, you've got to think like the enemy," Shining Armor explained "And if I were thinking like King Sombra, I'd want to hide the heart in a place that's only accessible by dark magic." And he turned his attention to the crystal throne.

"You're not thinking of-" Spike began.

"I'm afraid so." Shining Armor interrupted, and after carefully checking to make sure no one else was around, he shut his eyes and began to let the dark magic surge through his horn. The burning sensation from the anger and fury contained within the magic was quite painful, but Shining Armor tried his best to ignore it. He then directed the magic into a crystal at the top of the throne that was different from the rest.

Much to Spike's amazement, when the dark magic hit the crystal, it revealed a hidden spiral staircase in front of the throne. A staircase that seemed to work its way down into the depths of an unknown cave.

When Shining Armor opened his eyes, he saw the staircase as clear as day, and was amazed at his discovery. "I figured Sombra was hiding something, but I never thought it would be something like this," He said to Spike "This is definitely worth checking out. You with me, Spike?"

"O-of course," Spike said nervously "But just to be on the safe side, why don't you lead the way?"

"As you wish." Shining Armor replied, and he and Spike began to make their way down the flight of stairs. What lay at the bottom, they couldn't tell. But both were hopeful it would either be the Crystal Heart, or at least something that would lead to it.

* * *

The staircase seemed to stretch on and on for what felt like forever, without any end in sight. Shining Armor and Spike began to grow fatigued, as they made their way down row after row.

"Just how long are these stairs?" Spike wondered out loud "It's like they never end."

"That's impossible, every staircase has to have an end at some point," Shining Armor complained "We can't just turn back now, this might be our only lead to the location of the Crystal Heart."

"Or maybe it's just a dead end that Sombra set up to trap us," Spike suggested "Maybe it's best if we go back up and look elsewhere." But as he turned around and prepared to head back upstairs, Spike lost his balance, and started to tumble down the stairs.

Frantically, Shining Armor chased after Spike, and caught him in his magic just seconds before the baby dragon would've hit his head on the hard rock surface of the bottom of the cave.

"That was close," Shining Armor said, breathing a small sigh of relief "You really should try to be more careful, Spike. If you didn't have such thick scales, you probably would've hurt yourself pretty badly."

"Sorry to make you worry," Spike apologized "But at least we've finally reached the bottom of those stairs. That's a relief. Right, Shining Armor?"

Shining Armor didn't answer, he was too busy focusing on a door that lay just a short distance away from the foot of the staircase. Just like the throne, a crystal was embedded into the top, and it was obvious what the intent of it was.

" _King Sombra went to greath lengths to hide the Crystal Heart behind all of these security measures,_ " He thought to himself " _The fact that they're powered by dark magic means that only he could ever access them, no matter what. He's certainly smarter than any other threat I've encountered, I'll give him that much._ " And with that, Shining Armor cast a small amount of dark magic into the door, forcing it open with a blinding flash of white light.

* * *

When the flash faded, Shining Armor walked through the door, only to be shocked at what awaited him.

Somehow, he had ended up back outside the Crystal Castle. But now, everything had changed. The protective dome surrounding the empire was gone completely, replaced by an ominous red sky.

" _What's going on? This can't be the empire!_ " Shining Armor thought to himself, but everywhere he looked he could see familiar buildings, and familiar faces. Then, he looked up at the castle balcony, and gulped.

Perched on the balcony was none other than King Sombra himself, with several brainwashed guards standing beside him for protection. "Well, what have we here?" the evil king asked, as he looked down at Shining Armor "Shining Armor, the last of the resistance, has come to surrender."

"Surrender?! NEVER! Not to the likes of you!" Shining Armor shouted angrily.

"It's hopeless, B.B.B.F.F," a familiar voice spoke up "When you disappeared, there was nopony left to stop Sombra, the empire became his once again."

Shining Armor spun around, but what he saw a sight he wished he could forget. There were all his friends, Cadence, and even Twilight. All of them were chained up, alongside the rest of the Crystal Ponies, who's coats had returned to their dulled and depressed state.

"What are you talking about?! I didn't disappear, I went through a door and the next thing I knew I ended up here," Shining Armor insisted "Somepony should've come looking for me, and seen the hidden staircase."

"Don't listen to his lies, Twilight." Applejack said crossly.

"He gave up, and ran away like a coward, leaving us to pay the price!" Rainbow Dash hissed.

"And so did the rest of Equestria," Soarin added glumly "I was the only Wonderbolt to survive Sombra's wrath, everypony else was struck down the second they tried to fight back."

"Worst of all, Sombra took away all the happiness and fun of life in Equestria." Pinkie Pie glumly mentioned, her mane and tail had flattened, and her coat had become a dull pink not unlike that of the Crystal Ponies.

"Meanin' that we had no choice but to become Sombra's slaves if we wished to live," Braeburn explained "And it's all thanks to you!"

"But! But!" Shining Armor stuttered.

"No excuses," Princess Cadence said sadly "I kept holding out hope that you would come back to save us all, but you never did! I thought you cared about me!"

King Sombra laughed as he observed the scene unfolding before him "So, do you see now, Shining Armor? You failed to stop my return, and everypony you cared about paid the price! Rather than admit you were a failure, you ran away. And now, now you've finally come to accept the reality of the situation. Unfortunately for you, I have no place for you in my empire. Destroy him, my faithful servants, and make sure it's painful!"

"Nooooooooooo!" Shining Armor yelled, as his former friends and loved ones closed in on him.

* * *

"-Armor? Shining Armor?" A familiar voice suddenly called out.

Shining Armor quickly realized that the voice belonged to Spike. "Spike?" He asked "Where are you?"

"What do you mean where I am?" Spike said in reply "I'm where I've been for the past few minutes. You practically zoned out."

"Zoned out?" Shining Armor asked, and shook his head. Like magic, the scenery changed, and he found himself staring back at the opened door in the cave. Apparently, what he had seen was all an elaborate illusion.

"Yeah, it had something to do with that door," Spike explained, before his eyes gazed upon, and his attention seemed to suddenly shift. Shining Armor couldn't help but notice that his eyes were covered by a sickly green aura "Ponyville? How did I end up here?" he said out loud "Twilight? Wait, no! Twilight, please don't send me away! I'll do anything, but please don't make me leave! You and your brother are the only family I have left!"

Shining Armor snapped Spike out of the illusion, by shutting the door. "A door designed to lead to your worst fear," he realized, and said out loud "How despicable of Sombra."

"But, it felt so real." Spike said, as tears streaked down his face.

"Don't worry, Spike," Shining Armor said with a smile, as he embraced Spike tightly in a hug "Those illusions we saw will never become reality! Twilight would **NEVER** send you away, and neither would I. And together, you and I are going to find that Crystal Heart, and save the Crystal Empire." And with that, Shining Armor used his regular magic to open the door again. This time, no illusion greeted his eyes, or Spike's eyes, as they passed through.

But once they had passed safely through the door, they were shocked to find another set of stairs. This time, the stairs and the room they were in were a lot more polished, and sparkled brightly.

"Again with the stairs," Spike commented "I'm beginning to think King Sombra had a thing for stairs or something."


	62. Chapter 62: To The Top

While Shining Armor and Spike began the long climb up the second flight of stairs, Princess Cadence was struggling to maintain the protective barrier around the Crystal Empire, while everypony else was focused on keeping the Crystal Fair running smoothly.

* * *

"Where is Shining Armor? He's been gone a long time." Thunderlane asked nervously, as he attempted to keep the ewes under control on his own. Fluttershy had been roped into a jousting match to give an exhausted Soarin a break, leaving Thunderlane to run the petting zoo by himself.

"We've got to have faith in him," Soarin replied, as Fancy Pants carefully examined him for any signs of injury "He's always come through for us when we're in a pinch, this time shouldn't be any different."

"That may be, but I'm not exactly thrilled with the idea that there's little we can do to help him this time," Fancy Pants frowned "Even when that dastardly Queen Chrysalis had him under her control, we were still able to help rescue him. And we also helped lead the charge to the elements, even if it turned out to be in vain."

"This is just like his battle with Nightmare Moon," Braeburn spoke up "Except, this time, we've got no idea where he could be or what sort of danger he might be in. It's pretty hard to keep smilin' when one of your best friends is in danger, and there's nothin' you can do about it."

"Well, like it or not, we've got to do our best to keep smilin' anyway," Big Macintosh said seriously "Shining Armor's countin' on us to keep these Crystal Ponies entertained, and we can't let him down!"

"Easier said than done I'm afraid," Fancy Pants replied with a shake of his head "Miss. Rarity just informed she's running out of supplies to make hats, she's had to resort to using hay and drinking straws."

"At least Fluttershy's keeping her performance anxiety under control," Thunderlane commented, as another round of deafening cheers echoed from the stadium where the jousting match was being held "Unfortunately, winning is a different story."

"Rainbow Dash can't take it too easy on her though," Soarin replied "If she does, the Crystal Ponies will lose interest, then we'll really be in trouble."

"I'll say," Big Macintosh nodded "It's really hard to divert the Crystal Ponies attention somewhere else, even I'm havin' a tough time with it."

"Well, you all keep doin' what you can. As for me, I'd better go and help Pinkie Pie with her little show," Braeburn said, as he raced away "It's the only other thing we've got to keep 'em distracted."

Unknown to the stallions, Twilight had overheard everything, and she was frantic. " _Please hurry, B.B.B.F.F,_ " Twilight thought to herself " _That barrier will fade any moment now, and if you're not back with the real Crystal Heart, we're doomed! You've never let anypony down when it matters most, I_ _ **know**_ _you can do it!_ "

* * *

Shining Armor's legs ached, and felt like they could give out at a moment's notice, as he climbed yet another step on the seemingly endless staircase.

Spike wasn't too far behind, but he was out of breath and panting heavily. "How many steps does this make?" he asked in between pants.

"I don't know, I stopped counting a while back," Shining Armor admitted "But it's gotta be over 300 by now, possibly even over 400."

"What?! That's impossible!" Spike exclaimed, panting even more heavily "No staircase in the universe could go on this long, nopony would ever have the time and patience to build that many steps! They'd give up by the 200th step!"

"Well, we've got to keep climbing," Shining Armor insisted "The location of the real Crystal Heart _must_ be at the top!"

"But we'll never make it in time at this rate!" Spike shouted anxiously "Even if we reach the final step soon, there's no guarantee we'll find the Crystal Heart, we may have to face yet another obstacle. What if we **NEVER** find the heart in time?!"

"We can't think like that, Spike! If we do, King Sombra's already won!" Shining Armor replied angrily "We've got to keep our thinking positive, we've got to tell ourselves that we WILL find the Crystal Heart in time to save the empire! If we give up hope, then we give up on everything that's at stake, and that is out of the question!"

"I don't want to give up, but I think we need to face the facts," Spike told Shining Armor "This staircase goes on forever. It must be a trap set up by Sombra, just like the door."

"Then there must be a trick to conquering it," Shining Armor replied, and then an idea came into his head "Maybe we've been climbing this staircase the wrong way from the start!" he said to Spike.

"Even if that's true, how are we supposed to climb it the _right_ way?" Spike asked "It's not like we can just magically flip the stairs upside down."

"Actually, we can. Gravity spells were a part of royal guard training," Shining Armor said with a smile on his face "I always knew they'd come in handy one day!"

"So, how do they work?" Spike asked, as he joined Shining Armor on one of the steps.

"Hop onto my back and hang on tight!" Shining Armor warned "And whatever happens, don't let go!" Spike did as he was told, and that was the cue Shining Armor needed to light up his horn. It proved to be really difficult to master up the strength needed for a gravity spell, thanks to the crystals surrounding his horn, but eventually Shining Armor managed to place himself and Spike on what would be the underside of the staircase, if everything were right side up. Shining Armor then proceeded to slide down the "new" staircase he had constructed, until it led to a door at the very bottom.

Upon returning gravity to normal, so that he and Spike were standing on right side up territory, Shining Armor noticed that the two of them were at the top of the tower within the Crystal Castle. And there, floating in mid air, was the real Crystal Heart in all its glory. It shone brightly through the room with its radiant aura of goodness, and hope.

"There it is, Spike," Shining Armor smiled "Our hard work has paid off. Now we just need to get the heart back to the fair, and we're golden!" Shining Armor then proceeded to walk up to the heart.

"Wait, Shining Armor! It might be a trap" Spike shouted, but his warning came too late to prevent Shining Armor from grabbing the Crystal Heart with his hooves. And Spike could only watch in horror, as the heart gave off a sudden flare of darkness, no doubt a warning sign to King Sombra that someone was trying to take it.

"No you don't! You won't get the heart _that_ easily!" King Sombra roared, and his horn sparked to life, crackling from the dark magic that surged through it.

Before Shining Armor had a chance to realize what was going on, the heart bounced out of his hooves, and he was surrounded by an impenetrable wall of crystals. "No!" He exclaimed.

* * *

To make matters worse, at the Crystal Fair, the fake Crystal Heart had accidentally been exposed. And at that very moment, the protective barrier faded once again. The Crystal Ponies began to panic "He has returned!" they exclaimed in horror.

"At very long last, the day I've waited 1,000 years for is finally here!" King Sombra gloated, as he began to close in on the empire "Enjoy your final moments of freedom, my crystal slaves!"


	63. Chapter 63: Crystal Crisis

Even from within his crystal prison, Shining Armor could hear the wicked laughter of King Sombra, as the greedy unicorn slowly but surely closed in on the empire he had once ruled. Things looked all but hopeless as far as Shining Armor was concerned, and he was almost certain his friends were feeling the same way right about now.

Shining Armor quickly discovered that teleporting didn't do him any good. The instant he teleported out of the crystals, he was automatically teleported right back in. And none of the spells he tried even scratched the giant crystals.

" _Trapped like a rat, with no way out!_ " Shining Armor thought angrily to himself. " _If only my friends were here right now, I could really use their help._ "

"But your friends aren't here, they're down below, all because of you!" King Sombra taunted through his mental link with Shining Armor.

"Leave me alone, you've already all but got the Crystal Empire in your grasp, what more do you want?!" Shining Armor complained, as he felt the surges of dark magic growing stronger, and causing more painful headaches.

"Who are you talking to?" Spike asked Shining Armor.

"It's King Sombra, he's been sharing a mental link with me thanks to the crystals embedded in my horn," Shining Armor explained. "And now it looks like he's come to rub in his victory some more!"

"You're mistaken, Shining Armor," King Sombra replied with a fiendish chuckle "I didn't come here to rub in my victory, for a wise pony never counts their chickens before they've hatched. I merely wish to propose an offer, one that I believe would be in your best interest to accept."

"Whatever it is, he's not interested!" Spike said angrily. "So why don't you just buzz off?!"

"Excuse me, but I believe this is a 'private conversation'!" King Sombra hissed, and from a distance came a blast of magic that effectively silenced Spike by knocking him out cold.

"SPIKE!" Shining Armor exclaimed, horrified to see his first friend and little brother be struck down.

"Relax, he won't be out for long," King Sombra told Shining Armor. "Unfortunately, my magic has little effect on dragons, or I would've done something much sooner to get rid of him. But he won't a problem for much longer, now that I've got your undivided attention."

"I'm not going to listen to anything you say! You can't make me!" Shining Armor said defiantly! "I'd rather rot in this prison for all eternity with noone to talk to, rather than talk to the likes of you!"

"You really _are_ a bothersome little pest," King Sombra growled! "Perhaps, you need to be reminded of who's in charge around here!" And with that, he increased the intensity of the dark magic surges even more, to the point where Shining Armor's forehead felt like it was going to crack from the pressure applied to it. The strain caused his body to sweat profusely, and his legs felt like they could give way at a moment's notice if he tried to stand up.

"How... are you... doing this?" Shining Armor grunted, as he channeled every ounce of resistance he could muster into his body and mind.

"Painful, isn't it?" King Sombra asked. "Well, there's only one way to make it stop. Give into the anger, the temptation, the rage. Stop trying to fight it, and let it flow freely through your mind, enveloping your thoughts. You may have used some dark magic to uncover the security measures I placed to guard the Crystal Heart, but you've only begun to scratch the surface of what it has to offer. If you embrace the darkness, I can teach you magic that even Princess Celestia herself would never dream of wielding. You would become my student, and together we would rule over everyone and everything. All of your foes would bow down to you, and beg for mercy so as to not be destroyed. Your friends and loved would lose all will to resist me, or you. We would be unstoppable! Surely, that is far better than just being Captain of The Royal Guard. The same royal guard that can't even find the princess' pet bird when it goes missing, and got shot down by Nightmare Moon."

"NEVER! I'll... never join you... no matter what!" Shining Armor replied, even as the pain in his forehead only increased even more.

"Too bad, what a shame, now you DIE!" King Sombra bellowed! "And if by some miracle you're still alive after I've reclaimed the empire, I will exterminate you personally, like the rat that you are! So enjoy your final moments, Shining Armor, knowing that everything you've struggled for was all in vain! But don't worry, I'll take good care of your friends, your sister, and **YOUR** wife!"

Those words touched off strong feelings for Shining Armor, and something inside him snapped "No! THAT'S IT!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, as his horn suddenly began to surge with a powerful display of magic! But it wasn't dark magic, it was his own magic, as was evidenced by the warm glow and pinkish aura! The magic washed over the unconscious Spike, waking him up.

Spike took one look at Shining Armor, and instantly he became frightened! Shining Armor looked like he was about to explode, taking the whole tower and everything in it with him.

But before Spike could even think about that in greater detail, he saw Shining Armor turn to him, and through the wall of crystals He shouted! "Spike, take the Crystal Heart to Cadence! It's all up to you now!"

"What about you?" Spike asked. "I'm not leaving you here like this!"

"I'll be fine, Spike," Shining Armor insisted. "This time I really mean it. Don't worry about _my_ well being, the well being of the entire Crystal Empire is more important."

"But I-" Spike protested.

"Do it now, while I can still speak to you without Sombra's influence spreading through me!" Shining Armor demanded! "If you hurry, you can save the day. That's what you've always wanted, right? To be the big hero, even just once? Well, now's your chance!"

"Alright, I'll do it! But then I'm coming right back to rescue you!" Spike replied. "I almost lost you once already today, I'm not about to let that happen a second time." He proceeded to quickly scoop up the Crystal Heart in his claws, only for dark crystals to start sprouting up behind him, cutting off the route he'd hoped to take. Seeing no other options, Spike reluctantly dove out the window of the tower, the dark crystals were sprouting up everywhere!

"A valiant effort, young Shining Armor," King Sombra said ominously, as Shining Armor's magic surge faded. "But it will do you little good. Now, I'll leave you to your impending doom. And by the time you've been dealt with, the Crystal Empire will be mine once again!" And with a fiendish laugh that echoed everywhere, King Sombra severed his mental link with Shining Armor, who now found himself fighting a losing battle to keep the dark magic from overpowering him. The more he struggled, the more his body screamed at him to stop!

" _Please, Spike, whatever happens to me, don't give up hope! And make sure Cadence, Twily, and the others don't either._ " Shining Armor thought to himself, as he shut his eyes, while he attempted to increase his concentration in the hopes of preventing his certain death.

* * *

As King Sombra began to invade the Crystal Empire, he shed his shadowy form and revealed his body for the first time in 1,000 years. "At long last, I am whole once again!" he proclaimed "And now, my crystal slaves, you will all bow down before me if you wish to live!"

Needless to say, the presence of King Sombra coupled with the absence of the real Crystal Heart, touched off a panic among the Crystal Ponies. They ran in every direction possible, hoping to somehow escape King Sombra's wrath.

King Sombra only chuckled in delight at the sights that greeted his eyes "Run all you like, it will do you no good," He taunted. "All of you must realize that you are _doomed_!"

"Well, guys, I get the feeling that this time we're up the river without a paddle." Braeburn commented nervously.

"This can't be how it all ends!" Thunderlane insisted! "It can't be! Shining Armor's going to come through for us like he always does!"

"I want to believe that, Thunderlane, really I do," Soarin replied. "But it looks like King Sombra got to him first."

"It can't be true, he can't be gone!" Twilight said, as tears began to form in his eyes. "He was my 'Big Brother Best Friend Forever', we did everything together! And what's worse is that Spike was with him, I've lost my brother, and my son!"

"Hey, look up there!" Rainbow Dash shouted, pointing a hoof to the top of the tower! "You won't believe your eyes!"

"This isn't the time for one of your pranks, Rainbow," Applejack said angrily. "Can't you see we're not in the mood?!"

"But I'm being serious, look!" Rainbow Dash insisted.

Everypony looked up, and gasped in surprise. There was Spike, working his way down the tower, the real Crystal Heart clutched firmly in hls claws.

"Spike!" Twilight happily exclaimed! "Oh, thank goodness he's alright. At least _he_ managed to survive!"

"And he's got the real Crystal Heart with him!" Pinkie Pie shouted "We're saved!"

"Oh no you aren't!" King Sombra replied angrily, as he fired off a blast of dark magic from his horn! "I've waited too long for this day, and nopony or dragon is going to take it away!"

The blast of dark magic missed hitting Spike directly, but unfortunately, the resulting explosion caused Spike to lose his balance! He slipped off the tower, and began to free fall towards King Sombra along with the Crystal Heart!

"Oh my stars!" Rarity exclaimed in horror! "Somepony do something, quick!"

"He's too high up!" Fluttershy replied! "We'll never reach him in time!"

"Not if I can help it!" Princess Cadence said, as she flapped her wings and took off! The knowledge of what was at stake provided the motivation she needed to fly faster than she had ever flown before. In the blink of an eye, she caught up to Spike, snatching him and the Crystal Heart out of thin air just seconds before they would've reached King Sombra! She then brought Spike safely down to the ground, while she held the Crystal Heart aloft with her magic!

"Shining Armor's at the top of the tower, you've got to save him!" Spike pleaded with Cadence.

"We'll worry about Shining Armor after we've taken care of Sombra, don't you worry!" Princess Cadence reassured Spike, as she touched down on the ground in front of the Crystal Castle, crushing the fake crystal heart effortlessly in the process.

"Look!" Shouted a Crystal Pony! "The Crystal Princess, she has returned!"

"What?! No! NO!" King Sombra said angrily! "You will _not_ take away everything I've worked for!" And he began to close in on Princess Cadence, throwing caution completely to the wind in the process!

This was just the sort of mistake Cadence needed. "Muster up all the love and hope you can give!" She instructed, as the heart was inserted into a stand that materialized from out of the ground. "To make sure that 'he' never comes back!" And she pointed to Sombra.

All of the Crystal Ponies obeyed without hesitation, they quickly forgot to be afraid. One by one their coats returned to their normal glimmering state, and the love and hope that they felt was channeled into the Crystal Heart, which began to glow brighter and brighter.

"No! Stop! As your king I order you to cease this behavior at once!" King Sombra demanded, as he prepared to strike at Princess Cadence!

"Sorry, Sombra, but you've been dethroned! You will _never_ again rule over this empire, I swear it!" Princess Cadence replied heroically, as the Crystal Heart reached full power, generating a dazzling (not to mention blinding) wave of light.

When the light made contact with King Sombra, cracks began to appear on his body, as if he were made of crystal. Realizing what was happening, King Sombra let out a deafening roar! "You'll all pay for this! Somehow, someway, I will have my revenge!" King Sombra insisted, and those were the last words he muttered, before the greedy former tyrant was shattered into pieces, his horn flying off and landing in a small cavern beneath the Crystal Castle.

* * *

"Sister, look!" Princess Luna shouted, drawing the attention of Princess Celestia. The two alicorns looked out of one of the throne room windows, as an impressive light show appeared in the night sky. A light show that they had last seen 1,000 years ago.

"Shining Armor, Cadence, Twilight, Spike, and their friends have done it," Princess Celestia said with a smile. "The empire is safe once again. And this time, hopefully it will be safe forever."


	64. Chapter 64: Captain and Prince

As soon as King Sombra was destroyed, Princess Cadence flew up to the top of the tower in the Crystal Castle, and sure enough she found Shining Armor right where Spike said he would be.

Oddly enough, despite having a shiny crystal coat (just like everypony else currently in the empire), Shining Armor had passed out. Laying beside him were broken shards of dark red crystals big and small alike, and it didn't take long for Cadence to realize what they were.

" _The leftover fragments of King Sombra's spells,_ " Cadence thought to herself. " _He's got some nerve hurting my husband in the hope of getting to me, or turning him against me! It's a good thing he's gone now, I hope I never have to see that coward of a king ever again!_ " And she quickly pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind, as the crystal princess she had more important things to worry about, namely the well being of the stallion that was her husband.

Carefully scooping Shining Armor up, Cadence placed him on her back, and carried him out of the tower. She brought him safely down to the balcony overlooking the restored Crystal Empire, and gently set him down.

"B.B.B.F.F!" Twilight exclaimed, immediately dropping everything as she rushed to his side. Fortunately, when she got a good look at him, she saw that he was still breathing normally. And there were no signs of lasting injury anywhere.

"He's exhausted from fighting against King Sombra's dark magic," Cadence explained to Shining Armor's friends. "Fortunately, the magic of the Crystal Heart destroyed the crystals causing this. Now he just needs time to rest, he'll be fine when he wakes up."

"Good," Big Macintosh replied, breathing a sigh of relief. "We were really worried about him."

"Well, there's one thing I still don't understand," Soarin commented. "If he was unconscious in the top of the tower, then how did he get Spike to pick up the Crystal Heart, and leave him?"

"He probably didn't pass out right away, he must've had enough time to give Spike the order first." Thunderlane concluded.

"We can worry about those details later," Rarity replied seriously. "For now, let's get him into the castle, and place him somewhere comfortable and out of the way of curious eyes. I don't think he'd want a lot of ponies to see him in this condition."

"There should be a bed for two somewhere within the castle," Cadence said to Rarity. "That should do the trick."

* * *

Shining Armor slept soundily for a long time, despite the loud and joyous celebration that the Crystal Empire hosted to commemorate the defeat of King Sombra. Pinkie Pie and Braeburn even headed up the celebration, which concluded with the presentation of a blueprint for a statue to be made of pure crystal, honoring the hero that had saved the empire in its moment of great peril, Spike.

At last, after a lengthly slumber, Shining Armor woke up to find himself within the bed chambers of the Crystal Castle. His entire body felt refreshed, and he felt better than he had felt in months. It was as if all of his woes had been washed away, replaced with feelings of tranquality and peace.

When he opened his eyes, Shining Armor immediately found himself gazing right into the eyes of Princess Celestia. Normally, Shining Armor would be rather concerned about meeting her on such short notice. But considering everything he'd been through, he was glad to see a familiar face.

"Nice to see that you have awakened, Prince Armor," Princess Celestia greeted warmly. "How does it feel to know that you are now the proud prince of the Crystal Empire?"

"To be honest, it feels like an honor I don't really deserve," Shining Armor admitted. "Spike's the one who got the heart to Princess Cadence, and the one who pulled me back when I was trapped in an illusion of self pity by King Sombra. All I did was figure out where the crystal heart was."

"You did more than that, Shining Armor," Princess Celestia said with a smile. "You didn't realize it, but when you made the decision to tell Spike to take the Crystal Heart, you passed a test that I knew you would need to pass at one point or another. A test of self scarifice, to see if you understood the concept. I had hoped for it to be under less world threatening circumstances, but I am still relieved that you passed it with flying colors."

"I see." Shining Armor nodded.

Princess Celestia continued to smile, as she said to Shining Armor. "You have proven yourself to be a capable leader on more than one occasion, and have faced big fears. If you ask me, those are the kind of traits that any great prince should have. More importantly, you have proven that you are ready."

"Ready for what?" Shining Armor asked Princess Celestia.

"For what lies ahead of course," Princess Celestia replied. "If I told you what it was, it would spoil the surprise, and you would overthink the situation. But now that it will come sooner than you might think. You will know when it has happened, for I will be there to see your accomplishment. And by the time it is over, you and your friends will know more about the magic of friendship than anypony in the history of Equestria, even Starswirl The Bearded himself."

"But what will I do in the meantime?" Shiing Armor asked.

"That, is up to you," Princess Celestia told him. "As of now, your role as prince of The Crystal Empire does not amount to much, other than ensuring that the Crystal Heart remains where it belongs, and that love and hope remain in strong supply. If you wish, you may return to the royal guard and serve as their captain, while also maintaining your role as prince. But there will undoubtly be times when your loyalty to both will lead to conflict, and you will have to choose which side to help. Alternatively, you may permantely relinquish the title of captain, and pass the torch to a pony of your choosing. You will recieve the benefits that all retired captains recieve. The choice is yours, and yours alone."

"I want to return to helping the royal guard, so that Equestria can depend on it for protection," Shining Armor said. "But if I do, what will become of First Lieutenant Flash Sentry? He's been leading the royal guard in my absence."

"He will return to his usual post until called on to serve at a new location," Princess Celestia explained. "I should also mention that you and Cadence will need your own personal guard now that you are both royalty. You may appoint at least one pony of your choosing to serve in the Crystal Guard."

"Then, I shall choose Flash Sentry," Shining Armor immediately replied. "He deserves to be repaid for stepping up to take charge in my absence, and I would really like to get to know him on a personal level. He sounds like a nice guy."

"Very well then," Princess Celestia nodded. "When I return to Canterlot, I shall inform Flash of your decision. Speaking of Canterlot, you may come and go from that city, Ponyville, or this empire as often as you wish. But I would advise you not to travel too much too often. You may be the Crystal Prince, but you are still just a pony, and your body will need time to rest. If you try to do too much at once, you will overexert yourself and be of little use to anyone."

"Thank you, your majesty," Shining Armor bowed. "I shall keep in mind your advice at all times. And hopefully, the next time we speak, it will simply be a casual talk that does not concern the fate of Equestria."

* * *

And so, with a new title and a new location to contend with, Shining Armor's life had once again changed drastically. For the near future, he and Cadence agreed it would be best for him to remain in the Crystal Empire to fully recover from what King Sombra had done, and Flash Sentry would lead the royal guard for a little bit longer. Once Shining Armor was fully recovered, he would take back the leadership role, and Flash Sentry would move to the Crystal Empire to serve with the Crystal Guard.

But Shining Armor had no way of knowing that all of the changes he'd experienced in the past couple of months, were all preparing him for a great big change that would come on a faithful day not too far down the road.


	65. Chapter 65: Things Change

Shining Armor had never felt as happy as he did right now. He was finally back in Ponyville for what promised to be a long time, and he finally had the chance to spend time with his friends again after only briefly visiting them a few weeks back. To top it all off, he'd managed to return everything to normal, after accidentally swapping his friends cutie marks due to an unfinished spell.

" _The spell!_ " Shining Armor suddenly thought, remembering the incomplete master spell from Starswirl The Bearded that had caused of all this trouble. "Guys, I know how to complete the spell!" he boldly declared.

"Oh, you do?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Yes, and I have all of you guys to thank for it!" Shining Armor replied, barely able to contain his excitement.

"How so?" Big Macintosh asked his friend.

"There's no time to explain, just don't take off those elements!" Shining Armor eagerly answered, and dashed off in the direction of the library.

"Shining Armor's awfully excited about that there spell, and that's sayin' somethin' comin' from a stallion like me," Braeburn observed. "Last time I got that excited, I nearly landed myself in the hospital."

"Yeah, well I'm sure Shining Armor knows what he's doing. After all, he just undid something that had me trying to work on weather duty," Soarin replied. "There's a reason I became a Wonderbolt instead of a weather worker."

"I just hope whatever Shining Armor has planned isn't going to mess things up again," Thunderlane said somewhat nervously. "But I suppose there's only one way to know for sure."

"It's not going to do us much good to stand around here, speculating," Fancy Pants commented. "Everyone, to the library!"

* * *

The five stallions arrived at The Golden Oaks Library a few moments later, and Shining Armor eagerly answered the door. "Good, you're here! We can begin!" he told them.

"What exactly are you going to do?" Soarin asked his friend, as each of the stallions gathered around Shining Armor.

"Just watch, I'm about to do what Starswirl never could! I'm going to complete the spell!" Shining Armor explained, and picked up a quill. Then in the blank space provided in the book he wrote: " _From all of us together, together we're friends. With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end!_ " He ended his written statement with a mighty pen stroke!

For a moment, everything was silent and nothing happened. But then, something most unusual began to occur. Starting with the Element of Magic, each of the Elements of Harmony started to light up and glow. Without warning, each of the elements encased in a necklace shot out in a series of blinding beams.

"What's happening?!" Fancy Pants cried.

"Oh I don't like this! I don't like this at all!" Big Macintosh nervously added.

"It's like these things have a mind of their own!" Braeburn added.

"How do we turn them off?!" Soarin demanded.

"I don't know!" Thunderlane replied.

Shining Armor looked all around, he was completely surrounded by the beams and there was no way out. But he wasn't worried, in fact if one had been able to look through the blinding light, they would've seen a smile on his face. " _Whatever happens now, I am ready to accept,_ " he thought. " _I've lived a good life, I have no regrets. I just hope that, if the worst_ _ **does**_ _come, Cadence and Twilight will find a way to carry on without me._ " And he shut his eyes, as the blinding light grew brighter and brighter. At last, there was a huge flash, and then nothing.

The five stallions opened their eyes, only to be shocked at the sight that greeted them! Where Shining Armor had stood, there was now a black, smoldering scorch mark in the shape of his cutie mark!

Thunderlane was the first of his friends to speak. "Did _we_ do this?" he nervously asked.

"Maybe... I think.." Soarin nervously confessed.

"B.B.B.F.F!" Twilight shouted upon seeing the smoldering scorch mark, her mouth dropped open in shock. "What did you do to him?!" she demanded of the five stallions.

"Who? Us? We didn't do this!" Fancy Pants protested.

"Actually, I think we did... by accident." Big Macintosh confessed.

Twilight recoiled in shock, tears started to well up in her eyes. "Then that means..." she couldn't finish the rest of her sentence, her tears started to flow without end and she started to bawl!

"Oh man, we're in it now." Braeburn said glumly.

"I'll say you are," Spike said angrily. "All of you have a _lot_ of explaining to do!"

* * *

When Shining Armor finally opened his eyes, he was surprised at the sight that lay before him. There was nothing surrounding him but an empty void, only occasionally filled with stars. " _Is this the afterlife? Am I dead?_ " he thought to himself.

"Welcome, young Shining Armor," a familiar voice warmly greeted. "I must admit, it is quite surprising to see _you_ here." And in a brilliant display of white light, Princess Celestia appeared before Shining Armor's eyes.

"Princess Celestia, oh am I glad to see you!" Shining Armor said happily, as he rushed forward and embraced the alicorn in a full body hug. It was good to see a familiar face amidst all this uncertainty. "Where am I?" he asked his mentor.

"In a world that only a select few have ever visited," Princess Celestia explained. "You managed to accomplish a feat that even Luna and Cadence believed was not possible."

"Are you referring to Star Swirl The Bearded's master spell?" Shining Armor asked.

Princess Celestia nodded. "I was most surprised to see you of all ponies cast the incomplete spell, even if it was by mistake. I was also not expecting you to be the one to solve it. I had hoped it was my faithful student, Twilight, who would do it. But it is what it is, and in a way you were just as much my student as Twilight was. And like all great teachers, there comes a time when the student must surpass the master. There is little left that I can teach you or Twilight, the time has come for the both of you to become teachers in your own right."

"What are you talking about? You're not making any sense!" Shining Armor protested.

"All will be explained, if you'll kindly follow me," Princess Celestia explained. "Once you see what you have accomplished, you'll understand why you have proven yourself ready for this great transformation."

Shining Armor followed Princess Celestia, as the two trotted along through the star filled void. Much to Shining Armor's surprise, a series of pictures displaying various memories of his life appeared to either side of him.

Princess Celestia smiled, as she began to sing:

 _You've come, such a long, long way._

 _And I've watched you from that very first day._

 _To see how you might grow._

 _To see what you might do._

 _To see what you've been through._

 _And all the ways you've made proud of you._

 _It's time now, for a new change to come._

 _You've grown up, and your new life has begun._

 _To go where you will go._

 _To see what you will see._

 _To find what you will be._

 _Now it's time for you, to fulfill your destiny!_

"My destiny? What do you mean by my 'destiny'?!" Shining Armor asked Princess Celestia, as the hall of memories disappeared.

"Shining Armor, from the moment you unlocked the secret to The Elements of Harmony, I knew you had potential. Much like your sister, I knew you were destined for great things," Princess Celestia explained. "But it was only after you were able to succeed where I had failed and redeem Discord, that I knew you were ready to ascend to the realm of the alicorns."

"And you sent the book to Ponyville, in the hopes that Twilight would solve it and also become an alicorn?" Shining Armor realized.

"In a way, yes. I was not sure which of you would truly figure out the secret to completing the spell, but I knew for sure that one of you _would_ complete it," Princess Celestia told Shining Armor. "Now there's no turning back. Your old body was destroyed by The Elements, the only way you can return to the mortal world, is if you accept the gift given to you, and ascend to alicornhood. However, I leave the choice up to you. If you do not feel you are ready, you can remain here until your sister has ascended, perhaps even past that time."

"Princess, you wouldn't have sent that book to Ponyville if you had any doubt that I wasn't ready," Shining Armor immediately responded. "I shall gladly accept this most generous offer. But what I will do once I become an alicorn?"

"That is for you to figure out, with the help of your friends and the help of your family," Princess Celestia told Shining Armor. "But there will be to learn that later. Are you ready to complete your ascension?"

"Yes." Shining Armor nodded, and was immediately engulfed in a dazzling white light.

* * *

"So that's it then, he's gone for good?" Spike asked the stallions.

"I'm afraid it's so." Fancy Pants glumly replied.

"No, no. It's not true, it _can't_ be true!" Spike protested, recoiling in shock. "He can't be gone!"

"I wish it wasn't so, Spike, but there's no way to change the reality of the situation. Shining Armor is gone, and he's never coming back," Twilight replied, trying to wipe away her tears. "We'll have to tell Cadence the bad news."

But just then, Braeburn gasped and shouted. "Guys, look outside! You're never gonna believe this!"

"Braeburn, this isn't the time for one of your games! This is serious!" Thunderlane angrily replied.

"No no, I'm serious. Look!" Braeburn demanded.

Everyone did so, and they could hardly believe what they saw! The sky above Ponyville was lit up by a huge blue shield with three lighter blue stars surrounding it, and a magenta colored six-point star inside the shield itself! The shield slowly but surely descended to the ground, casting a blinding glow of white light, as everyone in the library (and even some ponies from elsewhere in Ponyville) rushed outside to see what was going on!

Big Macintosh squinted, were his eyes playing tricks on him, or was there somepony inside the light? " _Nah, it can't be! Can it?!_ " he thought. Then he called out "Shining Armor? Is that you?"

As if to answer the question, the light faded. And sure enough, there stood Shining Armor, proudly displaying his new wings for all to see! Everypony was amazed!

"B.B.B.F.F, you're back!" Twilight exclaimed, immediately rushing forward and hugging her brother as tightly as she could. "I was afraid I'd lost you forever!"

"Aw come on, Twily, you didn't really think I'd just leave and the others behind, did ya?" Shining Armor teased. Then he noticed something else about his sister. "Twily, are you crying?"

"Who, me? Of course not! And I don't have something in my eye either," Twilight protested. "It's just... liquid pride, that's it."

"You got that from me, didn't you?" Shining Armor asked, to which Twilight nodded. "It's okay, Twily. Even big ponies cry sometimes, there's no shame in admitting that."

"I'm just _so_ glad you're okay!" Twilight said happily.

"Not that I mean to break up this happy reunion or anything, but you look just like an alicorn." Soarin commented.

"That's because he _is_ an alicorn," Princess Celestia replied, touching down in front of the group, prompting everyone to bow (including Shining Armor). Princess Celestia chuckled. "Now, now, there's no need for such formalities. Especially from you, Shining Armor. You're a full fledged alicorn prince now, we are equals."

"Not true, I still have much to learn. You may not be my teacher in the same way you were before, but that doesn't mean I can't still consider you my mentor," Shining Armor replied. "I don't know if there are any books I can read that will teach me about what it means to be an alicorn. You, Luna, and Cadence are all I have to go on for advice."

"And advice you shall gladly receive when you ask," Princess Celestia nodded. "However, from this day onward, we are all very much your subjects. You and your sister are going to just as much the teachers as you are the students. Ponies will look to you for guidance and advice even more so than they have before. However, there is a far more important matter that we must discuss first."

"And that would be what?" Shining Armor asked.

"The arrangements for your coronation of course," Princess Celestia said with a slight fiendish smile. "All of you need to lighten up and relax before then, just because Shining Armor is an alicorn doesn't mean your friendships are over."

"That's right, even princes need friends!" Shining Armor agreed. "And I can't think of anyponies more qualified than the six of you to be my royal advisors. And Twily, you'll be my _special_ advisor!"

"Oh thank you, B.B.B.F.F, I couldn't have asked for anything more from you!" Twilight happy exclaimed.

* * *

A few days later, Shining Armor's coronation was held in Canterlot with all of his friends and family in attendance. And as he took up his crown and stood out on the balcony for everypony to see him, he thought to himself. " _Everything's going to be just fine! This isn't the end, it is but a new beginning. For me, and for everypony I care about._ "


	66. Chapter 66: A New Beginning

Only a few days had passed since Shining Armor had ascended to alicornhood, but already he was finding it difficult to adjust. His new wings felt bulky and awkward, and what few attempts he had made at trying to fly with them had not ended well. And so it was that on this early summer day, Shining Armor was getting some flying tips from his wife, Cadence, on a field far removed from the hustle and bustle of Canterlot. All of his friends had gathered to watch and offer moral support, but mostly just to watch.

Cadence instructed Shining Armor to take a few deep breaths. "Ready?" She asked him, to which her husband nodded ever so slowly. "Okay then, let's start with the basics. When taking off you've got to flap those wings hard."

"Exactly how hard?" Shining Armor asked, as he eyed his wings nervously.

"There's no exact estimation, it depends on the pony and the kind of take off you're going for," Cadence instructed. "For a simple take off like this, you need to flap them hard enough to generate substantial lift. Too little and your body will weigh you down, but too much and you'll crash. Now, follow my instructions and make your attempt."

"Go ahead, we won't laugh," Soarin promised, though under his breath he couldn't help but add. "Much."

Shining sighed, taking a few more calming breaths to try and clear his head. "Okay, here goes." He gulped, and started trying to flap his wings. The process proved to be very difficult and taxed his body heavily.

Cadence became concerned. "You're flapping too hard, you're going to wear yourself out." She protested, and she was right. Shining hit the ground with a thud, luckily he wasn't hurt.

Big Macintosh was quick to help the young alicorn prince to his hooves. "Not bad, Prince Shining Armor. I've seen worse."

"Big Mac, there's really no need for such formalities," Shining insisted. "You know you don't have to call me that when we're such good friends."

"And why is it so wrong if we insist on calling you by your full name?" Fancy Pants asked honestly. "You don't have to wear it on your sleeve all the time, but the least you can do is embrace your new status. You're an alicorn now, and that's no mean feat. Most ponies would kill to be in your horseshoes right now."

Shining sighed, he knew Fancy Pants meant well, but at times he could have a little too much faith in the Canterlot nobility. "If other ponies want to call me by my full title, I don't have a problem with it. But you guys are all my friends, it just doesn't feel right having you address so formally. I may be an alicorn, but I don't see why that means everything needs to change. Our friendship has survived plenty of changes to the status quo before, I don't see why this should be any different."

"Nopony's saying our friendship needs to change, but it's important to realize that not everything will be the same now," Soarin explained. "Like it or not, you're now practically one of the leaders of Equestria, and ponies are going to start looking to you for advice."

"I know that, but this all feels like too much too soon," Shining protested. "I was just starting to get used to life in The Crystal Empire, and now I've got these blasted wings to deal with. I can't even begin to tell you how many sleepless nights I've had thanks to them."

"The only way those wings are going to stop bothering you is if you break them in," Cadence called, interrupting the conversation. "The Summer Sun Celebration's only two days away, and you've got to be ready to perform your part. Now come on, let's try the take off again. And try not to flap too hard this time."

Reluctantly, Shining did so. This time, he didn't flap his wings nearly as hard, so the take off went much more smoothly. " _Hey, this isn't so bad. I could get used to this._ " He thought, as he carefully flapped and fluttered about. Having his hooves off the ground felt surprisingly nice, when he'd been expecting his body to start panicking at the fact that he wasn't touching solid ground.

"Okay, looking good so far," Cadence said with a smile. "Now, are you ready to attempt the big finish?"

"I guess so," Shining replied. "It's risky but, here goes nothing!" Shining started to flap his wings more fiercely to build up speed, he doubted he would have the agility needed to pull off a Sonic Rainboom, but he knew what he was attempting to do would require a lot more speed than he'd ever attempted to use before. However, Shining pushed himself too far too soon, it didn't take long for him to start flapping about wildly and lose control! He swooped towards the ground like a lightning struck pegasus, then suddenly pulled up at the last second! He spun around in a loop and screamed frantically, as he plummeted towards the ground again, this time slamming into it and burying himself in a massive pile of dirt!

"Wow, that _was_ a big finish!" Braeburn exclaimed, trying to adopt a sincere smile.

"Stupid wings." Shining muttered to himself.

* * *

Cadence decided it was best to scrub the flying lesson after Shining's crash landing, but the very next day she insisted on once again instructing him. While that training session ended more smoothly, Shining still found himself struggling to manage his "big finish" for the Summer Sun Celebration, which was slated to be held in Canterlot for the first time.

When Cadence's flying lessons had ended for the day, she and Shining Armor decided to spend some time with their friends in the throne room, hoping to take Shining's mind off his troubles.

"You know, you really should be grateful," Fancy Pants commented to Shining Armor, observing the stained glass window depicting Shining's ascension to alicornhood. "Many a pony dreams of having their coronation displayed in stainless glass for all to see. I must say, they really captured your likeness."

"Yeah, well it's not everypony's dream to be a prince and marry a princess," Thunderlane commented in reply. "And let's not forget, we didn't become friends with Shining because he was royalty."

Shining sighed. "I never asked for any of this. Sure, part of me always longed for the chance to marry Cadence. And The Crystal Empire is a lovely change of scenery compared to Ponyville and Canterlot. But being asked to help with the Summer Sun Celebration so soon after becoming an alicorn, it all feels like too much too soon. Plus, it seems like lately, I've been making more mistakes than I should. I let my guard down during the royal wedding, foolishly threw myself onto the front lines when King Sombra returned, and it was my decision to cast that unfinished spell even when Twilight said it wasn't wise. Sure, in the end, everything worked out for the better, and I don't expect to be perfect. But I don't feel like I truly earned my wings and crown, I'm not prepared for ponies to see me as some kind of god."

"Heavy is the head that wears the crown," Cadence observed, putting a wing around her husband. "But you can't lose faith in yourself, Shining. Princess Celestia saw great potential in you, she wouldn't have made you an alicorn if she felt you weren't ready for the responsibilities that come with it. Trust me, I know what it's like to have all of this thrust upon you suddenly, but you're lucky."

"Why is that?" Shining asked.

"Because, when I earned my horn and became an alicorn, I had nopony I could look to for support or advice," Cadence explained, her eyes reflecting a look of sadness. "Even though I reversed that spell, it was too late to save my parents. I was orphaned, and while Princess Celestia took me in and raised me, she couldn't fill the hole in my heart that my parents' demise left. In many ways, I had to learn for myself about what it meant to be a princess. I had no kingdom, no throne, no friends, and no family. That was when Princess Celestia adopted me as her niece, and I gained a sibling in the form of Prince Blueblood, but even then the old wounds still surfaced every now and then. Shining, you have your parents, your sister, and all of our friends to count for support, not to mention the royal guards and my aunts, and of course me."

"Yeah, and no matter what, there will always be a greater force keepin' us connected!" Big Macintosh boasted, pointing to the stainless glass window depicting the stallion six's first victory, their successful purging of Nightmare Moon from Princess Luna with the aid of The Elements of Harmony. "You were the one who tried valiantly to warn Princess Celestia of Nightmare Moon, and the one who led us to The Elements of Harmony. They chose the six of us to wield them, and they gave you the most important element of them all, the Element of Magic!"

"And that's very magic, the magic of friendship, that brought us all together and will always keep us together no matter what," Soarin added. "We're like a team! At times we be may separated by great distances, physical or mental, but as long as we have our friendship, we'll never truly be alone! And that's not going to change no matter what, you may grow dozens of wings, sprout hundreds of horns, but to us you'll still be Shining Armor, our best friend!"

Shining smiled, despite the tears that were forming in his eyes. "Thank you all," He told everypony in the throne room. "I suppose I needed to hear that. As I said before, this isn't the end but a new beginning, for all of us! And I know that no matter what changes this new beginning will bring, we'll find a way to get through them together, just like we always have!"

"Now there's the Shining Armor we know and love!" Spike happily exclaimed, and he joined the rest of the stallions and Cadence in giving Shining Armor a big group hug.

* * *

Not long after the mental pep talk, it was time for the group to split up and go their separate ways. Even though Shining Armor was going to stay in Canterlot for the duration of The Summer Sun Celebration, there were still plenty of things going on in Ponyville and The Crystal Empire that could not be ignored.

Down at the train station, Big Macintosh, Braeburn, Thunderlane, Soarin, and even Fancy Pants, were all making a "Pinkie Promise" to stay in touch with Shining Armor as best they could, before they departed for Ponyville on The Friendship Express.

"Sorry we can't stay and watch ya, Shining Armor," Big Macintosh apologized. "But Mayor Mare's quite instant that we help Pinkie Pie throw one heck of a party, even if Ponyville ain't hostin' this year's Summer Sun Celebration."

"But don't you worry, with Spike by your side we'll be sure to keep you up to date on all the details!" Braeburn vowed. "So it'll be like you never even left Ponyville at all! And we'll be sure to spend time with your sister as well, she's tryin' her best to keep it hidden, but it's clear the poor gal misses you _very_ much."

"And you can be darn sure that, once the celebration's over, we'll be on the first train up here to be with you!" Fancy Pants added. "I really do wish I could leave Miss. Rarity alone to manage Carousel Boutique, but my darling Fleur tells me that Rarity is clearly swamped and needs all the help she can get. I'll try my best to talk her out of making any 'adjustments' to your living quarters at The Golden Oaks Library for the time being."

Shining chuckled. "Hey, if it makes her happy, I don't mind. Besides, any plans she makes she'll have to run by Twily first."

Just then, the train's whistle blew and the conductor shouted. "Last call for The Friendship Express to Ponyville!"

Shining, Cadence, and Spike watched, as their friends stepped aboard the train shortly before the conductor shouted "All aboard!" and the doors to the coaches closed. With a mighty blast of its whistle, the locomotive chuffed and puffed its way out of the station, bound for Ponyville. The three on the platform stood and waved to their friends, until they were out of sight.

"You sure you didn't want to go back to Ponyville with the guys, Spike?" Shining asked the little dragon, once the train had disappeared. "I know you really miss being with Twilight, and I'm sure she misses you too."

"You know me too well," Spike confessed. "But Twilight says I'm getting to be a big boy, and I can manage without her being by my side all the time. I've managed without her before, and I can manage again now. Someone's got to serve as a channel of communication while the gang's split up, and that's a job I wouldn't trade for all the gems in Equestria."

"Twilight's really raised you well," Shining observed, nuzzling Spike. "I'm proud to consider you my nephew." Shining's comment caused Spike to blush, but both Shining and Cadence pretended not to notice.

Just then, a streamlined steam locomotive pulling a series of stylized coaches pulled into the station and announced its presence as it let off steam loudly. "All aboard!" The conductor shouted.

"Looks like it's time for me to get going too," Cadence commented. "Sombra may be gone for good, but he left quite the impact on The Empire during his brief reign of terror. And as The Crystal Princess, it's my duty to tend to the needs of my subjects and help them recover. Plus, we need to start preparing The Empire for The Equestria Games, they'll be here before you know it."

"Promise to keep in touch," Shining called, as he watched his wife step aboard her specially prepared train. "And tell Flash Sentry to stop ogling my sister and do his job."

"No promises," Cadence giggled. "I _am_ The Princess of Love after all." A short time later, the coach doors closed, and the streamlined Crystal Express departed the station. The locomotive quickly sped away on its nonstop journey to The Crystal Empire, and it didn't take long for it to disappear over the horizon.

Just like that, Shining Armor and Spike were alone once again. It took a moment for the reality to fully sink in, but once it did Shining couldn't help but let out a lonely sigh.

"Hey now, no sour faces! We promised to be strong for the others!" Spike told Shining.

"I can't help it, Spike," Shining commented. "Already I feel like I'm missing out. But I can't abandon my royal duties, that's not who I am!"

"You haven't changed a bit," Spike quipped, before he rolled out a checklist he and Shining had worked on the day before. "Come on, let's get to work on those preparations for The Summer Sun Celebration. We've got a lot to do." And both dragon and alicorn left the train station.


	67. Chapter 67: Late Night Talk

Shining Armor and Spike worked throughout the day and into the night to get everything ready for the Summer Sun Celebration. The fact that it would be the first celebration Princess Luna would be attending had attracted a massive crowd, and while the royal guards were pleased to have their captain with them again, it was clear they were almost in over their heads with security detail.

"Okay, we've _finally_ got all the security details worked out," Shining Armor said to Spike, breathing a sigh of relief. "It feels like it's been forever since I was last in charge of the guards. So, what's next on the agenda?"

Spike examined the checklist carefully, even double checking it to make sure he hadn't somehow misread something. He hadn't. "Actually, we're ahead of schedule, believe it or not," Spike told Shining. "We could probably pop down to Ponyville really quick and see how our friends are getting along. Heck, we could probably stop by the library and say hi to Twilight really quick, I'm sure she'd like that."

Shining's heart skipped a beat at the thought of being able to see his friends again already, but in his head he knew that a visit to Ponyville wouldn't be wise. With a reluctant sigh he told Spike. "That would be lovely, Spike, but we can't. I've got my royal duties here in Canterlot, and I can't just leave them behind at the drop of a hat because I'm homesick. What if something came up while we were away, or what if we were delayed getting back?"

Spike frowned. "You sound just like Twilight. Relax, I'm sure nothing bad will happen."

"You ever heard of tempting fate, Spike?" Shining asked, unaware he was subconsciously flapping his wings. "Fate works in mysterious ways, and the last time I let my guard down, Canterlot almost got overrun by Chrysalis and her changeling army. I have to stay here for the celebration, Spike. My help is needed here, and my friends can manage just fine on their own. If anything happened here in Canterlot while I was in Ponyville, and something went wrong as a result, I'd never forgive myself!"

"But Shining-" Spike protested, hoping to knock some sense into the alicorn prince.

"-But nothing, Spike!" Shining interrupted, while trying not to sound too harsh. "We're staying here in Canterlot, and that's final! We have our responsibilities and it would be wrong of us to neglect them just because we want to see our friends again. Now that I'm an alicorn, these kinds of things are going to happen a lot more often. And we may not always have the option of being able to visit our friends, even just for a little while."

"But Shining-" Spike pleaded.

"-I said no and that's that! Please don't make me have to argue this point any further." Shining insisted, before he banged his head on the ceiling of the royal suite he and Spike were staying in.

"I was trying to tell you to watch for the ceiling," Spike commented, as Shining reluctantly flapped his way back down. "Word of advice, try to work on these freak out sessions. Whenever Twilight gets that worked up she ends up wearing a hole in the floors."

Shining couldn't help but feel embarrassed. "Guess it runs in the family," He commented. "I think Dad mentioned once or twice about how much Mom could lose it when she got stressed. Apparently, she mellowed out by the time Twily was born."

* * *

Just then, there was a knock on the suite's door. Not an intrusive or angry knock, but more of a gentle rapping that seemed to be asking "Can I come in please?"

"It's open." Shining declared, quickly styling his mane to look less frazzled.

The knob turned, and into the room trotted Princess Celestia. Shining Armor and Spike instinctively bowed to her. "Now, now, there's no need for such formalities," Celestia insisted. "Especially from you, Shining Armor. We are equals now."

"Sorry, old habits die hard." Shining confessed.

Celestia giggled. "Oh, there's no need to apologize. I suppose I can't be expecting everything between us to change overnight," She then adopted a more somber tone as she added. "I must admit that it is wonderful to actually be looking forward to the Summer Sun Celebration for once."

"Whatever do you mean?" Shining asked. "This entire celebration revolves around you, and even now you're still a beloved ruler to almost all of Equestria. Surely a celebration like this would warm your heart year after year."

But Celestia only sighed and looked longingly out the window, watching her sister raise the moon. "For my subjects, the Summer Sun Celebration has always been a celebration of my defeat of Nightmare Moon on that fateful night over 1,000 years ago. But for me... it was always just another painful reminder of the fact that I had to banish my own sister. A mistake I could've prevented, had I not been so blind."

"Gee... I guess I never really thought about it like that before," Shining considered, now he really couldn't help but feel sorry for the pony princess who had always been something of a mentor to him. "But you always put on such a good act, I never would've guessed you felt this way about the celebration."

Celestia nodded. "It is true, I've felt this way for every celebration for the past 1,000 years. But now, it has become a wonderful reminder of my sister's transformation back into Princess Luna, and our happy reunion. I just know the citizens of Equestria will be ready to welcome her back with open hooves again, and I am so pleased to know that you will be playing a role in the festivities tomorrow. I know it must have been difficult for you to see your friends return to Ponyville, and Cadence return to The Crystal Empire without you."

"Maybe a little," Shining confessed. "I know they can manage just fine without me, but it's still going to be hard knowing we're not going to be celebrating the Summer Sun Celebration together. I was really looking forward to it."

"You and Twilight may no longer be my students, Prince Shining Armor, but I hope you will know that I will always be here if you need me," Celestia said in a motherly tone. "Just as I hope you will always be there for me when I need you. If you ever have anything you feel the need to discuss, please feel free to tell me."

Shining smiled, and embraced Princess Celestia in a big hug. "Thank you, princess. I needed to hear that."

Just then, Spike belched out a scroll, picked it up, and read it. "Message for you from Ponyville," He told Shining Armor. "Nothing important, they're just checking to see how everything's coming along."

"Well, that's nice of them," Shining replied. "Just send a quick response back telling them we're managing just fine on our own, and we wish them a happy Summer Sun Celebration. And tell them that, unless it's an emergency, please refrain from sending more letters."

"Alright," Spike vowed, and set to work on writing the response. "Want me to send one to Cadence too?"

"Probably wouldn't hurt, though you can leave out the emergency bit," Shining instructed to Spike. "If she needs to contact me, I'm sure she's got her own special way of doing so. After all, she gets her own train to ride in."

"Right," Spike nodded. "Then I suppose we can check the checklist one last time before we call it a night."

Shining smiled. "You read my mind, Spike."

"I think I'll call it a night as well," Celestia told Shining and Spike. "But I'll see you both bright and early tomorrow morning for the Summer Sun Celebration. I'm looking forward to that big finish of yours, Shining Armor." And with that, the majestic princess of the sun turned and trotted out of the royal suite Shining and Spike were staying in. As she made her way down the royal hallways, the alabaster alicorn was unaware of a mysterious black vine that was sprouting up behind her. Without warning, the vine sprang out from the shadows and grabbed Celestia, who could only gasp in surprise! " _Sneak attacked by plants, I must be getting soft in my old age._ " She thought to herself, while silently hoping and praying that Luna had avoided the same fate.


	68. Chapter 68: Sun and Moon

"Shining?! Shining! Shining, wake up!" Spike cried, a rare hint of desperation in his voice.

Shining opened his eyes and woke up with a start! "What is it, Spike?!" He urgently asked. "Did I oversleep?! Is the celebration starting?!"

"That's the thing, I can't tell what time it is," Spike replied. "Maybe it's the middle of the night, or maybe it's the middle of the day!"

"What are you talking about?! What's going on?!" Shining demanded, stumbling out of his bed.

"Just take a look for yourself!" Spike insisted, pointing to the window of the castle suite he and Shining Armor were staying in.

Shining prepared himself for the possibility of seeing just about anything, but upon gazing out of the window he still had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. The sky was perfectly divided between the sun and the moon, half daytime and half nighttime, something that defied all logical explanation. "Something must be wrong!" He thought out loud. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna wouldn't just let the sun and moon stay in the sky like that!"

"What do you suppose happened that caused of all this?" Spike wondered.

"I don't know, but we're not going to find out anything by just staying here and waiting for somepony to come and find us!" Shining said seriously, quickly taking charge. "Come on, Spike! Something fishy's going on here and we're going to find out what!"

"I have a bad feeling about this." Spike muttered to himself, as he followed Shining Armor out of the castle and onto the streets of Canterlot.

* * *

The citizens of Canterlot had taken notice of the unusual appearance of the sky, and the sun and the moon. But not one of them knew how or why it was happening. They were in a state of confusion, and to make matters worse they had not seen or heard from either of the princesses. For all they knew, some sinister force or ancient evil could be behind all of this!

"Look!" One of the residents shouted and pointed a hoof. "There's Prince Shining Armor, he has to know something!"

Almost immediately, Shining Armor and Spike found themselves overwhelmed by concerned and anxious citizens, all of whom were shooting off questions a mile a minute such as: "What happened to the princesses?!", "Why are the sun and the moon in the sky at the same time?!", "Has the Summer Sun Celebration been cancelled?!", and "Are we at war?!"

Before Shining had a chance to even try to say anything, two royal guards with gray coats came rushing up to him. They quickly shooed away the crowds, telling them only: "The matter at hoof is being investigated, there is no reason to panic," They then turned to Shining Armor. "Captain... uh we mean, your highness, you must come with us. It's urgent."

"Is it about the sun and the moon?" Shining asked the guards, both of which nodded.

The guards led Shining and Spike away, taking them to the guard barracks and into the captain's quarters. Then they locked the door, practically slamming it shut. It was then that the guard standing to Shining's left spoke up. "It's Princess Celestia and Princess Luna."

"What about them?" Shining asked.

"They're missing!" The other guard spoke up. "We have no leads as to where they are!"

"What?!" Shining and Spike both gasped.

"It's true," The first guard admitted. "It appears they've simply vanished without a trace. We've found neither hide or hair of them, and we haven't obtained any sort of ransom notes or distress calls! That's why we've come to you, your highness."

"We await our command, we live to serve you." The other guard added, as both bowed to Shining.

"What do you mean _my_ command?" Shining asked. "Cadence is a princess too, and has been royalty for longer than I have. She outranks me."

"Cadence is safe in The Crystal Empire, but all transportation all across Equestria has grounded to a halt," Explained a pegasus guard with a familiar dark yellow coat, cornflower blue eyes, a two toned sapphire blue mane and tail styled into a mohawk, and a cutie mark depicting a two-toned blue shield behind a yellow lightning bolt. "With Celestia and Luna officially declared missing, and Cadence occupied with her royal duties in The Crystal Empire, the chain of command falls to you."

Shining instantly recognized the guard who had just spoken. "First Lieutenant Flash Sentry, what are _you_ doing here?! You're supposed to be overseeing guard detail in The Crystal Empire!"

"Cadence can handle things by herself in the empire," Flash protested, approaching his captain. "Word got out pretty fast that Celestia and Luna were missing, Cadence could sense it. When I heard about that and saw the sun and moon as they were, I knew something was up and that you'd need my help."

"You shouldn't have come here!" Shining protested. "You were hoping my sister would be here, don't think I didn't notice you staring at her when she stayed in the empire for the royal summit a few weeks ago. You're supposed to be doing your job, not looking for an excuse to try and make googly eyes at my sister!"

"Captain, it was just one random encounter, it didn't mean anything!" Flash protested. "Cadence practically insisted I come here and help out, you can't do this alone!"

"We await your command, your highness," The other royal guards insisted. "Please, there's no time to waste! Tell us what you want us to do, and we'll do it!"

Not one to hesitate, Shining immediately began barking out orders. To the two guards who had escorted him to the barracks, he told them. "I want you both to continue the search for the princesses. There must be some sort of clue that can tell us what happened to them and where they are! If you find anything, let me know right away! No detail is too small to be important, any lead at all could be a big help!"

"Yes sir!" The two guards obeyed, and bolted out the door as fast they could.

"Way to take charge, Shining," Spike encouraged. "Looks like the old captain of the team still has what it takes."

Normally, Shining would've taken a moment to appreciate Spike's comment, but he still had the matter of Flash Sentry's unexpected arrival to deal with. "I should have you court martialed for this, Flash! You disobeyed orders and left your post, all on a whim that you might be helpful!"

"But you're in over your head, it's not just the disappearance of the princesses that's got everypony up in arms!" Flash protested. "I wasn't sure how to tell you this, but just before my departure Princess Cadence obtained an S.O.S. from Ponyville sent by your sister herself. The Everfree Forest is invading, thick black vines have already spread into the heart of town, and by all accounts it shows no signs of stopping!"

"What?!" Shining exclaimed, his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.

"I wish it wasn't true, but it is," Flash said with a reluctant sigh. "All train routes leading to Ponyville have been shut down, every train has been ordered to halt at whatever station its currently at! The vines have already ensnared the tracks into and out of town, the entire town's in a state of desperation! Nothing can get in or out, and with The Everfree Forest still invading, it's too dangerous for Cadence to leave the safety of The Crystal Empire! Estimations have it that if the forest continues on its current expansion unchecked, it will take over half of Equestria!"

"My friends are in danger!" Shining realized. "And The Elements of Harmony are stored in Ponyville, they might be the only thing capable of stopping whoever or whatever's responsible for all of this!"

"But you can't just leave Canterlot, not when it's in this state!" Spike protested. "The whole city would plunge into anarchy!"

"Guess it's a good thing I came here when I did," Flash said seriously. "I took charge of the royal guard once before during your leave of absence following your wedding, and I'd be honored to take charge again. That is, if you'll let me, Captain."

"I don't know, Flash," Shining commented, a noticeable frown forming on his face. "You already disobeyed my orders on a whim. You know that even if Princess Cadence gives you a command, unless she runs it by me or I am incapacitated, I hold the final say in all guard assignments. Even with my ascension to alicornhood, I'm still very much your captain."

"But Captain, I really want to help," Flash insisted. "And you can't deny you need me. I don't like it anymore than you do that I had to disobey your orders, but if I had followed them to the letter who knows how long it would've taken for word of The Everfree's invasion to reach your ears, or who you'd entrust with leading the guards while you travel to Ponyville. Once this whole crisis blows over we can discuss my punishment, but if The Elements of Harmony are the only thing capable of restoring order, and you and your friends are the only ones who can wield them, I don't need to wait for your permission to ensure the royal guard doesn't fall apart and Canterlot with it. Please, give me a chance, I just want to be helpful!"

Shining was silent for a few moments, while he mentally weighed the pros and cons of the decisions he could make. At last, he reluctantly made up his mind and reached a conclusion. With a sigh he told Flash. "Very well, I suppose for now you can lead the guards around here. Spike, take a letter please!"

"Who am I addressing it to?" Spike asked, as he pulled out some parchment and a writing quill.

"To all members of the royal guard," Shining replied, and began to explain what he was issuing. "Effective immediately and until the return of the princesses to Canterlot, I, Prince Shining Armor, Captain of The Royal Guard, do hereby grant First Lieutenant Flash Sentry permission to oversee and head up the royal guard in my absence. He is to be informed immediately should anything be found out about who or what is responsible for the disappearances of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and should anything happen to me before the princesses are safely returned, he shall assume my royal duties and lead the citizens of Canterlot until Princess Cadence or Prince Blueblood can take charge."

Spike finished writing the letter at a breakneck speed, and gave the scroll it was written on to Flash Sentry. "Hopefully that will cut through the red tape and avoid confusion," He told Flash. "And one right hoof man to another, best of luck, you'll most definitely need it."

"Thank you, Captain!" Flash bowed. "I won't let you down! Now then, what are you last orders before you depart for Ponyville?"

"If the public asks what has happened, fill them in but make sure to inform them we're already investigating the disappearances and won't rest until Celestia and Luna have returned," Shining instructed. "For now, they may go about their business as usual, there's no reason to panic. But should The Everfree Forest threaten to invade Canterlot, start immediate evacuations to The Crystal Empire and inform Princess Cadence that her empire will be Equestria's temporary capital. Also, make sure Prince Blueblood is somewhere safe, and that he is informed of the situation immediately. Like it or not, he has a right to succeed me should I fall or be put out of commission, at least as long as Cadence remains in The Crystal Empire."

"Very well, I'll do as you've requested," Flash nodded. "But know that I'll delay telling Blueblood for as long as justifiably possible."

"I would expect no less, but make sure he's aware before long. Hopefully this will all blow over before he ever has to be in charge, but it never hurts to prepare for the worst case scenario," Shining replied. "I don't know how long Spike and I shall be gone, but we won't come back to Canterlot until The Everfree Forest has been stopped and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna found!"

* * *

Shining and Spike left the guard compound and headed out into the streets. "Hopefully there's still a working chariot that can take us to Ponyville," He told Spike. "And I sure hope the guys are okay."

"Uh, not that I mean to be rude or anything, but you have wings," Spike commented. "And I'm pretty sure they'll be much faster than taking some chariot that may not even be there. The sooner we get to Ponyville, the sooner we can find out what needs to be done to solve all of this, and the sooner we can come back."

Shining stopped in his tracks. "You know what? You're right, Spike. Don't know what I was thinking, I've got these new wings and it's about time I started using them! Hop aboard and hang on tight, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!"

"Oh boy!" Spike remarked, as he reluctantly climbed onto Shining's back and strapped himself in. "I hope you know what you're doing, Shining! I didn't bring a crash helmet!"

Shining decided to ignore that last bit. "Thank you for flying Air Shining Armor, please remain seated and keep your claws and legs inside the ride at all times! Next stop, Ponyville!" And with a flap of his wings, he was off! " _Hang on guys, I'm coming!_ " He thought to himself, as he departed Canterlot. " _Whoever or whatever is responsible for all of this is gonna pay big time! Mess with my friends, I'm mad! Mess with my the princesses, I'm_ _ **really**_ _mad! Mess with Equestria's stability, I'm absolutely_ _ **PEEVED**_ _!_ "


	69. Chapter 69: Invasion of The Everfree

Shining Armor's friends had no idea of what was going on in Canterlot, and even if they did they likely wouldn't have cared. Heck, as far as the citizens of Ponyville were concerned, just a few hours ago everything had seemed normal. And then, without warning, The Everfree Forest had gone berserk and was now invading the quiet little town at an alarming rate!

Fluttershy's cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville was the first place to find itself thrust into chaos! With The Everfree Forest expanding rapidly, accompanied by thick black vines with thorns, animals big and small alike were forced to flee and they sought shelter with the one pony they knew would protect them.

"Goodness, I've never seen so many animals here before," Thunderlane commented, helping Fluttershy conduct a head count. "This place feels like a zoo!"

"Oh, I'm sure it's not as bad as the animals are making it out to be," Fluttershy reassured Thunderlane. "Chances are The Everfree's just reacting to something, and whatever it is it'll all blow over soon."

"Um, about that. You might wanna take a look outside," Rumble nervously replied, his face pressed up against one of the cottage windows. "The Everfree looks like it's gone crazy!"

Fluttershy wasn't concerned, she'd stood up to Discord of all creatures, practically nothing phased her anymore. "Oh come now, Rumble. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's nothing you need to _really_ worry about," She boldly stated, before she opened her cottage door and screamed! Thick black thorny vines had already overwhelmed her front yard, and they were continuing to expand rapidly! Some of them were even starting to form a sort of protective barrier to block off the cottage! Fluttershy slammed the door shut, panting heavily. "Oh, no, you were right. You should be worried! Very, very worried!"

"Hate to say I told you so, but I told you so!" Rumble commented, while his hooves started to shake uncontrollably.

Thunderlane was quick to take charge. "Rumble, you stay here with Fluttershy and don't go outside for anything! I'm going to get to the bottom of this!" And before anypony could say or do anything in protest, Thunderlane flew off, just barely managing to make his way past the thick vines. " _Some Summer Sun Celebration this is turning out to be._ " He thought to himself.

* * *

As the encroaching Everfree continued to advance towards Ponyville, Sweet Apple Acres was the next major location to find itself under attack. Black weeds were sprouting up everywhere!

"Come on, y'all! Put your backs into it!" Applejack instructed, as she and each of her family members tried to pull up the weeds sprouting up on their soil. But the vines seemed to have a mind of their own, constantly avoiding any attempts by the Apple family to grab them and yank them up out of the ground.

"I ain't ever seen vines like these before," Big Macintosh commented. "They ain't natural!"

Just then, a high pitched whistle split the air. "Hey, you guys need a helpin' hoof or two?" Braeburn asked with a smile.

"Cousin Braeburn, what are you doin' here? I thought you were on your way back to Appleloosa?" Apple Bloom asked.

Braeburn removed his hat as he somberly stated. "All the trains have been shut down because of these here vines. Nopony's gettin' in or out as long as them darn vines are hangin' 'round! Figured the least I could do was try to make myself useful!"

"Well, don't just stand there, we need all the help we can get!" Granny Smith bellowed. "These here vines ain't gonna clear themselves, and I'll be darned if The Everfree Forest thinks it's gonna just uproot the Apple Family. We ain't goin' anywhere, not while I'm still kickin'!"

Braeburn couldn't help but chuckle, as he joined the effort to pull up the weeds. "Been a long time since I seen such a fire in your eyes, Granny! But I guess that's to be expected when your home's under attack!"

"Hey... uh.. not that I mean to divert attention from these here weeds or anythin', but what in tarnation's goin' on with the sky?" Apple Bloom asked, pointing to it. "It can't be half day and half night, can it?"

"I'm more worried about them clouds, personally," Applejack replied, as she noticed clouds with the same black color and thorny exterior as the vines that were continuing to advance on Ponyville. "They don't look like any kind of clouds I ever seen before!"

* * *

Earth ponies and pegasi weren't the only ones to find themselves powerless against the invading Everfee. At Carousel Boutique, Fancy Pants was starting to notice something was happening to unicorns as well, when Rarity suddenly appeared to lose control of her magic and drop a full tea kettle.

"Miss Rarity, watch it! That was boiling hot tea you almost spilled on me!" Fancy Pants remarked.

"I'm terribly sorry, Fancy Pants, I swear it wasn't me," Rarity protested. "My horn seems to have developed a mind of its own now."

"She's right," Fleur declared, rushing into the living room on the boutique's ground floor. "My magic has completely failed, I can't even lift a sewing needle. And it gets worse, Sweetie Belle's horn seems to be surging out of control!"

"What?!" Rarity and Fancy Pants both exclaimed at once.

And indeed it soon turned out to be true. "Rarity, you have to help me! I think something's wrong with my horn!" Sweetie Belle pleaded, as she was levitated off the ground in an unfamiliar blue glow of magic that nopony could ever recall seeing before. "I know Mom and Dad warned me about magic surges, but I didn't think they'd start happening so soon!"

Rarity was at her little sister's side in an instant. "Sweetie, this isn't your doing! Something's taken control of you!"

"Whatever it is, I don't like it! It's making me do stuff I don't wanna do! Please, you've got to make it stop!" Sweetie Belle pleaded, as her horn somehow managed to bring a recently finished dress resting on a ponyquin to life! The light pink colored robe lunged at Fleur with a monsterish passion.

Rarity intervened, cutting through the dress with a pair of scissors. "A lady is always prepared for any emergency!" She vowed, holding the scissors tightly in case anymore of her, her boss, or her boss' wife's creations came to life. But nothing seemed to happen, the magic left Sweetie's horn just as quickly as it had arrived.

"That was no ordinary surge," Fleur commented, holding an exhausted Sweetie Belle. "Something is not right here! I thought something was odd with the sky when I saw the sun and the moon appear side by side!"

"I hate to admit it, but I saw the same thing," Rarity replied. "Whatever is the world as we know it coming to?!"

* * *

It didn't take long for the bearers of the Elements of Harmony to decide that this invasion of The Everfree Forest was being caused by something, and that if it wasn't stopped the forest would likely invade half of Equestria. Wasting no time, they rushed to the Golden Oaks Library to find Twilight.

"I was just about to send a message to Cadence informing her of what's going on," Twilight told the five stallions that had gathered. "I've looked through every book I can find, but found nothing. This is something that defies all logical explanation!"

"Well, send that message anyway!" Soarin instructed. "Maybe Cadence will know something we don't!"

"And what about Shining Armor?!" Thunderlane asked. "He has to know about this!"

Big Macintosh shook his head. "We can't depend on Shining Armor to solve all our problems for us! Chances are he and the princesses are already aware of what's goin' on and are workin' on a way to stop it!"

"But what about the sun and the moon?" Braeburn commented. "It's not like the princesses to leave both up in the sky at the same time!"

"I've tried to send a message to Shining Armor v.i.a. Spike," Twilight spoke up, before she glumly added. "Unfortunately, it seems even that magic has been blocked by The Everfree Forest, none of my messages to him have gotten through. Oh, I hope they're alright, wherever they are!"

"Now don't you worry about Shining Armor, or Spike for that matter," Soarin declared. "They've been in tough spots before and know how to handle themselves."

"I know, but there's no telling how far The Everfree Forest has expanded in the past few hours," Twilight anxiously replied, trotting in place. "It could've spread as far as Canterlot, maybe even beyond! And even if it hasn't, it could reach that place within another hour or two!"

"Then there's no time to waste, send that letter to Cadence and then assist us in our search!" Fancy Pants instructed. "This is one time we can't wait for instruction on how to proceed, if we don't act fast there may not be an Equestria left to save!"

Twilight reluctantly sent the letter, and quickly received a reply from Cadence, which she read outloud: "As much as I would love to come down and help out in Ponyville, the guards are quite insistent that I remain in the safety of The Crystal Empire. I have not received word from Princess Celestia or Princess Luna, but I am told Shining Armor and Spike are safe. I will check the library here at my crystal castle and send another letter if I find anything helpful. Sorry I can't be of more help to you, Princess Cadence."

"Well if that don't take the biscuit!" Braeburn remarked, throwing his hat down on the ground. "Guess it's up to us to save the day, with or without Shining Armor's help!"

* * *

Unknown to any of the occupants inside the Golden Oaks Library, Shining Armor and Spike were already well on their way to Ponyville. In fact, they were rapidly approaching the library at a breakneck speed!

"Slow down!" Spike cried to Shining Armor.

"Hey, no one likes a back seat driver, Spike!" Shining protested, while flapping his wings. "This was the fastest way to get to Ponyville and get the Elements of Harmony!"

Suddenly, the Golden Oaks Library came into view, and began to quick grow bigger and bigger as Shining and Spike approached it! But Shining found that he couldn't stop himself, his wings refused to slow down their fluttering!

Spike was concerned! "Shining, watch out for that window! We're gonna crash!" He cried!

"Not if I can help it!" Shining vowed, and lit up his horn. He disappeared in a flash, and reappeared inside the library, crashing into a pile of books.

"Well, speak of the devil," Fancy Pants remarked. "So nice of you to drop in, Shining Armor."

"Um, I know you don't really live here very much anymore," Thunderlane began, sticking his head up from a pile of books. "But I do hope you know we wouldn't go through your sister's books without permission."

"What are you talking about? The books belong to the library, they're for the public," Shining remarked, dusting himself off from his crash landing. "Where's Spike?"

A sudden "Thonk!" answered Shining's questions, as he Spike smack face first into the library window. Twilight carefully opened it, and pulled the dragon inside. Luckily, he wasn't hurt.

"Ah, sweet ground!" Spike remarked, bending down to kiss the floor boards. "Sweet, sweet, _wonderful_ ground! How I've missed you!"

Shining groaned and rolled his eyes. "Okay, I get the hint, I need to work on my flying. You were the one who said taking the carriage would take too long."

"Yeah, well I didn't anticipate you being such a clumsy flyer," Spike replied. "At the least give me a heads up the next time you decide to pull an emergency teleport! You know, you're lucky I have such thick scales, or that might have actually hurt me."

Twilight quickly intervened to break up the fighting. "Alright, alright, break it up you two. We've got more important things to worry about."

"Yeah," Braeburn spoke up. "I mean, I'm sure you've already noticed this, but the Everfree Forest is just a teeny-tiny bit out of control." Suddenly, a huge black vine shot out from nowhere. Braeburn barely had time to duck under it, but poor Fancy Pants ended up getting hit on the broadside.

"That's the understatement of the year." Fancy Pants groaned, as he rose to his hooves. He was a little bit bruised where the vine had struck him, but thankfully he had escaped serious harm.

"Guess you were missin' somethin' here in Ponyville after all." Big Macintosh chuckled.

"But if you're here now, then that has to be a good sign," Soarin commented, buzzing his wings. "Perhaps you already know what's causing this? I mean, you always _do_ seem to be one step ahead of us on these sort of situations."

"Please tell me that the princesses have everything under control in Canterlot, and that there's a perfectly logical explanation as to why the sun and moon are where they are," Fancy Pants pleaded. "Please tell me they sent you here to dispel whatever's causing all of this disorder?"

Shining gulped, and adopted a nervous smile. "Uh... right, the princesses. Hehe... um... funny story actually. The thing is... Celestia and Luna... well..."

"They're missing!" Spike cried! "And we don't know who or what took them, or why The Everfree Forest has gone berserk, and... oh... wow... I can _not_ shut up when I'm scared."

Twilight and all of Shining's friends gasped!

"It's true," Shining confessed, his head hanging low. "We have no leads into their disappearances, we've received no distress messages or ransom notes. However, I have a feeling that whoever or whatever took them is connected to this sudden attack from The Everfree Forest. And I've got a hunch we're going to need the Elements of Harmony to put things right once again." He rushed over to the glass display case the elements rested, lifted it up, and gave each element to its rightful bearer.

"Ah yeah, just like old times!" Soarin remarked.

* * *

"Alright, we've got the elements. Now we just need to figure who or what we're supposed to aim these here bad boys at to free Celestia and Luna, and prevent the rest of Equestria from endin' up as plant food!" Big Macintosh remarked. "Any ideas?"

Shining pondered for a while, thinking over all the information he had on him at the moment. Despite being thrust into this leadership situation, he knew he couldn't afford to make any rash judgements. " _Who could have the opportunity_ _ **and**_ _the motive to do something like this?_ " He thought, then a realization slowly dawned on him. "Half day, half night... strange weather patterns... out of control plants. This all the hallmarks of a threat we faced once before."

Thunderlane gulped. "You don't really think _he_ could behind all of this, do you?" He asked out loud.

"Maybe not, Discord's supposed to be reformed," Shining commented. "But even if he's not responsible for this, he should have some idea as to who or what _is_."

"And how are we supposed to find him? It's not like he has a home here in Ponyville, or anywhere in Equestria for that matter." Braeburn asked Shining.

"There is _one_ way," Shining replied. "Princess Celestia arranged it with Discord shortly after he promised to use his magic for good instead of evil. But we'll need to be out in the open to perform the spell. That way, if anything goes wrong, no one else will have to get hurt."


	70. Chapter 70: Seeking Answers

The six stallions (along with Spike) quickly headed out into the center of town, fortunately everypony had either already been scared off by the vines or were busy helping others, so the location the stallions arrived at was completely deserted.

"Okay, are we ready?" Shining asked the others, all of whom nodded. Closing their eyes and drawing on the power of their elements, it didn't take long for the familiar rainbow colored beams to appear. One by one they formed a chain, reaching up to the Element of Magic, then they shot out and formed a tight spiral of energy.

When the spiral faded, there stood Discord, who seemed to be completely unaware of his surroundings. For some strange reason he was in a bathtub showering, while singing to himself. "Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap-ooh!" Once he quickly realized where he was, the mischievous spirit couldn't help but chuckle, as he wrapped a pink towel around him. "Now, Shining Armor, I thought Princess Celestia told you were supposed to give me a little heads up with that summoning spell of yours. You're lucky I didn't have something very important to tend to at the moment, I was just in the midst of the most invigorating shower. Even a spirit like me knows the importance of good hygiene."

Shining was anything but amused by Discord moving about, while rubbing the pink towel tightly. "Okay, quit fooling around! We summoned you here for a purpose!"

"I should hope so, I shudder to imagine what kind of sense of humor you have if this is how you get your kicks," Discord laughed. "So, what can the master of chaos do for you all?"

Shining tried to maintain a straight but serious face, as he told Discord. "Just look around you. The Everfree Forest is invading, and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have vanished into thin air."

"You up to your old tricks?" Big Macintosh asked with a glare. "You'd have some nerve pullin' a stunt like that after you said you were reformed.""

"Why, whatever do you mean? Surely you don't think _I'm_ responsible for all of this, do you?" Discord asked innocently. "What could I possibly stand to gain?"

"Beats me, but you can't deny this has your cloven hoofprints written all over it," Soarin said with a scowl. "So start talking, unless you want us to turn you back to stone. And trust me, if we have to, we will."

Discord snorted. "Why of all the nerve! I'll have you know I've only got one cloven hoofprint, and you won't find it on anything here!" He protested, before he pulled out a camera and started taking pictures. "Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love with you've done with the place. I only wish I'd thought of something like this myself, but hey chocolate milk and cotton candy is much more practical than black and thorny."

"Sounds like you're confessin' to me," Braeburn reluctantly spoke up. "You can't deny you have both the opportunity and the motive. With the princesses gone you could take over once again. So if you ain't guilty, why don't you spill it and tell us who or what is the real mastermind?!"

"Seriously, guys, I'm innocent," Discord insisted, shushing Braeburn with a claw. "Be honest, would I lie to you?"

"You don't want us to answer that, do you?" Thunderlane nervously asked.

"Not the kind of answer I was hoping for but I'll take what I can get," Discord replied, folding his arms across his chest. "If Fluttershy of all ponies could see the goodness in me, I would've surely thought the rest of you would feel the same way."

"Some wounds take a long time to heal, you all of beings should know that," Shining said in response. "Nopony is saying you did it, but you're not exactly helping your case by doing any of this. If you're truly innocent, then the least you could do is help us figure out what we need to do or who we need to confront to put a stop to all of this."

But Discord remained stubborn and uncooperative. "Sorry, but it seems we're at an impasse," He protested. "I'm telling the truth, but some of you think I'm lying. So what do friends like us do in a situation like this, Prince Shining Armor? Oh, that reminds me, congratulations on your ascension to alicornhood. I suppose it was inevitable you'd land that promotion, you totally deserve it."

"Well, what are we supposed to do now?" Fancy Pants wondered out loud. "We've got nothing other than speculation to go on, and that's hardly enough evidence to blast him back to stone. Is it?"

Shining was silent, as he thought through the information he had. " _The last thing I want to do now is make a rash decision,_ " He thought to himself. " _Last time I let rumors and emotion cloud my judgement, I nearly assumed Zecora was an evil enchantress._ " Shining had the feeling that Discord knew more than he was letting on, but Discord was the kind of creature would could easily see through a bluff. Without any convincing evidence, Shining doubted he'd able to get Discord to open up. "Discord is innocent until proven guilty," He told the others, then he turned to Discord. "But that doesn't mean we're done here. Let's say I believe you when you say you're not guilty, help us figure out who is!"

"Well, I suppose I could tell you something. But the funny thing is, what I was going to tell you seems to have slipped my mind at the moment," Discord replied with a grin. "And after all the hoof pointing and besmirching of my good name, I don't know if I'll remember anytime soon."

"Great," Soarin sarcastically remarked. "Now what are we supposed to do?"

"Oh, cheer up guys, all is not lost," Discord laughed, while knitting up a few vines. "Why don't you ask one of your other friends for advice? You know, someone who calls The Everfree Forest her home?"

"What are you talking about?" Thunderlane asked.

"Your zebra friend... what's her name..." Discord explained. "You know who I'm talking about, right?"

Shining noticed that Discord's knitted vines were forming an arrow, and when he turned to look he saw a familiar zebra wandering along while hauling a wagon full of various items. "Of course, Zecora!" Shining exclaimed. "Why, didn't I think of her before?! If anyone has any idea of what's going on, it's got to be her!"

* * *

Shining and his friends rushed to Zecora at once, they were more than a little surprised to see her in town, but at the same time they were glad to see she wasn't hurt.

"Zecora, are you okay?!" Shining asked the enchantress.

Zecora was exhausted from hauling her wagon full of items, but she still managed to greet her friends in a pleasant tone. "From my own home, I've been forced to flee! The Everfree has grown too wild, even for me!" She panted.

"Any idea on why this is happenin'?" Big Macintosh asked. "Any strange creatures or plants?"

Zecora shook her head. "I'm afraid it is a mystery, to myself as well. However, I have something that might work, if combined with the right spell.""

"Right spell?" Fancy Pants asked Zecora. "What do you mean?"

"Before I had to leave my hut, my days have been spent in devotion. Trying to perfect this special potion." Zecora explained, pulling out a vial of some purple colored liquid and placing it on the ground.

Shining gasped! "Of course, now I remember! Twilight mentioned how you've been working on a spell to improve your memory by helping you see things you couldn't see before! Were you able to complete it before The Everfree forced you to leave?"

Zecora nodded, only to then sigh. "Alas, it is quite tragic. The potion will only respond to the right kind of magic. For it to work, one must turn the liquid from purple to white, then a sip should lead to quite a sight."

"I'll bet my alicorn magic will be strong to do the job!" Shining concluded.

"And you do think that potion will give us some answers?" Braeburn asked him. "I mean, who knows what will happen if you drink it?"

"Whatever the risks, I have to try! It's the only thing even close to a lead we have!" Shining replied firmly. "At this point, I'm willing to put my faith in an unconventional approach! Zecora's potions have come through in a pinch before, and hopefully they'll do it again!"

"Well, I suppose it's worth a shot," Fancy Pants agreed. "But do be careful."

"I will, now all of you stand back so I have a clear shot at that vial!" Shining instructed. Everyone obeyed, including Discord and Spike, and they all watched with interest as Shining began to light up his horn. He strained quite visibly, as he fired off the most powerful beam of his alicorn magic that he could muster up. But the magic bounced right off the vial and shot into the air!

"It didn't work?!" Spike gasped.

"I guess even alicorn magic isn't strong enough to affect this potion," Shining concluded, and gulped. "But there _is_ a magic stronger than alicorn magic."

All of Shining's friends gasped, except for Discord who had no idea what he was talking about.

"You're not seriously thinking of using dark magic, are you?" Soarin commented. "That stuff's dangerous!"

Shining reluctantly sighed. "I know, but it's the only thing I can think of that'll turn that potion white. I've seen Princess Celestia use it, and I used it myself a few times back when Sombra was trying to take over the Crystal Empire. I should be able to keep its influences under control if I concentrate."

"No, there's gotta be another way!" Spike protested. "The more you use dark magic the greater the chances of it corrupting your mind become! Twilight will know how to turn that potion white without having to use dark magic! Or we could go to the Crystal Empire and get Cadence to use her love magic, that should be strong enough!"

"Spike, I'll be fine," Shining insisted. "I know you worry about me, but I've used dark magic only sparingly. Twilight's magic has been cut off by the invading Everfree, and there's no way we can get to Cadence anytime soon. I have to do this, it may be the only way to find out what we need to do before it's too late! With each passing second The Everfree Forest continues to advance across Equestria!"

"I just don't like the idea, there has to be another way! There has to be!" Spike pleaded. But Shining had already lit up his horn again, and he was now straining even more. Sparks began to pour out of his horn, as the familiar glow of dark magic started to appear! Straining heavily, Shining aimed a beam of the magic at the vial, and much to everyone's amazement the liquid began to change from purple to white!

When the process was complete, Shining breathed a much needed sigh of relief and trotted over to the vial. After examining it carefully, he picked it up with his normal magic, and drank a small portion of it. The taste was bitter, but not overwhelmingly so. Shining waited for a few seconds after setting the vial down. "Doesn't seem to be worki-" He began, but his sentence was cut off as his eyes suddenly began to glow white and a blinding flash overwhelmed him!


	71. Chapter 71: The Fall of Luna

It seemed to take forever for the blinding flash to fade, but when it finally did Shining took a look around. The place he was in was completely unfamiliar to him, it appeared to be like the interior of the castle in Canterlot, but with some noticeably different design choices to it. This included the tapestries depicting Princess Celestia and Princess Luna that hung on either side of what he could only describe as the throne room. "What is this place? I've never seen it before, but something about is strangely familiar." Shining wondered out loud, hoping that someone could inform him of where he was.

Suddenly, from out of the blue a familiar voice called out. "Not another step." And then, who should emerge from the darkness but a very angry looking Princess Luna?

"Princess Luna?" Shining asked, he hadn't been expecting to see either of the royal sisters. "What's going on? What is this place? Why did you and Princess Celestia vanish?"

Luna didn't seem to be aware of Shining's presence, in fact she seemed to acting as if he didn't even exist in the first place. "Did you really expect me to just sit idly by while they all basked in your 'precious light?" She angrily remarked, a noticeable hint of jealousy punctuated every line of dialogue.

"'Precious light'? What are you talking about, you're not making any sense!" Shining protested. "Please, tell me what's going on! Why is The Everfree Forest invading?! I need answers!"

But Luna still didn't acknowledge Shining, she just trotted to the center of the throne. "I have lived in your shadow for long enough, there can only be one princess in Equestria. And that princess, will be **ME**!" Luna's eyes appeared to briefly flash bright white, as she effortlessly shattered the throne with her front hooves! Her last bit of dialogue seemed to echo everywhere, as Shining looked up and gasped! A crack was forming in the castle window, and in a matter of seconds the stainless glass window shattered into pieces, exposing the bright sun!

Shining watched, unable to bring himself to move from his spot, as he watched Luna move the moon up to completely block out the sun! When she did so, rays of darkness showered down from above, enveloping the princess in some sort of protective dome. When the dome faded, before Shining stood a very familiar looking alicorn with a coat that seemed to be as black as the night when the moon didn't shine, her mane and tail now flowed and looked like a starry moonlit sky, and her cyan eyes were now covered by moderate blue violet eyebrows. On top of that, the alicorn standing before Shining Armor now boasted a pair of fangs!

Shining found himself a loss for words, he was staring down the evil Nightmare Moon once again! And this time, she seemed to be far more powerful and dangerous!

* * *

Nightmare Moon didn't seem to be anymore aware of Shining's presence than Princess Luna had, she just stood there and laughed wickedly, while her magical beams completely destroyed the castle!

"Luna, why would you give into the darkness again?!" Shining demanded. "Don't you remember how long you were banished to the moon last time?! Do you really want us to send you back there?!"

But Nightmare Moon didn't answer Shining, she just continued to laugh while she carried out her destructive ways.

Just then, Princess Celestia came trotting up, looking quite furious! "Luna, I know you can hear me!" She cried out! "Stop this madness at once and lower the moon, it is your royal duty! I will not fight you!"

"Luna? There is no Luna anymore, Celestia... there is only Nightmare Moon!" Nightmare Moon responded with a hiss. "And I have but one royal duty now: to destroy you! The night shall last forever, and I shall rule all!"

"No, I don't believe you!" Celestia protested. "I know Luna is inside you, somewhere! Luna, whatever dark force has taken control of you, you must fight it! Our subjects will starve without the sun!"

"Let them starve!" Nightmare Moon bellowed. "Equestria shall either learn to appreciate the night and bow to my will, or they will cower and be starved into submission! Either way, they will never again see you as their supreme leader! Your time is up!"

Celestia lit up her horn, and it looked like she was going to strike at Nightmare Moon. But she didn't, she teleported away in a dazzling flash of her magic!

"Coward!" Nightmare Moon shouted in her Royal Canterlot Voice. "Hiding won't save you! You're only prolonging your inevitable destruction!" Flapping her wings, she took off in search of Princess Celestia, randomly blasting away chunks of the castle in the process.

At last, Celestia emerged from hiding, flapping her wings quite furiously. "You're out of your league, Nightmare Moon! Your emotions betray you, I can sense the goodness of my sister struggling to break free! Give me back my sister and we can end this without violence!"

For a brief moment, Nightmare Moon just stood there, and a look of guilt seemed to register on her face. "Sister." She said in a somber and saddened tone.

"Luna?" Celestia asked, her heart swelling with hope as she flew close and prepared to extend a hoof to her troubled sister.

Shining watched from a distance, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. But there was one question that nagging at the back of his mind. " _Why aren't Princess Luna and Princess Celestia noticing me? It's like I'm a ghost,_ " He thought. " _Did I somehow die? Is this the afterlife? Just what is going on, and what does this have to do with why I drank that potion?_ " The young alicorn decided to wait and watch, hoping for any sort of clue that might tell him what kind of situation he was in and what he needed to do to get out of it.

Nightmare Moon remained frozen, flapping her wings but making no effort to fight back against Celestia. However, when Celestia extended her hoof out, Nightmare Moon (after a moment of hesitation) swatted it away. "YOU FOOL!" She bellowed, quickly lighting up her horn and striking Princess Celestia square in the chest! Celestia let out an ear piercing scream, and fell from the sky!

"NO!" Shining gasped, as he watched the pony he'd come to know as a second mentor and mother plummeted towards the ground. Without hesitation he flew after her, even though he knew there was nothing he could do to save her!

"What have I done?" Nightmare Moon asked herself, before a rather fiendish grin broke out across her face. "Oh that's right, I've slayed that sun loving tyrant! Long live the princess indeed."

* * *

Shining flew after Princess Celestia, but he could only watch in horror as the mighty alicorn crashed through the roof of her crumbling castle and hit the ground with a sickening thud! Despite the impact, she barely left a cloud of dust!

Shining was at Celestia's side in a moment, even though he knew it was too late. The princess of the sun remained motionless. Shining broke down into tears, sobbing over his mentor and motherly figure's body. He had sworn an oath to protect her with his life, yet when she had needed him most there was nothing he could do to save her. "No... Why? Why would Luna do such a thing? Why now?" He asked himself. "Oh Celestia, why did it have to be you and not me? I was supposed to protect you, and now just like Cadence, I've let you down."

Shining continued to sob, until much to his surprise, Celestia rose and stood up. A noticeable singe mark had formed on her chest where the beam of magic had struck her, but otherwise she seemed to be unharmed. Shining was filled with relief. "You're all right? You're all right!" He happily exclaimed, and attempted to reach out and grab the princess into a hug, but his hooves passed right through her. "Princess Celestia?" He asked.

Celestia didn't seem to be aware that anyone had tried to touch her. She just stood there, a somber but stern gaze reflected in her eyes, even though a few tears were forming. "Oh, dear sister, I am sorry it had to be this way, please forgive me. But you must be stopped, and you have given me no choice but to use these!"

There was a great deal of rumbling and clanking, as a mighty stone pedestal rose up from out of the ground. On it was perched a series of six floating gems, their colors and shapes instantly recognizable to Shining. "Are those the Elements of Harmony? But that's how they looked in... the past," He realized, then it dawned on him. Suddenly, everything up to this point made sense. "This is the night you banished her." He commented, as he looked up at Princess Celestia, who was removing the elements from their resting place and circling them around her with her magic. The gems forming a small rotating circle of energy.

Nightmare Moon was quite surprised to see Princess Celestia again. "Back for more?! I guess someponies just never learn! Oh well, I suppose I wasn't thorough enough with you last time, a mistake I assure you I will not repeat!"

"Indeed you won't, because I'm putting an end to this, now!" Celestia demanded. "With the magic of the Elements of Harmony, I will defeat you, Nightmare Moon!" She fired off a powerful blast of magic from her horn, and Nightmare Moon did the same. The two soon became locked in a tense back and forth struggle, each of their beams trying to overpower the other.

"You're a fool if you think you can stop me!" Nightmare Moon taunted. "You need your sister to wield the elements' full power, and without Luna you are no match for me!"

Celestia shook her head. "You're wrong, Nightmare Moon! The Elements were meant for a pony who embodies the best traits of Equestria's founders. For a time those were the traits Luna and I shared, but now they have lent themselves to me so that I might save my subjects from your tyranny!"

Nightmare Moon soon found her beam of magic being pushed back, and she quickly became alarmed! "Wait, if you destroy me then you destroy your sister as well! Would you really condemn your own sister, your own fur and blood, to such a fate?!"

Tears starting to trickle down Celestia's face as she somberly stated. "Who said anything about destruction? I cannot bring myself to destroy my sister, not even to save the nation I rule. But with the power bestowed upon me by the Elements of Harmony, I hereby banish you, Nightmare Moon!"

"Noooooooooooooo!" Nightmare Moon shouted, as her beam was completely pushed back and she was overwhelmed by Celestia's magic. "You're a fool, Celestia! You _will_ regret that you did not destroy me when you had the chance! Someday, somehow, I'll be back! And when I do, we will settle this once and for all!" And those were the last words heard from the creature born of darkness, as the corrupted alicorn vanish into the face of the moon. A noticeable pony face now appeared on the moon's surface.

Celestia lowered herself to the ground and stopped lifting up the elements. She watched, as one by one they were turned into stone. "Sister, I am sorry it had to be this way," She cried, the tears flowing without restraint. "It won't end like this. I may not be able to wield the elements any longer, but I'll find someponies who are. I will find a way to save you if it's the last thing I do."

Shining then watched, as Celestia lit up her horn and enveloped the moon in her magical glow. With tears still flowing down her cheeks, the alicorn began to sing:

 _Fate has been cruel and border unkind_

 _How can I have sent you away?_

 _The blame was my own, the punishment yours_

 _The harmony's silent, today._

 _But into the stillness, I'll bring you a song_

 _And I will, your company, keep._

 _'Til your tired eyes, and my lullabies_

 _Have carried you softly to sleep._

 _Once did a pony, who shone like the sun_

 _Look out on her kingdom and sigh._

 _She smiled and said: "Surely, there is nopony-_

 _So lovely, and so well beloved as I!"_

 _So great was her reign, and so brilliant her glory_

 _That long was the shadow she cast._

 _Which fell dark upon the young sister she loved_

 _And grew only darker as the days and nights passed._

 _Lullay moon princess, goodnight sister mine_

 _Rest now in moonlight's embrace._

 _Bear up my lullaby, winds of the earth_

 _Through cloud, and through sky, and through space._

 _Carry the peace, and the coolness of night_

 _And carry my sorrow in kind._

 _Luna, you're loved so much more than you know_

 _Forgive me for being so blind._

 _At last did that pony take notice that others_

 _Did not give her sister her due._

 _And neither had she loved her as she deserved_

 _Yet she watched as her sister's unhappiness grew!_

 _But such is the way of the limelight_

 _It sweetly takes hold of the mind of its host!_

 _And that foolish pony did nothing to stop_

 _The corruption of the one who had needed her most!_

 _Lullay moon princess, goodnight sister mine_

 _Rest now in moonlight's embrace._

 _Bear up my lullaby, winds of the earth_

 _Through cloud, and through sky, and through space._

 _Carry the peace, and the coolness of night_

 _And carry my sorrow in kind._

 _Luna, you're loved so much more than you know_

 _May troubles be far from your mind._

 _And forgive me for being so blind._

Shining found himself unable to resist shedding tears once more, as heard Princess Celestia's sad song. Even though he knew the two had been reunited in the present, thanks to him and his friends. It was this sad sight that would be the last thing he would see in this flashback, before the blinding light from before returned.


	72. Chapter 72: Back to the Present

When the blinding flash of light faded again, Shining found himself back in the present. All his friends, Discord, and Zecora, were all looking him with looks of concern (or in Discord's case, looks of amusement). "Why are you all looking at me like that?" Shining asked them, looking all around. "Did something happen while I was gone?"

The stallions and Spike all exchanged nervous glances, none of them seemed to know how to best explain what had just happened. At last, it was Big Macintosh who broke the silence. "Kind of, it's really hard to explain. It's just... you were mumblin' to yourself, mumblin' 'bout all kinds of stuff."

"Oh, and don't forget about the uncontrollable sobbin'," Braeburn mentioned. "It was so weird."

"We were really worried about you, but nothing we tried seemed to affect you." Thunderlane added.

Discord, however, showed no signs of concern. He just smirked, slithered his way over to Shining Armor, and displayed a picture of him that somehow also had the sound of a foal crying. "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I, for one found it delightful," He boasted. "Sort of a one-pony theater piece, if you will. If you want my personal opinion, you really should consider taking it on the road. You could make a Bridleway career out of it, that performance rivals even Rarity in her most dramatic moments."

"You saying you saw what I saw?" Shining asked Discord, even though he doubted Discord would tell him if that was true.

"Perhaps I was tempted into taking a little peek," Discord half heartedly confessed. "But just for a moment."

Quickly changing the subject, Soarin spoke up and asked Shining. "So, what did you manage to find out? Any sort of leads? Heck, maybe you even found out who's rump we're supposed to kick and where we can find them."

"Any kind of lead at all would be nice," Fancy Pants commented. "As it is, we're pretty much fishing without a hook."

"Unfortunately, I didn't really find out much of anything. I did see _something_ , from a long time ago," Shining confessed. "But the only connection it could possibly have to this crisis, is that I got to see how Celestia and Luna's old castle fell into decay, and how Luna was banished to the moon. It didn't give me any sort of leads, it was pretty much a dead end."

But Zecora quickly spoke up and told Shining. "Young Shining Armor, you must not get downhearted. Perhaps if you drink the potion again, you will learn how this all started."

"You want me to drink it again, even though I know what it does?" Shining asked.

Zecora nodded. "Perhaps farther back still are the answers that you seek. Another sip of the potion should give you a peek."

"It's not like we've got anything to lose, I say give it a shot!" Soarin encouraged.

But Spike was more reluctant. Even as Shining was levitating the potion up to sip it again, Spike nervously protested. "You sure about this? I mean maybe this isn't such a good idea? We could always get Twilight or Cadence and see if they've found anything."

Shining shook his head. "We really don't have a lot of alternatives, Spike. If there's even a chance that this potion could provide us with some much needed answers, I have to drink it. Aside from the flashbacks, there didn't seem to be any side effects to note."

"I still think this is a bad idea." Spike commented, but he was overruled. Everyone watched as Shining very slowly and very reluctantly took another sip of the potion.

Well, everyone except Discord, who just appeared in a director's suit and hat, and stood behind a movie camera. "Oh, I do hope he breaks into a song and dance routine this time around," He exclaimed. "You ponies always amuse me with those musical performances," Just then, Shining's eyes lit up in a familiar white light. "Ooh! And, we're rolling!" Discord happily remarked, as the blinding flash overwhelmed everyone.


	73. Chapter 73: Origin of Harmony

When the flash faded once again, Shining now found himself looking at a familiar black and white tiled ground, and a familiar throne resting atop a small hill. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, bruised and scratched in several areas, approached the throne with stern glares.

The throne spun around, revealing Discord, who of course was laughing and relishing in the chaos he'd created! "Oh, if it isn't the royal pony sisters, back for another beating! Good, I was just starting to get bored. How about a game of 'Pin the Tail on the Pony'?" He asked, somehow managing to snatch Celestia's tail and hold it up for all to see.

Celestia briefly gasped, before her tail was returned to her. "Playtime is over for you, Discord. The citizens of Equestria have spoken, and they're sick of your games."

Discord did not appear to be concerned, he just munched on a bag of seeds he seemed to have pulled out of thin air. "Oh, I doubt that very much," He said in a mocking tone, eating a pawful of seeds every few seconds. "Hungry?" He asked the two alicorns, as he randomly tossed seeds all about, a few of them hitting the alicorns in the face. "No? Oh well, suit yourselves. Now let's make this quick, shall we? We all know you can't beat me, but by all means go ahead and try. It isn't often I find a good set of punching bags."

Celestia and Luna said nothing in reply, they just looked at each other, nodded, and pulled out a series of six floating gems. Shining knew what they were, but of course Discord didn't.

Discord dropped his bag of seeds. "Ooh, what have you got there?" He asked the sisters.

"You like them?" Celestia asked, a rather peculiar smile forming on her face. "They're the Elements of Harmony."

"And with these six magical gems we shall defeat you!" Luna vowed. "Knocking off our parents was your first mistake, and your second was leaving us in one piece!"

"This must be when Celestia and Luna turned Discord into stone." Shining realized. Of course, he knew that even if he wanted to, there was nothing he could do to change the course of history that was unfolding before him. The potion left him as an outside observer and nothing more.

Discord showed no signs of concern, not even as the Elements of Harmony swirled around Celestia and Luna respectively (Celestia wielded the elements of Magic, Kindness, and Generosity, while Luna wielded the elements of Laughter, Honesty, and Loyalty). With a laugh he simply said to them. "Oh, this is too rich! You really should see yourselves right now. The expressions on your faces. So intense and so sure of yourselves, it's hilarious!" He then yawned and snapped his paw, shooting out a beam of chaos magic. Much to his surprise, the two sisters vanished from their spot and the beam of magic sailed harmlessly off into the distance. "Oh, you clever little fillies," He remarked, still unconcerned. "I guess it wouldn't be any fun if you didn't put up a fight. But I hope you realize, you're out of your league! You're playing with the big boys now!"

"Correction, Discord, _you're_ the one who's out of their league!" Celestia called out, just before she and Luna fired off a concentrated blast of magical energy, powered by the elements.

Discord stood up and laughed, stretching his left paw into the air. "Ha, you think your silly toys can stop me?" He asked, and those were the last words the chaos maker would utter. Before he had a chance to realize what was going on, he was completely turned to stone!

Celestia and Luna fluttered their way down from above Discord's throne, and put the Elements of Harmony back in their saddlebags. "It's over, we've done it at last," Luna commented, breathing a sigh of relief. "Equestria is free once again."

Celestia, however, adopted a more somber tone as she shook her head. "Luna, you celebrate too early. Discord has merely been defeated, not destroyed. As long as he remains trapped in his stone prison, there is always the possibility he'll escape someday and reek havoc once again. A shame really, had Mother and Father tried harder to reach out to them and not shunned him like the rest of Equestria did, he could have made for a powerful ally. Anyone who could befriend a centaur king is not to be taken lightly."

"Sister, truly thou is not implying thee had feelings for Discord." Luna teased, her old way of speaking slipping out.

"Maybe at some point we could've had something, but after what he did to Mother and Father, it would never work out." Celestia replied, trying her hardest to keep a straight face.

Luna decided not to press further and changed the subject. "Well, cheer up, sister. At long last our coronations await, Equestria shall be ruled by not but _two_ great queens."

Celestia once again shook her head. "No, Luna, the title of queen does not belong to us. We did not earn it the way all nobility must earn it. To honor the memory of our beloved mother, we shall rule Equestria, but as princesses and not queens."

"Very well," Luna reluctantly nodded. "I suppose it is what they would want. But remember that they are always watching us from up above, and someday, somehow, we _will_ be reunited!"

"The last king and queen of Equestria," Shining realized, recalling the history lessons he'd been taught as a school colt and had learned all over again when his sister enrolled in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. "King Mike and Queen Lauren. They disappeared without a trace when Discord took over Equestria and were never seen or heard from again. They say Lauren became known as The Creator, and some legends state she was reincarnated into a different race, alongside Mike."

* * *

There was another flash, and now Shining found himself watching, as Celestia and Luna approached a glowing crystal tree that Shining had never seen before. " _What is that?!_ " Shining thought. " _Not a single book mentions the existence of such a tree, and Celestia and Luna never talked about it._ "

Luna gasped. "The Tree of Harmony. It exists!"

"The Tree of Harmony?" Shining wondered, even though he knew nopony could hear him.

Celestia nodded. "Mother and Father's final gift to us, the resting place for the secret weapon we shall use to avenge them, the Elements of Harmony!"

Shining watched, as he saw the two sisters take the six glowing gemstones that made up the Elements of Harmony from the tree. Much to his surprise, he saw that resting in the dead center of the tree, was the same symbol that was displayed on his sister's cutie mark! "Twily's Cutie Mark, Celestia must've realized what it meant!" He gasped.

Luna seemed to hesitate, as she took the elements of Laughter, Honesty, and Loyalty off the tree. "Are you sure this is right, dear sister? The elements may embody the most defining traits of Equestria's founders, but surely there is a reason why Mother and Father had them stored here instead of giving them to us."

Celestia simply replied. "I understand your concerns, Luna. I was thinking the same thing myself. But we finally have managed to discover the only means by which we can defeat Discord and free the citizens of Equestria from his tyranny. Even without these elements, the Tree of Harmony will still possess a powerful magic. And as long as that magic remains, it will continue to control and contain all that grows here."

"Very well," Luna reluctantly nodded. "Now, let's go find Discord and show him what happens when you mess with the royal pony sisters!"

Shining, having seen everything, felt his heart sink. "Now it all makes sense," He sadly realized. "Twilight was meant to be the chosen one, not me. This whole time, I've merely been getting in the way of her destiny. She was meant to free Luna from Nightmare Moon, defeat Discord once again, save the Crystal Empire, and become an alicorn. That's why Celestia took her in and arranged for all those things. But why didn't she ever tell me? Why did she allow me to interfere with what destiny had planned? I was never meant to be a leader, so why did Celestia not intervene when I constantly foiled her plans?" All these questions lingered in Shining's mind, as another blinding flash announced his return to the present.


	74. Chapter 74: Splitting Up The Gang

The flash faded once again, and Shining found himself facing all of his friends, all of whom (except for Discord of course) took notice of the noticeable frown on his face.

"So, what did you manage to find out this time? Anything helpful?" Spike asked, quite concerned about Shining's unhappy look.

"I still couldn't find any leads about what happened to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, but I saw something else that I think might explain what's going on," Shining announced. "The reason why the Everfree Forest is acting the way it is, is because something must have happened to the Tree of Harmony."

Everypony was quite confused, and even Spike and Zecora didn't seem to know what Shining was talking about. "Uh, don't hate me for this, but the Tree of what now?" Soarin spoke up, the most puzzled look on his face. "Nopony's ever heard of such a thing."

"Yeah, and you'd think something like that would've been mentioned by Princess Celestia or Princess Luna at some point." Thunderlane added.

"Well, I don't know why we never heard of it until now, but that tree is where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna found the Elements of Harmony," Shining concluded. "Somehow the tree must have been responsible for keeping the Everfree under control, and now something has happened to it. I think it might be in danger!"

"Uh, we'd love to help, but we have no idea what the tree looks like," Big Macintosh commented. "I don't suppose there's any sort of way you could tell us what it looks like."

"Actually, how about I show you directly?" Shining suggested. "I can't conjure up an exact replica of what I saw, but I think I can give you a rough display with my magic," He proceeded to light up his horn, taking great care to monitor any possible surges of dark magic that might sprout up (using dark magic even a little could sometimes leave its influence in the mind of its user for a few hours). After a great deal of straining, the alicorn was able to display an image that more or less matched what he'd seen in his flashback, to the best of his ability anyway. "There, it looks something like this," He told the others. "Does that help?"

"I suppose it does a little, ain't ever seen a tree like that," Braeburn quipped. "And you think helpin' out that there tree is gonna solve all our problems?"

"Maybe not all of them, but it should at least get the Everfree Forest back under control," Shining commented. "Once that's taken care of, we can resume the search for the princesses, and hopefully something will turn up."

"Guess it's time for us to go find and save this 'Tree of Harmony'," Fancy Pants commented. "Uh... where exactly is that tree, anyway?"

"Well, I think it's in... there." Shining explained, pointing a hoof towards the entrance to the Everfree Forest.

Fancy Pants gulped. "That's what I was afraid of."

"Me too, I was really hopin' it'd be somethin' else." Big Macintosh nervously added.

Discord, however, wasn't concerned. He simply looked at the forest entrance through a pair of 3D glasses, while sitting in a lawn chair, and commented. "Ooh-hoo, now _this_ should be interesting! I'm going to need more popcorn!"

"I take it you're not going to help us, are you?" Soarin remarked, eyeing Discord with suspicion.

"Hey, the Everfree Forest is far too chaotic even for my tastes! I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid!" Discord protested. "I have my own well being to think about you know, and just because I'm near indestructible doesn't mean I can't feel pain."

"Coward." Soarin muttered under his breath.

Hoping to change the subject, Thunderlane asked Shining. "So, shall we leave? We'll be right behind you every step of the way, think of it as a trip down memory lane."

"Yeah, it'll be just like the first time we went into that forsaken forest. Except this time you'll willing to accept your help." Fancy Pants added.

But Shining shook his head. "No, you guys are going to go ahead without me. You're going to find the tree, figure out what's wrong with it, and restore the balance needed to keep the Everfree Forest in check."

"Are you crazy?! We ain't just gonna turn our backs on you!" Braeburn demanded. "No way, no how, not happenin'!"

"Braeburn's right, we ain't about to leave our friend behind!" Big Macintosh added quite seriously.

But Shining was insistent, he shook his head once again. "You guys have to get used to doing things without me there to guide you. It seems like every time something goes wrong, you look to me for advice. Well, I got news for you, I'm not this perfect being, I can make mistakes. I never even asked to be your leader."

"Well, you sure do act like it at times. And you've got quite the knack for it." Fancy Pants observed.

"If you're worried about Cadence or Twilight, you needn't be. I can check up on Twilight and I'll find a way to contact you if Cadence finds anything," Spike vowed. "You have my word as a noble dragon."

"It's not that," Shining replied with another shake of his head. "The thing is, you all saw that the symbol carved onto the Tree of Harmony, right?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" Soarin asked. "You're not making any sense."

"So, don't you see? It's my sister's cutie mark that's displayed on the tree, not mine!" Shining explained, stomping his hoof in frustration. "That means she was supposed to be the chosen one, the one to unlock the secret of the elements, pull off all those great feats, and become an alicorn. That's why her cutie mark is the same six pointed star as the Element of Magic."

"Well, you have the same star on your shield that makes up your cutie mark," Thunderlane observed. "Doesn't that mean the Tree of Harmony and the Element of Magic are connected to you as well?"

"No, I earned my cutie mark protecting Twily from those bullies, and my cutie mark has always symbolized protection, not magic," Shining glumly replied. "It's just a coincidence that the same six pointed star on my shield would be connected to any of this. Celestia took Twilight in specifically because she knew Twilight was meant to be the chosen one. But thanks to me, that was all changed, and now Equestria is paying the price."

"But Shining-" Braeburn protested.

"-No buts, my decision is final!" Shining interrupted. "I was never meant for any of this, it was all just a big misunderstanding! I never even earned my promotion to Captain like I was supposed to! I'm sorry, but now it's finally clear that my destiny was never meant for any of this! You guys go ahead and save the Tree of Harmony, that's an order!"

"But what about you?" Big Macintosh asked.

"I'll probably go back to the Crystal Empire, maybe even Canterlot," Shining replied. "If Celestia and Luna don't turn up when the Everfree Forest is brought back under control, we'll have to assume they've disappeared forever, and that means Cadence and I will have to take charge of Equestria. At least until I can find a way to give my wings to Twilight, who was meant to have them."

Soarin was about to speak up and utter a protest, but Big Macintosh silenced him. With a reluctant sigh he said to Shining Armor. "Well... if that's really what you wanna do in this situation, I suppose there ain't much we can do to make you change your mind. We managed to function once without your leadership, and somehow we'll find a way to do it again. But you know, I always thought you of all ponies didn't believe in destiny bein' set in stone, especially after you fixed the cutie mark swap. Guess maybe I was wrong."

And with that, Shining watched his friends take off for the Everfree Forest, leaving him alone with Spike, Zecora, and Discord. " _It had to be done,_ " He unhappily thought to himself. " _Twilight was meant to be the chosen one, not me._ "


	75. Chapter 75: Destiny

"I'm afraid there is nothing left for me and it is time for me to roam. The Everfree Forest has always been my home." Zecora declared, and after packing up her things she trotted off. She had no clear destination in mind.

As for Discord, he didn't really seem to care much one way or the other. He hadn't really bothered to listen in on the conversation Shining and his friends had before splitting up, and if he was being honest with himself he didn't care.

Shining decided that the least he could do to make himself useful before leaving for the Crystal Empire, was to check up on his sister. But a quick trip to the Golden Oaks Library simply confirmed what he'd feared, there were no written records of the Tree of Harmony.

"I'm sorry, B.B.B.F.F, but assuming that tree does exist, nopony ever bothered to look for it," Twilight told him. "And Cadence hasn't found anything either."

"Speaking of Cadence, how are things going for her and the Crystal Empire?" Shining asked. "Any progress reports?"

"Actually, there is one that was delivered just a short time ago," Twilight explained, picking up a scroll that she had kept stored in a cabinet beside her bed. "I think it's best if you read it yourself though, it's not pretty."

" _Oh no, please tell me it's not what I think it is!_ " Shining thought, millions of worst case scenarios playing in his mind as he grabbed the scroll with his magic and began to read it:

 _Shining Armor,_

 _Things are going alright here in the Crystal Empire, the Everfree Forest hasn't been able to even approach the Frozen North, but all contact with the rest of Equestria has been minimal._

 _I have recently received word from Flash Sentry, and he informs me that the situation in Canterlot is deteriorating fast!_

 _Apparently, Prince Blueblood believes that since he is nobility, he should be leading Equestria in your leave of absence and my inability to leave the Crystal Empire, even though you appointed Flash Sentry to lead in your place._

 _To make matters worse, it seems that the Everfree Forest is continuing to expand at an alarming rate. Canterlot appears to be the next target of the expanding forest and orders are already being given to start preparing for evacuation to the Crystal Empire!_

 _I'm trying my best to keep the faith for both of us, but it's becoming harder with each passing moment that goes by, as things continue to get worse and worse. I hope that you and your friends are at least working to stop the Everfree in its tracks, if not actively searching for the cause._

 _No matter what though, I hope you are all together. I know that at times you may doubt yourself, my husband, but time and time again you've shown why ponies look to you for guidance, and what it is that I saw in you._

 _Even when the going gets tough and things look bleak, you never give up. You have always found a way to save the day when it matters most, whether it be venturing into the Everfree Forest to find the Elements of Harmony, or making the decision to have Spike deliver the Crystal Heart to me and save the empire from Sombra's greedy clutches._

 _This situation may not be like any you've ever faced before, but you've always proven time and time again that you can overcome even the bleakest of odds and lead the way to a shining future. And I hope and pray that you will do the same again._

 _At the rate this is going, I fear it will take a miracle to save Equestria from falling apart. Both due to the Everfree's invasion, and due to the confusion that Blueblood and Flash Sentry are indirectly contributing to._

 _Please, you and your friends are Equestria's only hope! Whatever you need to save the day, hurry up and do it soon._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Princess Cadence_

Shining felt his heart sink, he thought he'd been doing the right thing by deciding not to accompany his friends in their search for the Tree of Harmony. After all, he wasn't the chosen one. But had he unintentionally doomed them and all of Equestria, just because of that fact?

"This doesn't make any sense!" Shining muttered to himself, before he dashed out of the library. There was only one being left who could provide anything close to advice, and chances were that being wasn't going to provide a straight answer.

* * *

Shining stumbled across Discord in the center of town, somehow using the back of Gummy to file the nails on his paws. He was humming an unfamiliar tune to himself, and thus he didn't seem to notice two random ponies getting tangled up in the thick black vines from the Everfree Forest.

"Help, please!" The ponies cried, as they struggled to no avail to escape their thorny prison.

"Discord!" Shining demanded, attracting the chaos maker's attention. "Don't just stand there, help those ponies out!"

"Oh, oops, don't know how I didn't notice that," Discord replied and snapped his fingers, causing the vines to disappear effortlessly. The two ponies were relieved, but they were also frightened of Discord and so they ran off, much to Discord's displeasure. "You're welcome!" He called, even though he knew the ponies in question wouldn't reply. "Hmph, that's gratitude for you. I save their lives and I don't get any compliments," He complained, then he noticed Shining. "Oh, what a surprise to see you back here already. Why the long face? No luck finding your tree, I assume?"

"He decided the gang was better off without him and they split up," Spike announced. "I would've offered my two bits, but I had to deliver that message to Twilight," Then to Shining he commented. "I still can't believe you're going through with your decision. You must be crazy."

"Takes one to know one," Discord taunted. "But the funny thing is, I agree with you, Spike, as much as it pains me to admit it."

Shining was quite puzzled, Discord had never agreed with Spike or anyone except maybe for Fluttershy. To see him actually stating he agreed with someone on anything was very much a surprise. "What are you talking about?! What was I supposed to do?! I'm not the chosen one, Twilight is!" He protested, stomping his hooves in frustration.

Discord laughed, a smug grin seemed to be quite noticeable on his face. "From what I gathered of you up until you took a sip of that potion, you didn't strike me as the kind of pony who could think that highly, or maybe I should say, that lowly of himself. In a way, it's like you think you're better than everypony else just because you have wings."

Determined not to let Discord get under his skin, Shining immediately protested. "I don't think I'm better than anypony else! If I was I would've tried to prove that destiny was wrong and raced off to fix the tree myself!"

"Really now? You're so hung up on what you saw in that tree that nopony was even aware existed until now," Discord replied, as he snapped his fingers and gave Shining a royal robe, and a golden scepter modeled after his face. "And think about it. All you did was simply choose to keep your precious princely self out of harm's way, while your friends go and thrust themselves right into it. But I'm sure you'll all be the best of pals again, when they return from their terrifying yet deeply bonding experience that they're probably having without you."

"My friends need to learn to not depend on me to solve all their problems," Shining insisted, throwing away the robe and the scepter. "Just because I'm a prince and captain of the royal guard doesn't mean I have all the answers!"

Discord's response was to sigh. "You just don't get it, do you? I can't believe I have to resort to this kind of stuff just to get you to see sense, I swore I wasn't going to start playing mind games after I became reformed. But I guess some promises were meant to be broken," Then he told Shining. "For a pony who claims he got his cutie mark in protection, you sure don't seem to be paying much attention to the 'protection' part of it. You sent your friends off into that forest filled with dangerous plants and animals when they have no magic of their own to keep them safe. But then again, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, Princess Celestia seemed to prefer that 'sink or swim' method of teaching after she lost her connection to the elements."

Shining growled and clenched his teeth as he snorted. "You leave Princess Celestia out of this! She showed a willingness to intervene when necessary when she rid me of the lingering influences you left in my mind after our last battle! And she was quick to jump into the fray when Queen Chrysalis showed herself at my wedding! She told me herself that the reason she doesn't intervene as often as she could, is because if she did it would prevent her subjects from realizing they could solve the problem themselves! She has always said she would not hesitate to intervene if a situation truly seemed dangerous, and she proved that plenty of times before you were freed from your stone prison!"

"So maybe you have a point there," Discord reluctantly conceded. "But let me ask you a more important question, almighty prince. Did you forget that the Elements of Harmony won't work without all six of them being present at the same time and place? Even if your friends did find that tree and it was meant for your sister to wield the Element of Magic, how do you expect them to save the tree and defeat whatever is holding Princess Celestia and Princess Luna captive, when you are not there to provide the Element of Magic and power the complete set? I thought it was obvious why I tried to break you all apart the way I did, but I suppose you didn't take the lesson to heart."

Shining was about to protest, but then he thought back to when he and his friends had fought Discord when he was just a unicorn. One comment from Discord in particular stood out, the comment the witty spirit had made after Shining had failed to power up the Elements of Harmony and defeat him outside the Golden Oaks Library. "How did you expect to power those elements, when the spark that united you all has been extinguished?" That comment prompted a realization from Shining, almost like a huge flash had gone off in his mind. "What was I thinking?! I never should have agreed to split up the group!" He realized, and immediately turned to Spike. "Come on, Spike! We're going to find our friends and save that tree! Discord is right!"

"Whoa, hold up there!" Spike protested, even as he climbed onto Shining's back. "I'm glad you finally had some sense knocked into that thick skull of yours, but let's not get carried away with giving Discord all the credit for it. He may be reformed, but he's not _that_ reformed. I'm sure he has his own reasons for encouraging you to thrust yourself into danger. Chances are he was just trying to get under your skin."

"Well, it worked!" Shining replied, a familiar sense of bravery creeping into his voice. "Now come on, our friends couldn't have gotten far! If we hurry I think we can catch up to them! Destiny or not they need my element to save the Tree of Harmony!"

* * *

Unfortunately, Shining and Spike quickly discovered that finding the Tree of Harmony was a lot harder than they had anticipated. And trying to follow their friends hoofprints only got them so far.

"Are you sure this is the right way, Shining?" Spike asked in an anxious tone of voice. "It feels like we're going in circles."

"This forest was chaotic enough as it was, but now it's even worse," Shining replied. "And unfortunately, as much as I hate to admit it, we're lost!"

"Great, that's a big help!" Spike sarcastically quipped.

Shining sighed, guilt washing over him like a huge wave. "This is all my fault, I never should've abandoned my friends. I can't believe I was so dumb!"

"We can't just give up!" Spike protested, then he spotted a branch nearby. "Maybe if I get up there, I'll be able to spot 'em and hopefully figure out how to get to them."

"It's worth a shot." Shining replied, and let Spike climb down from his back.

Spike quickly scaled up a massive set of vines and onto the branch. He looked all around, and soon his eyes caught sight of a decaying tree wrapped in the thorny black vines from earlier. And as luck would have it, standing right beneath that tree was a group of five familiar stallions. "Well, what do you know? Our luck is finally turning around!" The dragon commented.

"Can you see them?!" Shining called.

"Yes!" Spike nodded, and turned around as he prepared to tell Shining everything he had seen. But unfortunately, when he did so, Spike also noticed a rather menacing looking plant lurking behind Shining. "Shining, watch out! Behind you!" He shouted.

"What?!" Shining exclaimed, but did as he was told. He turned around just in time for the plant Spike had been trying to warn him about spray some kind of dust on him. Shining coughed and sputtered, whatever he'd been sprayed with was making him feel dizzy and weak. He tried to light up his horn, but it was too late, he was overwhelmed by a series of similar looking plants, all of which quickly sprayed the same kind of dust on him.

Spike gasped! "Shining!" He cried and prepared to unleash his fire breath on the plants.

"Forget about me... go get the others." Shining weakly insisted, barely able to get his command out.

Spike refused to obey, he took a deep breath and set fire to the first plant he could see. But much to his horror, the plant shrugged off the fire as if it were nothing! "Oh man, fire immune plants!" Spike exclaimed, and took off running before the plants could turn their attention to him. " _Hang on, Shining, please! Without you, there's no hope left for Equestria, no matter what destiny might think!_ " He thought, as he rushed towards the location of the decaying tree he'd seen earlier.


	76. Chapter 76: Giving Up The Elements

Shining wasn't the only one having a pretty bad run of luck. His friends soon found that finding the Tree of Harmony was an almost impossible task, because no one had ever heard of it and therefore no one had any idea of where to look.

"Uh, I hate to be _that_ guy, but is anypony else starting to think this is a lost cause?" Soarin reluctantly spoke up. "We've gotten pretty far into this forest and we've found nothing."

"You know, I had the same unfortunate feeling," Thunderlane admitted. "I mean, we're almost at the Castle of the Two Sisters and we've seen neither branch or bark of that tree. Do you think maybe that potion was a dead end and whatever Shining saw isn't real? I mean, what if there actually _isn't_ a Tree of Harmony, what do we do then?"

Big Macintosh couldn't help but frown, he'd been trying to stay strong this whole time but the concerns of the group were finally starting to get to him. "If Shining says he saw a Tree of Harmony, I'll believe his word. I'd know if he was lyin' to us. But that don't mean he couldn't still unintentionally be sendin' us on a wild goose chase. I don't want to think he could be mistaken though."

"Well, it seems your fate has been rewarded, look!" Fancy Pants exclaimed, as he pointed a hoof towards a faint glow coming from a chasm near the Castle of the Two Sisters.

"Well I'll be a donkey's uncle!" Braeburn happily cheered, as the five stallions rushed to investigate the source and sure enough they saw the faint outline of the very tree Shining had displayed to them. Sure, it didn't look as majestic as it had in the picture, and it was covered with those ugly black vines, but at least it existed. "Finally, somethin's goin' right for us!" Braeburn added.

Soarin let out a gasp! "It _does_ exist! But how can this be?! I'm pretty sure that tree wasn't there before!"

"It doesn't matter if it there before or not, what matters is that we found it!" Fancy Pants commented. "Now the question is: How do we get to it?"

Braeburn giggled and pointed a hoof. "Simple, we take the stairs."

"Ah, how convenient. It's almost as if somepony left them there on purpose." Thunderlane observed, as he and the other stallions made their way down into the gorge where the tree was located.

* * *

Upon reaching the tree, the five stallions were treated to a very frightening sight! The black vines were practically choking the life out of the tree!

"Oh no, I think it might be dying!" Thunderlane gasped!

"Then we've got no time to lose, it's time to start savin' it!" Big Macintosh vowed, and immediately sprang into action! He grabbed a vine with his teeth and tried to yank it away, but it wouldn't budge! In fact, another vine quickly sprang up and knocked Big Macintosh away!

"Uh, what's the plan?" Thunderlane asked.

"Simple, we'll try from the air!" Soarin boasted! "Let's see those vines try to stop me!" But as if the vines had heard what Soarin had said, they somehow sprang up taller, grabbed Soarin, and threw him to the ground! Fortunately, he wasn't hurt.

"Seriously, what's the plan? We need one if we're going to save the tree." Thunderlane asked his friends, hoping one of them would have something helpful.

"We'll just have to wing it!" Braeburn suggested. "Thunderlane! Fancy Pants! With me, now! Three heads oughta be enough to teach them no good vines a thing or two!"

Fancy Pants and Thunderlane quickly joined Braeburn in grabbing a vine by the teeth, and Thunderlane even tried to flap his wings for extra strength and support! But alas, much like Big Macintosh and Soarin's attempts, another vine quickly stopped them in their tracks and knocked them away!

"Well, we get points for trying most valiantly, but alas that tree remains in jeopardy." Fancy Pants sighed, brushing the dirt off of his coat while he helped Thunderlane to stand up.

"And I suppose you've got a better idea?" Big Macintosh asked, glaring ever so slightly at Fancy Pants. Fancy Pants said nothing. "That's what I thought." Big Macintosh said with a huff.

But Thunderlane quickly defused the tension by sadly commenting. "If Shining were here, he wouldn't let us charge in headlong without a plan. He would probably know what to do, but we sent him away."

That comment touched off massive feelings of guilt in all five stallions present, especially Soarin and Big Macintosh who were quick to butt heads!

"This is exactly why we Wonderbolts abide by the creed 'Nopony gets left behind'!" Soarin angrily shouted. "If I was in charge Shining would've come along with us whether he liked it or not. So who cares if supposedly he's not the chosen one?! I thought he of all ponies didn't believe destiny was set in stone, especially after he freed us all from that cutie mark swap!"

"We all agreed it was for the best, Soarin!" Big Macintosh retorted. "What would we have accomplished dragin' Shining along kickin' and screamin'? I've come to learn the hard way that when a pony's that stubborn and down on themselves, there anythin' you can do for 'em, they're stuck like a wagon with a missin' wheel!"

Before Soarin could think of a response, Spike came tumbling down the stairs behind the stallions, all of whom rushed to the dragon's aide at once! Spike quickly stood up, he was out of breath and looked quite bruised and battered, but he didn't care! Panting heavily he shouted! "Shining's in trouble, you've got to save him before he becomes plant food!"

"Where was he when you last saw him?!" Fancy Pants asked.

"A ways over, I could only see you guys because of a really tall vine!" Spike explained, still panting. "Please, you're his only hope!"

* * *

Shining found himself growing weak and disoriented, as the dust the vicious plants were spraying on him overwhelmed his senses. " _Beaten by plants, not quite the way I thought I'd go out._ " He thought to himself, as he found it hard to keep his eyes open.

But then, suddenly, Shining heard one of the plants give out a painful screech! In spite of his blurry vision, Shining was able to make out the faint trace of a lasso and realized who it belonged to. "Guys." He weakly cried out.

"Alright you rabid rhododendrons! You listen and you listen good!" Big Macintosh said in a low but firm tone of voice. "'Round these here parts, if you mess with one of us, you mess with _all_ of us!"

The five stallions quickly set to work on taking out the plants that had attacked Shining and had been planning to finish him off and consume him. Now freed from the painful dust clouds and their crippling effects, Shining's sense were quick to recover. "Thanks guys." He called, as he joined the fight.

Using their wits (and in Shining and Fancy Pants cases' their horns) the six stallions effortlessly defeated the vicious plant crabs and tied them up, rendering them useless and ensuring they'd never again threaten anypony. Even Spike breathed a sigh of relief when the danger had passed.

"I sure am glad you came back to look for us," Big Macintosh said to Shining, embracing him with open hooves. "We're glad to have you with us again."

"Probably not as glad as I am that you found and rescued me when you did," Shining replied. "For a moment there, I thought for sure those plants were going to kill me!"

"That would have been most unfortunate," Fancy Pants commented. "Because the truth of the matter is, we're simply lost without you, Shining Armor. Chosen one or not, we need your help to save the Tree of Harmony, it's about to die!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's save it already!" Shining demanded. "Equestria may need its only alicorn prince, but it's clear you guys need your friend and trusted leader! So who cares what that the Tree of Harmony says?! Destiny will just have to accept that I'm the one wielding the Element of Magic!" And, now reunited, the six stallions and Spike, raced back to the Tree of Harmony! Hopefully, they would be in time!

* * *

Shining attempted to inspect the Tree of Harmony and clear away the vines, but even his alicorn magic proved to be unable to stop them. If he managed to get one vine to release its grip ever so slightly, it was only for a second or two, then it would latch on tighter. It didn't help that some of the other vines tried to grab him like they had done to the others. Shining broke free pretty easily, but it was clear that brute force alone wouldn't get the vines to budge.

It was then that Shining recalled what he had seen Princess Celestia state during the flashback that had revealed the Tree of Harmony as the source of the out of control Everfree Forest. "Even without these elements, the Tree of Harmony will still possess a powerful magic. And as long as that magic remains, it will continue to control and contain all that grows here."

A reluctant realization came to Shining at that very moment, there was only one way to save the Tree of Harmony. "I know how we can save the tree, but you guys won't like it," He glumly told them, and pointed to his crown that bore the Element of Magic. "We have to give the Elements of Harmony back to their original resting place, the tree."

Needless to say, this prompted shocked face and gasps from all of Shining's friends. "Are you crazy?!" Soarin asked Shining. "If we give up the elements, how are we supposed to protect Equestria the next time some evil force comes along?"

"And what about Discord?" Fancy Pants added. "If he goes rogue how are we supposed to stop him if we don't have the elements to turn him back to stone? Our friendship with him is very shaky, all it may take to set him off is one incident."

"I know they ain't what kept us together or even brought us together," Big Macintosh commented, looking at his necklace. "But are you sure givin' them back to the Tree of Harmony is absolutely necessary? It's a very big risk, and if it fails, Equestria's last line of defense will be gone."

Shining tried to nod as firmly as he could. "It's what we must do, it's the only thing I can think of that will save the Tree of Harmony's life. Besides, our friendship is stronger and more important than any kind of magic in Equestria! My new role in Equestria may mean that I have to take on new responsibilities, and that our friendships may be tested, but they will never, _ever_ be broken, no matter what! Now there's no time left to lose, that tree looks like it could die at any second! Is everypony ready?!"

Reluctantly, the five stallions nodded. "Ready!" They replied, and they watched anxiously as Shining removed the gemstones that the Elements of Harmony had originally existed as from their necklaces. Shining then took the gemstone for the Element of Magic out of his crown, and let all six circle around him, forming a powerful ring of magical energy!

But the vines weren't about to let Shining just give back the elements, they were determined to drain the last bit of life from the Tree of Harmony! So they reached out and grabbed Shining, stopping him in mid-flight! Everyone gasped!

Shining groaned as his horn strained itself to the breaking point! " _Come on, only got one shot at this! Please, let this work!_ " He mentally pleaded, as one by one he returned all of the elements to their designated place on the tree. When he placed the last one, the Element of Magic, in the very center of the tree, a powerful and blinding surge of magic immediately rushed past with a loud "Whoosh!" Completely obliterating the vines around Shining, and then going on to do the same for the rest of the vines, both surrounding the tree and all over Equestria.

Even Discord became aware of the vines being destroyed, as he had been using one as a makeshift lawn chair to relax on, before the surge of elemental magic destroyed the vine and sent Discord crashing to the ground with a thud. "Oh, poo. Ain't that just the way? You finally get in the mood to relax and it all gets taken away."

* * *

As it turned out, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had been held hostage by the vines the entire time. Two sets of vines resting on either side of the Tree of Harmony had served as their prisons. And with them destroyed, the two royal sisters were free once again, much to everypony's relief!

Shining immediately rushed up to the two alicorns as soon as his hooves touched solid ground, words could not express how much he was glad to see them! "You're okay!" He happily exclaimed.

"We know how difficult it must have been for you to give up the Elements, Shining. But know that it took great courage to relinquish them," Princess Celestia told the young alicorn prince. "And look, after all that doubt you carried, it would seem the Tree of Harmony has changed!"

Shining looked up and gasped at what he saw! Where his sister's cutie mark had previously been displayed on the tree as a six point star, that star had now been encased inside a shield with three other stars surrounding it. "Why did it change? It wasn't there before." Shining pondered.

"I suppose the tree sensed how much you had to overcome on a personal level in order to come here and save it, and it decided to reward the one who was chosen to wield the Element of Magic." Princess Luna observed.

"That would make sense," Shining replied with a smile, and then as he looked at his friends he added. "Even if this means that we can never use the Elements of Harmony ever again, at least we saved the world one last time." However, just seconds after he had finished saying that, he was quite surprised to see a small six sided chest pop up from a small white flower at the base of the tree.

Curiously, Shining ran over and inspected it, finding that each side of the chest contained a lock. "What's inside it? How am I supposed to open it?" He wondered out loud.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna looked over the chest as well and examined it carefully, but neither of them seemed to have any idea of what it was or where the keys to unlock it where. Princess Luna simply reiterated an obvious observation when she said. "Six locks, six keys."

"I do not know where those keys might be or how you will obtain them. But I do know that the mystery of the chest is a mystery you will not be solving alone. I sense that you and your friends will find them in due time, and that what you will unlock will once again change your lives," Princess Celestia told Shining. "Now come, we must leave the forest at once."


	77. Chapter 77: The Big Finish

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna left the Everfree Forest with a flap of their wings, they had a lot of work ahead of them to get the sun and moon back into their proper places and restore order in Canterlot.

Shining and his friends lingered in the forest for a bit, and when they found that Zecora's hut had not been damaged by the black vines and that the zebra had already returned to her home, they were quite relieved.

At last, the group of seven departed the Everfree Forest. Discord was there to greet them, with much fanfare! Banners and streamers popped up and were soon everywhere, and in the midst of it all stood Discord himself sporting a foam finger. "Bravo, my good sirs, bravo! This is like, what, the fifth time now you've saved all of Equestria? That's definitely one up on old Lu-Lu and Cay-Cay, or Moonbutt and Sunbutt as I used to call them. They always seemed to take offense to that for some odd reason." Discord remarked.

"Yes, it's us again, Discord. And indeed, we've saved the day." Thunderlane replied. He had to admit, he was starting to see what Fluttershy had found in Discord, in a way the mischievous spirit reminded Thunderlane a lot of Rumble.

"So, how did you manage to save the day this time? If you don't mind a guy asking?" Discord spoke up. "Blast the baddie with your magic necklaces, I presume?" Discord made himself smaller, almost like a fairy, as he then inspected each of the stallions personally and took notice of something. "Where are those little trinkets of yours anyways? You know, the ones that you were going to use to send me back to my extremely uncomfortable stone prison?"

Big Macintosh sighed. "First of all, we never said we were gonna do that, so don't go puttin' words in our mouth. And second, I guess you'd have found out sooner or later, but the Elements are gone."

"Gone?" Discord asked, sounding quite surprised at the fact, as he returned to normal. Then he realized what the lack of controlling elements meant. " _Gone_?" He pondered, smirking ever so slightly.

Thunderlane quickly spoke up to silence any thoughts of evil Discord might have. "Yes, but our friendship remains. And if you want to remain friends, then you'll stop thinking whatever it is you're thinking now and help us clean up. After all, what would Fluttershy say if she found out you were having second thoughts about being reformed?" As he spoke Thunderlane tried not to take notice of the fact that Discord was slowly shrinking back down.

"It's just like you to make a guy like me feel small," Discord complained. "But you're right, I suppose the least I can do is clean up this mess, and I really don't want to lose our friendship," Dawning a maid outfit he then remarked. "But just a quick f.y.i, I don't do windows. Got it?"

"You know, there's one thing I still don't understand." Soarin commented, as the group of friends made their way back into town.

"What's that?" Braeburn innocently asked.

"Why did this all have to happen now?" Soarin pondered. "Doesn't it seem a little odd that the tree would come under attack now, as opposed to much earlier?"

Much to the surprise of everyone, Discord spoke up and said. "I have no idea, your guess is as good as mine. Those seeds that I planted should have sprouted up ages ago."

Shining shook his head while hoping that he'd somehow misheard things, he hadn't. "What did you say?" He asked Discord, while trying to keep his anger under control.

Discord stopped in his tracks and laughed. "Oh, why should I try to explain it when you can just see it for yourself?"

"What are you-" Shining began, but the rest of his sentence was cut off as Discord snapped his fingers and caused Shining to drink the last of Zecora's memory potion.

* * *

This time, when the flash faded, Shining found himself rewatching Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's battle with Discord.

"Playtime is over for you, Discord. The citizens of Equestria have spoken, and they're sick of your games." Celestia declared in a serious tone, repeating the very same line she'd said in the previous flashback.

Just like last time, it appeared that Discord was not concerned. He just munched on a bag of seeds he seemed to have pulled out of thin air, but this time it was obvious the seeds weren't just for a snack. "Oh, I doubt that very much," Discord commented in the same mocking tone as before, while he eat a pawful of seeds every few seconds. "Hungry?" He asked the two alicorns, as he randomly tossed the seeds for what were likely the plants that would later afflict the Tree of Harmony all about. A few of the seeds succeeded in hitting the two alicorns in the face. "No? Oh well, suit yourselves. Now let's make this quick, shall we? We all know you can't beat me, but by all means go ahead and try. It isn't often I find a good set of punching bags."

Shining then watched as Discord was quickly defeated again, but this time the memory didn't transition to Celestia and Luna discovering the Tree of Harmony. Instead, Discord began to narrate as Shining watched the seeds sink into the ground. "Well, obviously things didn't quite go according to my original plan," He narrated to Shining. "As you can see, things went sideways in the most colossal way they could have. I didn't realize until too late that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna weren't fooling around, but I still intended to have the last laugh."

"Is that where the seeds come in?" Shining asked, even though he was certain of the answer.

"Hey, did you read the script?! You know that's cheating!" Discord quipped, before he continued narrating. "Those plunderseeds I planted in the ground should have sprung up, stolen the magic from the Tree of Harmony, and captured Princess Celestia and Princess Luna thousands of years ago. But alas, nothing happened, and for the longest time I thought they were duds. It seems that somehow, the tree had magic even without the Elements to protect it. Enough to keep the plunderseeds from growing up big and strong. Until now, that is. Better late than never I guess."

And that comment from Discord was followed by another blinding flash that announced the end of the flashback, and the return to the present.

Once back in the present, Shining quickly came to his sense and cleared his head. Then he looked at Discord with narrowed eyes. "You DO realize that this is vital information that my friends and I could've used hours ago, right?!" He asked.

Discord pinched Shining's cheeks before anyone could say anything else. "And rob you of a valuable lesson about being an alicorn prince? Oh Shining Armor, what kind of friend do you think I am?" He teased.

"I don't recall asking for your 'lessons', that was truly a sink or swim moment!" Shining snapped. "After all that talk about how Princess Celestia sits on the sidelines when she could easily solve a problem herself, you go and do the same thing here!"

"You'd make a great politician, you know that?!" Fancy Pants added.

Discord shrugged off the complaints. "Oh sure, everypony's a critic these days. Honestly, politics is an arena even I'd prefer to stay out of it, it's far too chaotic even for my tastes. And in regards to those plunder seeds, how does 'I forgot' hold up?"

"You expect us to believe that?" Shining skeptically asked.

"Hey, I'm being serious!" Discord protested. "I got those plunderseeds from some mysterious cloaked figure, he said they were magical and I asked him 'How magical?'. And do you know what he told me?"

"What?" The six stallions and Spike all asked.

"He told me 'More magical than meets the eye.' and that was it, he took some bits I got off a random pony and disappeared," Discord replied. "And I never saw him again. Honestly, I thought he was pulling my leg, but then I figured 'Well, what have I got to lose? At least they taste good.'."

"Likely story, pal," Soarin remarked. "You'd better watch it. If we have to we'll take the Elements off the Tree of Harmony and turn you back to stone. So don't give us a reason to have to do it."

"Whatever," Discord shrugged. "Don't you all have some kind of festival to attend or something?"

"The Summer Sun Celebration!" Shining realized. "I still haven't perfected my big finish!"

"Hey, don't sweat it," Soarin commented. "Just do the best you can out there. Big finish or not, you're still our friend."

* * *

Shining returned to Canterlot as soon as it was safe to do so, and with the return of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Flash Sentry gladly relinquished his power. But before he returned to the Crystal Empire he told Shining. "You just say the word and I'll gladly accompany you on any journey, captain."

" _Ah, Flash, you remind me so much of myself when I was the youngest recruit in the Royal Guard,_ " Shining thought with a sigh. " _If only you knew. As much as I harp on you, I actually quite like you. I like a guy with the guts to do what's right, even if it costs him personally. Who knows? Someday you might just take my place as Captain._ _ **Someday**_ _._ "

But Shining's thoughts were soon consumed by another important individual, the remaining alicorn and his loving wife, Princess Cadence. With the danger lifted, the guard were willing to let her travel to Canterlot for the Summer Sun Celebration. And naturally, when Cadence learned about what had happened while she was away, she had quite a bit to say to her husband. "Shining, you really must learn not to doubt yourself so much," She scolded lightly. "Ponies will look to you evermore for guidance, and should anything ever happen to my aunts and I, you will be expected to take charge and lead."

"I'm aware of that, Cadence," Shining sighed. "I still can't believe I was so thick headed and dumb."

But Cadence just put a wing around Shining and told him. "You're not perfect, nopony is. You saw it yourself, even my aunts Celestia and Luna have made mistakes. And you also saw what happened when they tried to keep their mistakes concealed and covered them up. You have friends, family, _and_ a loving wife. And all of them are willing to help if you just let them. Being an alicorn comes with a lot of responsibilities, it gives you a lot but it also takes a lot away. However, I also hope you realize that there are some things that will never change. You may now have wings, but you're still the same pony so many know and love on the inside. So all anypony can ask for, is for you to be the best you can be."

Shining smiled, a single tear of liquid pride dripped down his cheek. He quickly brushed it aside. "Thanks, Cadence. I needed to hear that."

Cadence smiled and nodded. "Anytime. Now, good luck out there. I don't know what your big finish is going to be, but I know it's going to be spectacular!"

"Huh, but I'm not prepared. I haven't actually perfected what I'm going to do." Shining said with confusion.

Cadence only winked. "You don't need to practice, it'll come naturally. Just think about what's important to you."

Before Shining had a chance to ask Cadence what she meant, it was time for the Summer Sun Celebration to begin. And as always, the celebration kicked off with much fanfare from the trumpets.

Princess Celestia stepped out onto the podium and spoke directly to the citizens of Canterlot (as well as those from out of town who had come to attend the celebration). "Citizens of Equestria, it is no longer with a heavy heart but with great joy that I raise the summer sun for you," She told them, then waited for the applause to die down a little before she continued. "For this celebration now represents not my defeat of the wicked Nightmare Moon, but the return of my sister, Princess Luna."

Princess Luna stepped out onto the podium and stood next to her sister. She spoke only briefly, this day still carried a good deal of emotional baggage for her, due to the Nightmare Moon incident. "Thank you all for your attendance, and I look forward to interacting with you when you come to the royal palace. And I pray that, in time, you will come to see me as my sister saw me. Not a princess of darkness, but your beloved Princess of the Night." The crowd burst into thunderous applause and a deafly chorus of cheers and whistles!

The two alicorn sisters said nothing more, they just stood at each other side and winked. Then, Princess Luna flew up to the symbol depicting a crescent moon and lit up her horn, the moon slowly lowered. Princess Celestia then flew up to the symbol depicting a sun and lit up her horn, the sun began to rise.

Taking that as a sign to proceed, Shining took off at a breakneck speed. Any doubts he may have had about his flying abilities or what he would do for the Summer Sun Celebration were non-existent, he just focused on what was important to him, the ones he had risked everything for on so many occasions. Then, he lit up his horn! A powerful boom echoed through the early morning sky, as a giant blue shield like symbol blasted through in his wake. All the ponies watching in the audience were amazed, Shining's friends especially.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna watched, as Shining landed and stood next to them. His new crown shone brightly in the summer sun's rays, neatly complimenting the headpiece Cadence and the royal sisters were wearing.

Shining smiled brightly. Right now his mind wasn't focused on keys, or chests, or anything of that sort. Right now, he was just focused on the fact that he and his friends had restored harmony to Equestria once again. But a nagging thought still lingered in the back of his mind. " _Just who was it that gave Discord those plunderseeds?_ "


	78. Chapter 78: Castle Calamity

A few days had passed since the rather eventful Summer Sun Celebration in Canterlot, but Shining Armor found that despite the restoration of harmony, he couldn't sleep. That mysterious six sided chest that had sprouted up from the Tree of Harmony nagged at his every thought, refusing to let him be. Night after night he tossed and turned in his bed at the Crystal Empire, as he kept asking himself. "What's in that chest?"

At last, Shining knew there was only one way to satisfy his curiosity, he'd have to do some research and see if there was anything that could tell him what the chest was and how he was supposed to open it. And so it was that the young alicorn prince was strutting about the royal archives in the crystal castle, searching in vain for any leads on the chest, growing steadily more frustrated as he failed to find anything.

Flash Sentry had the great misfortune to come in, just as Shining was furiously tossing another book clean across the room and causing it to smack against the wall with a loud thud! "Captain, you okay?" Flash nervously asked, barely ducking under what would've been a direct hit. "I've never seen you this frustrated before."

Shining slowly turned to face Flash, and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Flash. It's just... I've been searching for answers to that mysterious chest, and I've found nothing. No clues as to what it is, what's inside it, or how to unlock it! But something tells me unlocking it is more important than ever! I mean, why else would the Tree of Harmony make it sprout up?"

"Honestly, I don't know. And if you want my personal opinion, I don't think it's worth getting all worked up over," Flash replied. "I'm sure the keys will turn up eventually, and for all you know that chest could be a dud."

"But what if it isn't? What if whatever's inside it is intended to replace the Elements of Harmony?" Shining wondered. "With the elements gone, my friends and I lost the only failsafe protecting Equestria should something go horribly wrong. It's imperative we find a replacement as soon as possible," With a sigh he then added. "I just wish I knew where else to look. My sister's searched through every book in Ponyville, and even she hasn't found any leads. I'm running out of options."

Just then, as if to answer Shining's prayers, a scroll materialized in a light green swirl. Unfolding it, Shining read the message written on the paper:

 _My Dearest Captain Armor,_

 _Your sister has informed me of your research into the mysterious chest from the Tree of Harmony, and your failure to find any leads. And while it would be lovely to have you both come back to Canterlot and assist me in my search in the royal archives, I have an alternative solution in mind._

 _You know of the castle I once shared with my sister, and how it mostly lays in ruins deep in the Everfree Forest?_

 _Well, I believe that somewhere what is left of the castle's library, there might be a book or scroll that will provide you with the answers you desire. As it is, I cannot abandon my royal duties for what could be a royal goose chase, but I suggest that you try the library in the Castle of the Two Sisters. With any luck, it will contain what you need._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Princess Celestia_

Shining barely resisted the urge to slap himself, how could he have forgotten about the Castle of the Two Sisters?! "Well, looks like I'd better get down to the train station right away! Flying all the way to the Everfree Forest would be impossible! I should probably write to Twily and let her know I might need to crash at her place for a couple of days."

"What about me, Captain?" Flash eagerly asked.

"You're going to stay right here, and this time you're not to leave the empire no matter what!" Shining instructed quite firmly. "Disobey me again, and I _will_ have you court martialed! Do I make myself clear?!"

"Captain, for the last time, your wife gave me permission!" Flash protested. "Besides, surely you're not crazy! After all those lectures you gave to the guards about using the buddy system and never going off on your own, you're about to break your own rules! I mean, what if something happens to you because I wasn't there to protect you?! You're not all powerful and invincible just because you're an alicorn!"

"I never said I was, and I can't believe I'm having this discussion!" Shining groaned in response. "Flash, please! I can manage just fine on my own, I've been to the castle before, I know my way around!"

"So, why can't I tag along with you?!" Flash demanded. "Two heads are better than one, and we can reduce the time you need to be in that old castle if you let me assist you with your search! I'm not taking no for an answer, captain! If I'd listened to you last time and stayed put, Canterlot would've fallen into chaos and who knows what might have happened?! Like it or not, I'm tagging along! And it's not because I want to see your sister again or because I'm bored or lazy, it's because you need somepony to watch your back whether you admit it or not!"

Shining stared Flash firmly in the eyes, and sighed. Flash was as stubborn as they came, but that's part of why he'd allowed Flash to ascend the ranks and become second in command of the royal guards. A good leader always needed someone to hold them in check and reign them in. "There's no convincing you otherwise, is there?" He reluctantly asked.

"Nope," Flash said with a smirk. "And if you're worried about the guards, you needn't be. You've trained them pretty well, and I think her crystalness, Princess Cadence, can manage just fine in our absences. We'd already be well on our way if we hadn't gotten into this argument."

Reluctantly, Shining was forced to cave in to Flash's demands. "Oh, very well. I suppose you can tag along, just this once. But don't think this is gonna start a precedent or anything, future 'field trips' with me are gonna be given out on a mission by mission basis, and final jurisdiction will rest with me."

"I would expect no less, now let's get going!" Flash replied. "I can't wait to see what the Castle of the Two Sisters looks like!"

* * *

When Flash and Shining finally arrived at the ruins of the old castle, Flash was anything but impressed. The castle was old and decrepit, a good portion of the roof had clearly been destroyed, and the entire building was covered in dust and cobwebs. There was not a sight to be seen, and the only sounds that could be heard was the occasional groan of the rotted wood as it creaked against the faint breeze.

"Wow, I heard stories about the castle, but I didn't think it was _this_ bad," Flash observed, as he and Shining made their way inside. They had to take great care to watch their step, because the entire castle looked like it was barely holding itself together and could fall apart at a moment's notice. "It's a real eyesore, and I've seen my fair share of them over the years. Heck, I've seen better look buildings that have been all but completely demolished."

Shining just laughed. "Well, this castle _has_ been abandoned for decades. Really, what did you except?"

"Not much, but I at least expected a few remnants of glory." Flash commented.

"Well, we didn't come here to make fashion statements, Flash," Shining chuckled. "We're here on a research mission," A short time later, the two stallions managed to find the castle library. It was full of dusty, cobweb infested shelves, all of which were lined with a huge assortment of books that had clearly not been touched in a long time. Shining carefully took a couple of books off the shelf, and began to stack them into a small pile. "Start looking through the books for anything that can help us, Flash. We're probably gonna be here for a while!"

Flash reluctantly obeyed, even though a rather nagging question lingered at the back of his mind. " _Just who or what made all these cobwebs?_ "

* * *

Unknown to Flash and Shining, they were not the only ones who had chosen to visit the castle that day. For at that very moment, Fancy Pants, Thunderlane, and Rumble, were carefully making their way through the Everfree Forest, trotting along the path that led to the Castle of the Two Sisters.

Rumble was most excited, this would be the first time he'd lay eyes on the old castle, something he couldn't wait to brag to his classmates about! And so it was that he was running ahead at a rather fast pace, much to Thunderlane's concern.

"Rumble! Slow down, please!" Thunderlane called out. "Mom and Dad will kill me if I lose track of you."

"Sorry big brother," Rumble apologized, reluctantly reducing his pace to a normal trot. "But I'm just so excited! Wait til I tell my fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders about this, man they're gonna be so jealous!"

Fancy Pants chuckled at Rumble's energy. "Easy young lad, no need to get ahead of yourself. You scare your brother and I half to death as it is with your crusader schemes, sometimes I really wonder what goes through those little heads of yours."

"Hey, you're only young once." Rumble protested.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you can afford to be careless," Thunderlane cautioned, and then to Fancy Pants he asked. "So, why did you insist that I accompany you on a journey to that crumbling old castle. You know it's star spider season."

Fancy Pants nodded. "But you said it yourself, the star spiders won't harm us as long as we stay out of their territory. And getting back to the main subject of discussion, it would seem word has reached Miss. Rarity's ears about the condition of the tapestries in the Castle of the Two Sisters. She has longed for the chance to do some restoration work on them, but with fashion week in Manehattan lurking just around the corner, it's imperative that she remain focused on her new fabric that she'll be debuting at the contest. That contest could easily make or break her career."

"Okay, but that still doesn't explain why you need me," Thunderlane commented, as he, Fancy Pants, and Rumble, carefully made their over the rope bridge leading to the castle. "Seems like you could do this all by yourself."

"Alas, my magic isn't nearly strong enough to lift those heavy tapestries," Fancy Pants reluctantly confessed. "And so I require your assistance in removing them. I should have no trouble taking them back to Carousel Boutique for Fleur and I to work on. It's certainly nothing to sneeze at," Just then, Fancy Pants let out a small sneeze. "Stupid allergies." He muttered.

"Well, that doesn't sound too bad," Thunderlane commented. "We'll just snag the first tapestry we can find and get out, easy peasy," But those words had no sooner left Thunderlane's mouth, when Rumble ran ahead! "Rumble, come back!" He shouted, and raced after him. Fancy Pants sighed, and did the same.

Thunderlane quickly caught up with Rumble in the main room of the castle, and he was quick to scold his younger brother. "You really shouldn't be running off like that, you could get hurt! And this time, I really mean it! This castle is quite dangerous!"

"I'm sorry, big brother, but just look at this place!" Rumble replied, buzzing his wings in excitement. "This would be the perfect place to hold a game of hide and go seek, it'd take ages to find anypony here!"

"This time is certainly no time for games!" Fancy Pants spoke up. "Rumble, you stick close to your brother while he helps me search for a good tapestry to restore. And once I've got it, we're out of here, no ifs, ands, or buts!"

The trio went off to search one of the many hallways of the castle, and thus they were not around to see Shining and Flash walking past, with Shining holding up an entire display of candles with his magic.

"Are all of these really necessary?" Flash commented to his captain. "I mean, why don't we just call it a night and resume our search in the morning?"

"Normally I'd agree with you, Flash, but this is no ordinary research mission," Shining replied. "There's still a whole bunch of books left to get through, and they're going to keep us busy until late into the night, maybe even into the next day."

"Just great." Flash sarcastically remarked to himself, as he and Shining trotted to one of the castle's studies to read.

Just as Shining and Flash had left the main hallway, two more stallions came trotting in, Big Macintosh and Soarin. Though Soarin was quite confused, he'd been invited to the castle by Big Macintosh, but the farm stallion hadn't told him why.

"Ah, here we are, and just in time." Big Macintosh smiled.

Soarin took a look around, the castle somehow seemed even worse for wear this time than it had before. "I don't get it. I mean seriously, why did you ask me to meet you here, Big Macintosh?" He asked. "This place is a dump!"

Big Macintosh just grinned. "I heard you're among the bravest The Wonderbolts have to offer, Soarin."

Soarin quickly brushed off the compliment. "Ah, I'll bet Spitfire told you that. She and I go way back, but truth be told she can sometimes be a tad too boastful for her own good."

With a chuckle Big Macintosh replied. "Maybe, but even so I'd like to see just how brave ya really are! Didn't anypony ever tell ya, this place is haunted!"

"Haunted? Really? Do you seriously expect me to fall for that?" Soarin quipped, rolling his eyes.

But Big Macintosh only laughed somewhat wickedly, as he ominously narrated. "Oh it's haunted alright, Granny Smith used to tell me stories when I was but a little colt. Accordin' to legend, when Nightmare Moon was banished, not every last bit of her dark magic went with her. And Granny used to say, that when night falls on the castle, that magic takes on the form of... _the Pony of Shadows_!"

"Pony of what now?" Soarin remarked. "Sounds to me like you made it up."

"Maybe it is, but then again they say nopony's ever seen the Pony of Shadows, and lived to tell the tale!" Big Macintosh said in a spooky voice.

"Ugh, give me a break," Soarin replied. "If you're trying to scare me, you'll have to do better than that."

Big Macintosh said nothing, he just trotted off somewhere and Soarin followed. Neither of them knowing that any of their friends were in the castle as well.

* * *

After a little bit of wandering around, Fancy Pants, Thunderlane, and Rumble found a tapestry hanging from one of the walls. It depicted Princess Luna as she appeared in various books written about the two sisters prior to Luna's banishment.

Fancy Pants was most impressed. "Ah, perfect! That tapestry will do nicely," He commented, and turned to Thunderlane. "Would you be a dear and take it off the hook for me?"

"Why can't you do it?" Thunderlane commented, eyeing Fancy Pants with suspicion.

"Alas, my magic isn't quite strong enough to move something that heavy from its resting place," Fancy Pants replied with a hint of unhappiness. "Otherwise I'd gladly do it myself."

Thunderlane reluctantly obliged, quickly moving up and trying to take the tapestry off the hook. But it wouldn't budge no matter how hard he tried.

"Maybe try from below?" Fancy Pants suggested, as he watched his friend struggle.

Thunderlane did so, fumbling around beneath the tapestry. But then suddenly, there was an audible clattering sound! Like magic, the entire wall the tapestry was attached to spun around, taking Thunderlane with it! Fancy Pants and Rumble gasped!

As luck would have it, at that very moment, Soarin and Big Macintosh were passing by on the other side of the wall. And they were completely unaware of what was going on.

"I don't see anything daring or brave about some old legend your grandmother made up," Soarin remarked, making it quite clear he didn't believe Big Macintosh's story for a second. "Besides that, I don't really believe in ghosts. Everypony knows there's no such thing."

But Big Macintosh wasn't paying attention to Soarin, he was focusing on the moving tapestry behind the Wonderbolt. "Uh, ya might wanna rethink your position on that, Soarin. Look behind you."

"Oh come on, you expect me to fall for the oldest trick in the book?" Soarin replied. "I'm gonna turn around, there's not gonna be anything, and when I look back you'll be gone. Nice try, but you're gonna have to do better than that to trick me."

However, at that very moment there came an ominous (and quite eerie) wailing sound. Soarin turned his head in time to see the tapestry of Princes Luna that seemed to be moving all by itself! And in a flash of lightning, a shadowy figure seemed to manifest itself before the two stallions!

"Don't believe in ghosts, eh?!" Big Macintosh nervously commented. "Well, whaddya have to say to _that_?!"

Soarin didn't bother trying to respond to Big Macintosh's question, he just shouted "Run!" at the top of his lungs! And both and he and Big Macintosh did so, fleeing from the hallway as fast as their leg (or in Soarin's case wings) would let them!

Just a few seconds after Big Macintosh and Soarin had left, there was another clattering sound and the wall spun back around! Thunderlane flew out from the tapestry and thudded onto the floor in front of Fancy Pants and Rumble. Almost immediately, he felt a small twitch of pain on his left wing. "Ow, I think I might have pulled a muscle or something!" He complained.

"Oh dear," Fancy Pants commented, quickly rushing up to inspect his friend. He examined the wing carefully, while Rumble waited anxiously for news. After a bit of inspection, Fancy Pants spoke up. "Well... I'm no expert on pegasi anatomy, but it's probably best if you stay off that wing as much as possible. I'm terribly sorry, it seems that tapestry was too big and too stuck on there, we'll have to find something smaller." He then set his saddle bag down on the floor, and pulled out a pair of scissors and a roll of brightly colored pink fabric.

"What are you doing?" Thunderlane asked, as he saw Fancy Pants cut a small patch of the fabric off and use his magic to wrap it around Thunderlane's wing.

"I _was_ going to use this fabric in case we got separated, but I figured using a small patch of it for a makeshift cast wouldn't hurt," Fancy Pants explained. "Now come on, we'd best be going. We're not gonna find anything just standing around here."

"O-okay." Thunderlane nodded. He wanted to leave the castle, but he couldn't bring himself to abandon Fancy Pants.

"By the way, where, pray tell, did you disappear to?" Fancy Pants asked Thunderlane, as they trotted along the castle grounds.

"Whatever do you mean? I didn't go anywhere, did I?" Thunderlane replied in confusion.

"We saw it with our own eyes, big brother!" Rumble eagerly explained, recalling every detail effortlessly. "It was like all of a sudden, the wall just spun around and took you and the tapestry with it! And then, a few seconds later, you came back! Like 'Poof!' you're gone, and 'Poof!' you're back!"

"Indeed, somehow you must've triggered a secret door or something." Fancy Pants concluded.

"A secret door? Oh my, I'm sorry." Thunderlane apologized, though he wasn't sure what he was sorry for.

"It's alright, it's probably a part of castle security," Fancy Pants reassured his friend with a gentle pat on his uninjured wing. "No castle would be complete without some kind of security system. Chances are. in a place like this, there's bound to bobby traps."

Thunderlane gulped. "Y-you think so?"

Fancy Pants nodded, even though he knew the answer would make Thunderlane nervous. "Absolutely. And therefore, we must use the utmost care as we—" But the rest of his sentence was cut off, as a sudden clunk sound was heard, before the floor suddenly and without warning opened up! Before either Fancy Pants or Thunderlane had a chance to realize what would happen, they plunged into darkness!

"Big brother?! Mr. Fancy Pants?!" Rumble called, as he turned around. He just now realized he'd accidentally stepped onto some kind of switch that had triggered a trap door. There was no response from either of them! Rumble immediately began to panic! "S...stay there, guys! I'll... I'll go get help!" He shouted, and ran off as fast as he could! Of course, Rumble didn't know if there was actually anypony around that could help him, but at the moment all he could think about was finding a way out of the castle!

* * *

While Rumble was dashing about the castle in a mad search for the exit or somepony who could help him, Soarin and Big Macintosh were still running away from what they thought had been the Pony of Shadows.

"Alright, so _maybe_ the legend is true after all!" Soarin reluctantly admitted.

While still running, Big Macintosh smiled. "And now you know why I brought ya here, Soarin! This is the true test of bravery! Only the most darin' pony of all time could stay in this here castle all night long without bein' scared off."

Soarin skidded to a halt, as he touched down on the ground in front of Big Macintosh. "Whoa, hold up a second! You trying to sucker me into a game of chicken?! I ain't playing that game, no way, no how!"

"Givin' up already?" Big Macintosh teased, hoping to press Soarin's buttons a bit. "And here I thought you were brave. Guess you really _do_ scare easily."

"Scared? I'm not scared! You want me to play your little game? Fine, I'll play it!" Soarin firmly declared. "I don't scare easily, you know! You gotta be brave to be a Wonderbolt!"

"I don't doubt that for a second, but I don't scare easily either!" Big Macintosh replied. "So, do we have a contest or what?"

"You're on!" Soarin boldly announced, a big smile forming on his face. "Whoever stays in the castle the longest is the Most Daring Pony, and gets all the bragging rights associated with it."

"You got yourself a deal!" Big Macintosh declared, and he and Soarin bumped hooves in agreement.

"But just so you know, it's gonna take a whole lot more than some shadowy ghost pony to get _me_ to leave." Soarin firmly declared.

"Same goes for me!" Big Macintosh replied, and the two friends set off. If they had been looking, they might have seen one of the nearby paintings move its eyes ever so slightly.

* * *

Shining Armor and Flash Sentry weren't aware of anything that was going on in the castle, they were too busy reading through all the books they'd obtained in the hopes that one of them might contain information about the mysterious six sided chest. And so, they were currently relaxing in the dusty old study, the only source of light being the stand of candles Shining had lit up earlier.

"Did you find anything yet, Flash?" Shining asked, looking up from the book he was currently reading.

Flash shook his head, setting yet another book aside. "No, nothing yet. I'm starting to think this is a dead end, captain."

"We can't give up yet, Flash! If there's even the slightest chance one of these books contains what we're looking for, we've got to keep searching!" Shining said seriously.

But before either Shining or Flash could resume reading, there came the sound of frantic hoofsteps and rather urgent panting. And then, suddenly, who should come running out from the darkness but Rumble?! He practically leaped into the lap of Flash Sentry, giving the pegasus stallion quite the fright!

"Rumble?! What are you doing here?" Shining immediately asked. "And why isn't Thunderlane or somepony else with you?! This castle is far too dangerous for a little pony like you to be wandering about alone!"

"Big brother and Mr. Fancy Pants came here with me, and I made them disappear!" Rumble blurted out! "I stepped on some kind of switch or something and they fell down a trap door, and I don't know where they are!"

"Calm down, Rumble!" Flash cautioned, as he lightly patted the colt on the head, while inadvertently pressing a switch that caused the bookcase in front of them to move. Shining, Flash, and Rumble could hardly believe their eyes, as the bookcase moved back to reveal a lone room with a book resting on some sort of stand.

Shining's curiosity getting the best of him, he carefully trotted close to the display stand and took the book off it with his magic. "'The Journal of The Two Sisters'," He read outloud, then gasped! "Perhaps _this_ is the book Princess Celestia had in mind when she sent us here!"

"Well, that's great and all, but what about Rumble?" Flash asked. "The poor kid looks like he's scared out of his wits."

Carefully holding the book with his magic, Shining trotted over to Rumble and kindly but firmly told him. "Rumble, please take us to where you last saw Thunderlane and Fancy Pants. Maybe we can find a clue that'll tell us what happened to them."

"O-okay, but no promises, I don't really remember the way." Rumble confessed, as he reluctantly led Shining and Flash out of the castle study.

* * *

Meanwhile, Big Macintosh and Soarin were exploring a different part of the castle. They'd managed to somehow stumble across a spiraling staircase that led down into an unknown location obscured by the darkness.

Soarin couldn't resist the obvious tease. "I sure hope you're not scared of the dark, Big Macintosh."

"I ain't gonna bother answerin' that," Big Macintosh snorted in response, as he made his way down the stairs while Soarin floated down after him. "But assumin' I was, I'm sure I'd be at least fifty percent less scared of it than you are, Soarin."

"Well you'd better check your math, 'cause I'm not scared at all!" Soarin protested.

"Well, I ain't either!" Big Macintosh replied, as he reached the bottom of the stairs just as Soarin landed beside him. But what the two stallions saw, was enough to unnerve them, just a little. They found themselves facing down a dark hallway with the only source of light coming from torches that were held by a series of random hooves that looked like they'd once belonged to somepony.

Soarin reluctantly broke the silence. "W-what's the matter, Big Macintosh? There's nothing to be scared of. It's just a dark hallway full of... disembodied pony legs."

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh gulped. "There's absolutely nothin'... creepy about that. Eenope."

"R-right," Soarin replied, as he used his wings to cover his face a bit. "Well, guess I'll go ahead. No funny business though, you hear?!"

"W-wouldn't... dream of it." Big Macintosh stuttered, as he followed Soarin down the hallway. Neither stallion was willing to admit just how much they were disturbed by what they saw.

* * *

Fancy Pants was able to light up the darkness with his horn, but he was anything but happy with his current situation. "You know, I'm starting to wonder if maybe this castle doesn't want my expertise after all!" He complained. "Seriously, Thunderlane, how _do_ we get into these situations?"

Thunderlane sighed. "Your guess is as good as mine," Then his thoughts turned to his little brother. "Say, did you see Rumble at all?!"

Fancy Pants shook his head. "I don't think he made the trip down with us. In fact, as much as it pains me to say this, I think he's the reason we ended up here. He must've pressed a switch or something."

Thunderlane gasped, he'd been hoping for the alternative! "We've got to find him, Fancy Pants! If we don't, my parents will kill me! Rumble's supposed to be my responsibility, and there's no telling what could happen to him here!"

"First thing's first, we've got to find a way out of... whatever this place is," Fancy Pants commented, then his eyes fell upon a hole that was just big enough to fit a hoof through. "Hmm.. what do we have here?" He pondered, as he stuck his hoof through the hole and began to search for anything that felt like a switch or a lever.

Unknown to Fancy Pants, the hole he'd stuck his hoof through just so happened to be part of the very hallway full of detached pony hooves that Big Macintosh and Soarin were currently trotting through. Of course, since neither of them were aware of Fancy Pants' existence, Soarin didn't realize who's hoof he was feeling when it suddenly touched him. With a smug grin, he said out loud. "Big Mac, you know if you're scared you can just admit it. You don't need to put your hoof around me."

"Um, I'm over here, Soarin." Big Macintosh nervously called, prompting Soarin to note that the farm stallion was a good distance away and thus wouldn't be able to put his hoof around him at all.

Soarin gulped, as he felt a chill run down his spine. "Wait, if you're over there... then whose hoof is touching my back?" Of course, he didn't need to wait for a response, he quickly realized what that must mean. And with a scream, he and Big Macintosh took off running as fast as they could!

Fancy Pants let out a gasp, as he pulled his hoof back! "I felt something... alive!" He commented to Thunderlane.

"Rumble?!" Thunderlane exclaimed with a gasp, as he stuck his hoof out and tried to feel for something. He ended up pulling on the disembodied pony hoof on the other side wall, prompting it to spin around and deposit both him and Fancy Pants in the hallway.

"Well, this has certainly been an 'experience' to say the least," Fancy Pants dryly remarked. "But I for one have had just about enough of all these secret passages, mysterious presences, and an unappreciative castle!"

"But we can't leave yet, not until we've found Rumble!" Thunderlane insisted! "We don't know where he is or what's happened to him!"

"I was just about to suggest that," Fancy Pants replied, he hated seeing Thunderlane upset. "Come on, we're not going to find him just standing around here."

* * *

Rumble lead Shining Armor and Flash Sentry to the best of his ability, but he unfortunately he couldn't find where he'd been standing when he'd triggered the trap door.

"It's no good, Rumble," Shining concluded at last. "We need to go back to the study before we too get lost. We're not going to be of any help to anypony if we keep going around in circles."

"B-but... but my big brother's down there somewhere, and so is Mr. Fancy Pants!" Rumble protested, tears starting to form in his eyes. "We've got to find them, we've just got to!"

Much to Shining's surprise, Flash instinctively reached out a wing and wrapped Rumble in it. Then, in a gentle and calming tone he told the young colt. "Don't you worry, I'm sure wherever your brother and Fancy Pants are, they're safe. They're big ponies, they can take care of themselves. I promise you we'll find them first thing in the morning if they still haven't turned up, okay?"

"Okay." Rumble calmly replied, feeling a little bit better about the situation now.

Flash smiled, and ended the wing hug. "There's a good colt. Now come along, you'll be safe with us rather than trying to search on your own."

"Guess you're right, and I'm sure my big brother's looking for me," Rumble nodded. Then shooting Flash his best pair of puppy dog eyes he asked. "Is it okay if I hold your hoof? Just to be sure you're by my side no matter what."

Flash warmly smiled and told Rumble. "Of course." He extended his hoof out, and Rumble gladly accepted it.

As he lead Flash and Rumble back to the study, Shining commented to Flash. "I never knew you were so good with kids, Flash."

Flash just chuckled. "Well, you're the not only who grew up with a sibling. In my case though, I was the younger brother. However, I got a chance to get some hooves on experience with kids with my niece. She lives here in Ponyville."

"You never told me you had a niece," Shining replied, though he knew he'd never really asked. "What's her name?"

"Scootaloo," Flash smiled. "Her mom, Dizzy Twister, just happens to be my big sister. That's part of the reason why I wanted to accompany you here, I was hoping we'd get to spend a little time in Ponyville, and I'd get a chance to see how my favorite niece is doing."

"Hey, that's the same Scootaloo that's part of the Cutie Mark Crusaders group that I'm a part of!" Rumble realized. "Oh, this is so cool! I get to be pals with the niece of a royal guard!"

"Yeah, but of course she doesn't like to talk about me much. Because I'm that crazy uncle who always loves to act like a goofball, or at least that's how she puts it," Flash chuckled. "Can't help myself though, something about her just brings out that inner child in me."

Shining and Rumble snickered quietly as Flash blushed, but neither said a word and the rest of their journey back to the study passed in silence.

Once safely back in the study, however, Shining waited until Rumble and Flash were comfortable, before he began to read from the journal he'd obtained earlier. Soon, he commented to Flash. "Hey, get a load of this," And he read outloud the following journal entry from Princess Celestia. "I just love to duck behind the paintings, and although the Hall of Hooves still gives her a bit of a fright, the trap door slide is Luna's favorite."

"'Hall of Hooves'?" Flash wondered. "Sounds like somepony had a rather creepy sense of humor."

Shining continued to read outloud. "Soon the Organ to the Outside will be finished. I can hardly wait, it'll be just the thing to make this castle even livelier."

"Uh, what's the 'Organ to the Outside'?" Flash commented. "I haven't heard any organ music yet."

* * *

But unknown to Flash, there _was_ an organ! And at that very moment, a cloaked figure was playing away on it, the music echoing through the hallways!

Big Macintosh and Soarin were the first ones to hear it, as they passed right by the room that housed the organ. Upon hearing the rather unsettling and ominous music, they both came to a stop!

"Do you hear that?" Big Macintosh asked Soarin, even though he knew the question was rhetorical in nature.

"Silly, of course I hear that!" Soarin protested. "It's the... creepy sound of a... haunted pipe organ? Right?"

"Uh... maybe... I think." Big Macintosh replied.

"That's reassuring." Soarin sarcastically remarked, before both heard the organ music blare out loudly and echo through the hallways, prompting them both to whinny and dash off in fright!

While that was going on, and Shining and Flash were keeping an eye on Rumble (while Shining continued to read through the journal he'd discovered), Fancy Pants and Thunderlane didn't seem to be aware of the organ music. Or if they did, they took no notice of it, they were too preoccupied with their own problems.

"Rumble! Rumble, where are you?!" Thunderlane called, but there was no reply.

"I'm sure we'll find him, he couldn't have gotten far." Fancy Pants reassured his friend, though deep down he wasn't so sure himself. The castle _was_ pretty big and easy to get lost in.

Thunderlane called again, as he and Fancy Pants approached the throne room. "Rumble? Rumble, if you're hiding, the game's over, you win," This time there _was_ a response, but from Fancy Pants, not Rumble. And it came in the form of a noticeable yelp! "What is it?! Did you find Rumble?!" Thunderlane asked.

"No, but I think I've found a tapestry small enough for me to carry," Fancy Pants replied, eyeing the one displaying Princess Luna that rested above what might have been her old throne. "No castle in its right mind could possibly object to me 'borrowing' and restoring such a fine work of art."

"They are lovely," Thunderlane commented. "But I need to find Rumble. Oh, I hope he doesn't think that I've given up on him." And he turned to leave.

"Don't you worry, Thunderlane, I'm right behind you!" Fancy Pants called, as he tried to carefully grab hold of the tapestry with his magic. It proved to be just as stubborn as the bigger tapestry from earlier. "Just... give me... a moment or two!" He grunted, as he attempted to grab the tapestry with his hooves.

* * *

Soarin and Big Macintosh made their up to a room that was filled with old suits of armor, that looked like they could easily come to life at a moment's notice.

"Seriously, is there a single room in this here castle that's not completely filled with terrifyin' things?!" Big Macintosh complained.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Soarin shrugged, before he accidentally bumped into one of the armor suits and caused it to wobble slightly. "Whoa!" He exclaimed, before he looked at Big Macintosh and nervously laughed while saying. "I mean... it's just some old pony armor. What's the big deal?"

"Yeah!" Big Macintosh laughed, even though he was just barely keeping his fears under control. "It ain't like it's gonna come to life or anythin'. Right?" And he trotted closer to one of the suits to get a closer look.

At that very moment, the hooded figure unknown to everyone began to play the organ. With the pressing of several different keys, the figure triggered many of the trap doors and secret rotating walls that had been hooked up to the organ.

Big Macintosh was the first to fall victim to the traps, as all of a sudden the armor suit he was standing on gave way and spun around, causing him to disappear! Soarin, having seen this (and being quite frightened by the armor) screamed!

Fancy Pants was next! As he continued to strain himself while trying to remove the tapestry, the throne he was standing next to and the entire wall it was on spun around and caused him to disappear too! Thunderlane had turned his just in time to see this, and thus he screamed too!

A few more chords of the organ were belted out uneventfully, before one finally caused Big Macintosh to be deposited on the exterior of the castle! A flash of lightning and a crash of thunder revealed the presence of a bronze dragon statue, and it was then that Big Macintosh saw he'd somehow ended up on the roof of the castle, with only a thin ledge keeping him from falling to the ground! Horrified, he screamed, and pressed himself up against the wall to try and maintain his balance!

And last but not least, Fancy Pants was deposited outside the castle, still clutching the tapestry that he'd somehow managed to pry loose in the chaos. But he took one look at himself, and screamed in horror! He was covered in dirt and bruise marks, a few loose twigs were sticking out of his mane and tail, and his suit had torn to pieces in several spots.

* * *

It didn't take long for those displaced or otherwise affected by the trap doors and secret walls to come to their senses and try to pull themselves together. Fancy Pants was the first one to try. "It figures, I try to do something nice for Miss. Rarity, and _this_ is what I get for it," He complained, removing the twigs and branches from his mane and tail, all the while the wind was whistling past him quite ominously. "Maybe I should've told Miss. Rarity those tapestries aren't worth it. This castle doesn't get a lot of visitors, and I'm starting to see why." He then set off to find a window that he could climb back into the castle hallways.

Soarin was still quite phased by what he'd seen, but a small part of his mind was clinging to the belief that it was all a well crafted trick by Big Macintosh. "Uh... Big Mac? You there? If you needed to go back to Ponyville for any reason, that's okay. This contest isn't really worth it anymore, it's getting out of hoof." But unfortunately, there was no reply, and to make matters worse he ended up bumping into one of the suits of armor, causing it to come crashing down on top of him! Horrified, Soarin screamed at the top of his lungs and took off! He had no particular destination in mind, but he wasn't willing to spend anymore time in the room he was currently in.

Thunderlane was searching in and around the throne room for Fancy Pants, hoping that somehow his friend hadn't been whisked away by a trap door. "Fancy Pants, I know this sort of thing isn't usually your sense of humor. But please, just this once, let this be a joke!" Nervously, Thunderlane trotted up to the steps to the throne that he'd seen Fancy Pants standing on earlier. He reluctantly reached out a hoof and tapped the throne lightly, only for a loud chord from an organ to frighten him! Rather than stick around, Thunderlane took off! " _Now I've lost Rumble_ _ **and**_ _Fancy Pants,_ " He thought to himself. " _Can this night get any worse?_ "

Big Macintosh re-entered the hallway filled with suits of armor, with another spinning door. After taking a moment to compose himself and shake off the shock, Big Macintosh looked around. But he didn't see Soarin anywhere, which prompted the farm stallion to gulp. "Uh, Soarin? Hello?" He called, his voice echoing. "Um, I guess if I can't find ya, then that means I win by default, right? Come on, the game's over, you win!" But there was no reply, and Big Macintosh could barely keep himself composed as he made his way out of the hall.

* * *

At last, Fancy Pants found a window that he could fit through, but it took quite a bit of effort for him to actually squeeze his way inside. He landed with a thud in what he assumed was the main hallway. "Fleur's going to kill me when she sees me like this," Fancy Pants commented to himself. "To say nothing of what Miss. Rarity will think. With any luck, she'll faint before I have to endure one of Fleur's lectures. By Celestia, Fleur is so scary when she's angry." After receiving a bonk on the head courtesy of a stray stone, and witnessing a flash of lightning, Fancy Pants slowly began to back away. " _I hope you've found Rumble, Thunderlane. Because I don't know how much more of this ungrateful castle I can take!_ " He thought to himself.

Unknown to Fancy Pants, Thunderlane was making his way into the very same hallway. In a hushed but still noticeably yelling tone he called out "Rumble! Fancy Pants! Oh please, for the love of Celestia... be together! I can't lose you both!"

Big Macintosh just so happened to be entering the main hallway too, he'd been frightened by a rock slide and decided now was as good a time as any to leave. Better to flee and lose some of his dignity, rather than stay and risk his life.

Meanwhile, Soarin was flying through the castle at a breakneck speed, not particularly paying attention to anything below him. All he could think about at the moment was finding someway to get out. "Haunted statues, creepy armor... What else is this castle gonna throw at me?" He complained, unintentionally getting his answer in the form of a clap of thunder. "I had to ask." He groaned, as he slowly retreated towards the ground.

Needless to say, none of the four stallions were aware they were all in the same room. So you can imagine that when they ended up bumping into each other, since they were already very much on edge, the surprise encounter was enough to set them off! They all screamed, each of them bolting and running about in various directions!

It didn't take long for the stallions' frantic running about to cause confusion! Fancy Pants ran forward, hoping to escape what he perceived as some shadowy force trying to grab him, only for Soarin to end up accidentally knocking down the giant tapestry from earlier! Fancy Pants lit up his horn in anticipation, but alas he lacked the strength to keep it from falling on top of him! "I was only trying to do something nice for my business partner!" He complained, as he blindly ran about while trying to shake off the tapestry.

A flash of lightning caused Thunderlane to see the shadow of what he thought was Rumble. "Rumble, is that you?" He called out, hopefully. But at that very moment, Big Macintosh came rushing past in a frenzied state, accidentally knocking down one of the pillars and causing it to collapse towards the location of the shadow. "Oh no, RRUMMMMMMMMMMMBLLLLLLLE!" Thunderlane shouted at the top of his lungs, as he rushed to try and prop up the pillar.

* * *

As it just so happened, Shining Armor, Flash Sentry, and Rumble had been nearby. And when they overheard the commotion that was going on, they immediately rushed to the scene of the disturbance.

"Whoa, what's gotten into them?" Flash wondered, as he looked down on the four stallions who were running about, yelling and screaming.

"It's okay, Rumble, you're gonna be okay. You're lucky you're so small." Thunderlane commented, as he groaned while trying to lift up the heavy pillar.

But Big Macintosh kept interfering with the "rescue" process, as he frantically jumped on top of the pillar and madly shouted. "Yaaaaah! Shadows everywhere! Gang way!"

Soarin was only screaming, and Fancy Pants seemed to be sobbing to himself.

"Geez, they're acting like they've seen a ghost." Rumble commented.

"Well, it ends here, they've got to get a hold of themselves!" Shining said seriously, as he carefully hovered down to the platform overlooking the main hallway, and quickly lit up his horn. "Alright, everypony, **STOP**!" He commanded, casting a powerful spell that froze all of his friends in their tracks!

It didn't take long for Shining's friends to realize what was going on, the voice and the magical glow were a dead giveaway. Big Macintosh was the first one to respond. "Shining Armor? Where the hay have you been all evenin'?"

"I could ask you all the same question," Shining remarked. "You were running around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off. I know this castle can be pretty spooky at night, but honestly I didn't think it was _that_ scary."

"It's a long story, really," Thunderlane commented. "But for right now I need your help! Rumble's in trouble and I need your assistance to-"

"-Big brother, I'm right here!" Rumble called, waving to his brother from the platform. "And you'll never guess what I just found out about Scootaloo, her uncle's in the royal guard!"

Thunderlane smiled and blushed, as he realized he looked quite foolish. "Oh, good to know. And I'm glad you're okay. Gosh, I look so stupid right now."

"What are you doing here, Thunderlane?" Soarin asked, still frozen in place. "I didn't peg you as the kind of pony who liked creepy old castles."

"He's with me," Fancy Pants spoke up, his face still obscured by the tapestry. "And I should forewarn you, I'm a bit worse for the wear at the moment. It's all my fault really, I had this _brilliant_ idea to borrow a tapestry or two from the castle for Miss. Rarity, and things didn't go quite like I'd hoped," Despite his condition, the business pony was still very much relieved to have the tapestry lifted off him so that he could see his surroundings. "Thank you."

"Have you all been spending the night running around, and scaring each other?" Flash asked, hovering down to Shining Armor's position with Rumble.

"Well, that depends." Big Macintosh bluntly commented to Shining.

"Depends on what, I might ask?" Shining spoke up. He had no idea what his friends had been up to this evening, so he had no way of knowing what they would ask him.

"On whether or not _you're_ the Pony of Shadows," Soarin commented. "So, are you?"

"What's 'the Pony of Shadows'?" Flash wondered out loud, the most confused look appearing on his face. "I've never heard of such a thing."

Shining just laughed. "Oh, it's just an old pony's tale, nothing more. It's as real as the headless horse, and we all know _that's_ fake." But at that very moment, ominous organ music began to echo through the castle hallways, prompting everypony to huddle close to Shining.

"So then, if we're all here... then who's the one playing the organ?" Flash nervous asked, struggling to control the urge to shiver.

"I don't know, but we're going to find out!" Shining boldly declared. "Come on!" He trotted off, only to notice that all of his friends and even Flash were clinging desperately to him. "You guys can stop me clinging to me now, you know," He remarked, rolling his eyes. "I mean really, the only one who should be doing that is Rumble, he's a kid. So what's _your_ excuse?"

"S...sorry, guess we're still a bit on edge." Thunderlane apologized, as everypony detached themselves from Shining and followed him closely.

* * *

The six stallions and Rumble trotted carefully through the castle, listening to the organ music as it grew louder and louder. At last, they reached the source. Resting in the very depths of the castle was a room that housed a gigantic organ. And at that moment, a cloaked figure was playing away at it, seemingly unaware of the world around them. Who it was, nopony could tell, for the figure's cloak completely obscured them.

"Alright, it's time to put an end to this mystery!" Shining declared quite firmly, as he carefully but quickly trotted up to the altar and pulled off the cloak, exposing the figure beneath it for all to see!

The figure underneath the cloak was a familiar light gold coated earth pony stallion, with a brownish orange mane and tail with amber highlights, and bright green eyes. His brown rodeo hat and vest made him a dead giveaway. "Braeburn?!" Everypony exclaimed!

"Hey guys," Braeburn innocently replied, a huge smile plastered on his face. "Fancy runnin' into you all here."

"You mean to tell us, _you're_ the Pony of Shadows?" Soarin asked, flying up to Braeburn.

"Pony of what now?" Braeburn laughed in reply. "Sounds like ya'll 've been listenin' to Granny Smith's tall tales again. She really oughta save 'em for the campfires where they belong."

Shining smiled. "See guys, I told you there was no such thing as a Pony of Shadows." Nopony said a word.

It was Big Macintosh who broke the silence, as Braeburn continued to play the organ, producing several different melodies. "Since when did you learn how to play the organ, cousin Braeburn? Ya'll never mentioned you could do that before."

"You never asked me," Braeburn chuckled. "Not that I blame ya, I doubt anypony would've guessed if ya'll didn't see it for yourselves."

"But what about the cloak? Were you trying to scare us half to death or something?!" Fancy Pants pondered.

"Now what kind of a pony do you take me for?" Braeburn replied, temporarily halting his organ playing. "Thing is, it can get kind of drafty down here. I borrowed a cloak I found layin' on the ground and put it on. I'm sure whoever it belongs to won't miss it, after all I looked all around for 'em, but didn't hide or hair of 'em, figured they must've dropped it and not noticed."

"So you've been down here, playing this organ, the whole time?" Thunderlane concluded, hoping he wasn't misinterpreting anything.

"Yup," Braeburn happily nodded. "I came back to Ponyville for a little r and r, and I was hopin' to invite ya all to my party. Heh, sounds like ya'll went and had a heck of a time without me though." As Braeburn finished that sentence, he inadvertently leaned on the organ and pressed a key, triggering a spring that Flash had the unfortunate luck of standing on. Luckily, Flash was able to quickly flap his wings and escape what would've been a nasty collision with the ground.

"I hope you didn't do that on purpose, Braeburn." Flash told the stallion, a hint of anger contained in his tone of voice.

"Course I didn't, I had no idea this here organ could do that," Braeburn commented. "Makes me wonder what else it's capable of."

" _That explains all the accounts of trap doors and rotating walls,_ " Shining thought to himself. " _Braeburn must've been playing the Organ to the Outside that Celestia mentioned in her journal! Man, she and Luna had such a strange sense of humor when they built this place._ "

* * *

Shining quickly lead all of his friends and Flash back up to the study he'd found, figuring it was best if everypony stayed away from the organ for the foreseeable future.

Fancy Pants was occupying himself with repair work on the tapestry he'd managed to inadvertently snag in the confusion earlier. "This is going to go right back to its rightful place once I've done with it," He commented to nopony in particular. "It's just not worth the trouble of lugging it all the way back to Carousel Boutique."

Thunderlane, for his part, was just relieved to know that Rumble was safe and sound. "Rumble, promise me you won't go running off like that again. You gave your big brother quite the fright!" He scolded.

Rumble tried not to hang his head in shame. "Sorry big brother, but I had no idea where you and Mr. Fancy Pants went, and I couldn't think of what else to do," He apologized. "Besides, I ended up finding Mr. Shining and Mr. Flash, they were a lot of fun to hang out with."

"I'm sure they were," Thunderlane smiled and turned to Flash. "Thanks again for keeping an eye on Rumble, you truly are amazing with foals!"

"Hey, it's all part of the job. Besides, I see a lot of myself in him," Flash confessed. "So young, so full of life, and so over eager to prove himself. Celestia knows how many times my big sister had to bail me out of a jam. I guess that's why I never joined The Wonderbolts like she did, I just couldn't stay still."

"I still can't believe I got so frightened," Soarin said to himself. "I guess I let my imagination get the best of me."

"I think we all did, more or less," Big Macintosh concluded, before he turned to Shining. "Except for you. I know you and Flash came here hopin' to find some answers on that mysterious chest, but how come you weren't at all frightened by everythin' that was goin' on?"

"Well, part of it has to do with royal guard training. I didn't become captain of the guard by cowering in the face of fear and letting it get the best of me," Shining replied quite seriously. "I had to learn early on how to suppress my fear and keep it from controlling me. Fear's a powerful motivator, and it's fine in small doses. But too much of it, and you're no help to anypony. It can lead to paranoia, making you feel like everyone and everything is out to get you. Plus, I had the Journal of the Two Sisters, the diary Celestia and Luna kept while they lived in this castle. Knowing something about the past made it easier to deal with all of my problems in the present, even the scary ones," With a sigh he then added. "Unfortunately, even with the journal, I didn't find any information about the chest. I've exhausted just about all of my options. It seems that, whatever that chest is, nopony's ever seen or heard of it before, or knows what's inside it. But I have a hunch we'll find the keys eventually, the Tree of Harmony wouldn't have given us that chest if we weren't meant to open it."

Everypony nodded in agreement.

"And speaking of journals," Shining went on. "I was thinking, maybe all of us should consider writing a journal as well. That way we can learn from each other! And maybe someday, other ponies will read it and learn something, too! Think of it as our contribution to future generations."

"Sounds like a lovely idea! I've actually been considering something like that myself, though it was intended to be more of a planner and organizer, than a journal." Fancy Pants commented.

Big Macintosh laughed. "Well, I don't know about the rest of ya'll, but I know what my first entry's gonna be! 'Dear Diary, I'm glad Granny Smith's legend turned out to _not_ be true.'"

"Same here!" Soarin replied. "And the next time I agree to some ridiculous contest to prove my bravery, please knock some sense into me. Literally if you have to."

Everypony had a good laugh at that, but as they laughed they were unaware of a glaring shadow gazing upon the ruins of the castle from afar. " _Curses, they're not here!_ " The figure thought to itself. " _And after all this time I've spent growing stronger too! Mark my words, princesses! You can run, but you cannot hide from me forever! I_ _ **will**_ _find you, and I_ _ **will**_ _take what was rightfully mine!_ " And with those thoughts clear in its mind, the figure departed before anypony had a chance to notice it.


	79. Chapter 79: Freaky Fashion Week

A few weeks had passed since the visit to the Castle of the Two Sisters, but although he'd exhausted just about all of his sources, Shining Armor had failed to find any leads into the mysterious chest. It frustrated him to no end, giving him more than a few sleepless nights.

Sensing that Shining needed a change, Fancy Pants made a few arrangements and early one morning he could hardly contain his excitement as he told his friend. "Since Fleur and I will be going to Manehattan with Miss Rarity for fashion week, I figured the least I could do was invite you and the rest of the gang along. It's my understanding that most of you have never been to Manehattan before, correct?"

Shining nodded, as he and Fancy Pants exchanged this news at Carousel Boutique. "You really sure you want us all to come? I'm sure fashion week will be a blast for you and Rarity, but I know most of the others probably won't be too fascinated by it."

Fancy Pants gave off a knowing wink as he replied. "It's funny you should mention that, because it just so happens that Miss Rarity has made a few 'arrangements' with some ponies in Manehattan. And you'll never believe this, but she managed to get you all tickets to see _Hinny of the Hills_!"

Shining's eyes grew wide and he nearly spit out his tea in shock! "You can't possibly be serious! _Hinny of the Hills_ is the latest, greatest show to hit Bridleway! Tickets have been sold out for months!"

"Oh, it wasn't anything, really," Rarity boasted. "The costume designer at the theater happens to be one of my best customers, dresses and costumes are always in short supply. So I gave him some of my works and in return he pulled a few strings, and got me the tickets. I'm happy to share them with all of you, I think you're very much going to like _Hinny of the Hills_ ," Then she frowned and sighed. "It's too bad I can't take Sweetie Belle with me, but Manehattan is a big city and I don't want her getting lost in the midst of all that fashion week chaos. Guess I'll have to find a foalsitter for her, she won't like that."

Shining hated to see Rarity look so unhappy, especially after she'd gotten him and his friends (as Twilight and her friends) those tickets. Racking his brain to think of a solution, he suddenly recalled what he'd learned about Flash Sentry during that rather eventful night in the castle. "Say, Rarity, if you need a foalsitter, I think I know somepony who might be interested."

Now it was Rarity's turn to act surprised. "Oh, who do you have in mind, exactly?"

"Flash Sentry," Shining explained to Rarity. "It just so happens that he's Scootaloo's uncle on her mom's side of the family. He's already proven he's good with kids, just ask Rumble."

"You think Flash will be up to the challenge of keeping an eye on Sweetie Belle for an entire week?" Rarity asked with concern. "Normally I wouldn't be too worried as she _is_ a growing filly. But all the same she seems to have an unfortunate tendency to get into trouble behind my back. It seems like Fluttershy is the only one who can keep her in line."

Shining trotted over to Rarity and gave her a reassuring pat on the forehead (taking care to avoid the horn). "Don't you worry, Rarity. I have no doubt that Flash will be able to manage for one week. In a lot of ways, he's like a kid himself, so young and so eager to prove himself."

"Well... I suppose it couldn't hurt to give him a chance," Rarity replied after a few moments of consideration. "And knowing that Sweetie Belle will be in good hooves will help me stay focused. Fashion week is going to be very busy, but if it all goes well Fancy Pants and I might be able to drum up enough support to start looking for a new boutique. I've been itching to expand for some time now."

"Relax, your fashion work is second to none," Shining told Rarity. "I'm sure you'll do great. And when you take first place, we're all going to be there to celebrate it with you!"

Fancy Pants smiled. "Good, it's settled. We leave for Manehattan a week from today, so start spreading the news," Then he added. "This will be a wonderful anniversary present for my darling Fleur and I. To think, we've already been married for five years. My, how the time flies."

* * *

The week passed quicker than anypony would've expected, it wasn't long before they were boarding the train to Manehattan, and in the blink of an eye it seemed like they had already reached their destination. Rarity especially could hardly contain her excitement!

"Now come along ponies," Rarity called out. "I've found a nice place for us to stay. A fabulous hotel just a block from the train station and right in the heart of this metropolis. Oh Manehattan, what you do to me!"

Big Macintosh and Soarin couldn't help but snicker a little at Rarity's enthusiasm, as much as they liked being able to see the big city in all its glory, Rarity's constant admiration of it always seemed a bit silly.

On the way to the hotel, Applejack noticed a beautiful theater with ponies already lining up to buy tickets to the various shows featured there. "Is that the theater where _Hinny of the Hills_ is playin'?" She asked.

Fancy Pants nodded. "And as luck would have it the Manefair Hotel isn't far from the theater! As you can probably imagine, a lot of Bridleway performers frequently stay there in between shows."

Everypony was amazed (except of course for Rarity, Fancy Pants, and Fleur who already knew this). "Cool!" They all exclaimed.

"Indeed, and the hotel owner still charges a modest fee in spite of that," Rarity replied. "She figures that since she gets so many customers she can afford to offer rooms at discount rates. Our room was practically a steal, it normally goes for over 5,000 bits in cities like this!" She smiled, and a passionate sigh escaped her lips. "But you know, that's just what I like about Manehattan. It's what makes this city tick. You do something nice for somepony, and then you never know when they'll do something nice for you!"

"So then you can do somethin' nice for us," Applejack replied. "Like gettin' us tickets for _Hinny of the Hills_."

However, Shining Armor was a bit concerned by Rarity's statement. "You do know that while it's not bad to expect compensation for doing a good deed, you shouldn't always be doing it just because you'll get a reward out of it. Mom was always fond of saying that a good deed is its own reward."

"Oh, of course we know that," Fancy Pants reassuringly replied. "But it's still nice when you know somepony appreciates what you've done. And hospitality like this doesn't come often. Not too long ago this city was on hard times, and most ponies didn't think they had any need to look out for anyone but themselves. Thankfully, with the resurgence of Bridleway with new hit plays, and a new restaurant business, things have been looking up for most of the city," With a sigh he reluctantly added. "But there are still some areas where it's a dog eat dog world. Lots of ponies come here hoping to make it big, only to end up having their dreams crushed and not much money left to start again. It always troubles me to see those down on their luck for no good reason." And he pointed to a cab pulled by a light orange coated earth pony stallion, his blue mane and tail looked noticeably disfigured, as if they'd gone weeks without being brushed. There were some noticeable bangs underneath his dark blue eyes, as he noticed the back left wheel had broken.

Rarity was quick to jump in, and her friends helped out as well. Applejack and Big Macintosh quickly propped up the cab wagon with their backs, while Pinkie made an effort to try and cheer up the cab driver. Meanwhile, with the help of her magic, Rarity was able to fix the wheel and the cab wagon could roll with ease once again. "Always feels nice to help a pony in need," She said to herself. "Now then, shall we press on? The hotel isn't far from here."

* * *

Soon after checking in at the hotel, it was time for Rarity and Fancy Pants to check in for the kick off to fashion week. The rules had made it very clear that anyone that failed to check in at Fashion Runway Plaza by two in the afternoon would be immediately disqualified. But unfortunately, every cab in Manehattan had a huge line waiting for it, and to make matters worse it began to rain.

"It's no good, not one of these taxis will clear up in time," Rarity unhappily said to herself. "And to think I worked so hard on that new fabric, only to be disqualified before I could even show it off."

"Hey, you're a prince now, right?" Rainbow Dash asked Shining Armor, noticing his wings. "Can't you use your royal authority to demand that somepony give up their spot in line so Rarity can get to her appointment on time?!"

Shining shook his head. "Even if they were willing to listen, that would be a terrible misuse of my authority. For all I know, the ponies waiting in line might need to get to a job or see a friend or loved one in the hospital."

"Oh, well... guess that would be bad. Darn it, I thought for sure that would work!" Rainbow Dash replied, angrily kicking the ground in frustration.

However, at that very moment, the cab driving stallion from earlier came rolling up to Rarity's location. "Didn't get a chance to introduce myself before, name's Pronto," He told Rarity. "Thanks for your help earlier, that new wheel works like a charm. So, where to, ma'am?"

Rarity immediately climbed into the cab and shouted! "Fashion runway plaza in seven minutes. Can you make it?"

"For you ma'am, you bet I can! Hang onto your six!" Pronto shouted, and quickly sped away!

"Miss Rarity, wait!" Fancy Pants called out, but it was too late, Rarity was gone! "She forgot her dresses! Even if she makes it to the plaza on time she'll have nothing to show! I've got to get them there, now!"

"But Fancy Pants, darling, you'll get all wet and maybe even catch a cold," Fleur protested. "And that would never do."

Fancy Pants shook his head. "I don't care! Neither rain or high wind is gonna stop me from delivering those dresses! I'll be darned if Miss. Rarity gets disqualified because I couldn't help her when she needed it most!"

Fleur sighed. "You're so stubborn, but then that's hardly a surprise. Having a thick head always did run in the family," With a faint smile she lit up her horn, encasing Fancy Pants in a rain poncho and boots. "If you're really going to deliver those dresses, at least you should dress for the occasion. Think of this as an early anniversary present." She told him, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you for the support, Fleur. Now I must be going! Wish me luck!" Fancy Pants called, as he grabbed the suitcases the dresses were stored in and took off as fast as his hooves would let him!

"Talk about your close calls." Braeburn quipped, as the rest of the gang reluctantly headed back to the hotel. There wasn't anything they could do, the rest was all up to Rarity, Fancy Pants, and luck.

* * *

Fancy Pants arrived at the Runway Plaza just in time, Rarity was already freaking out when she noticed that she'd forgotten her dresses! "So careless of you to run off without everything you needed," Fancy Pants lightly scolded. "It's a good thing I noticed or we'd both be in trouble."

Rarity blushed. "I truly am sorry about that, Fancy Pants. Believe me, it won't happen again. Now, I best be going, Prim Headline is due to kick off fashion week at any moment and I can't be late for that!" And after slipping her boss a ruby as compensation for his last minute run halfway across town, she was gone.

Fancy Pants smiled and waved, but as soon as Rarity was out of sight he breathed a sigh of relief. "That was too close," Then he sighed again, noticing that the rain had stopped. "Well, for now Rarity has to make an introduction to Prim on her own. With any luck maybe we won't have to show off our designs last." As he made his way backstage however, he accidentally bumped into an earth pony mare about the same size as Rarity, maybe a little smaller. Said mare had a beautiful white coat, a pale light cyan mane and tail with light opal stripes, and eyes an innocent light cyan in color. Her cutie mark was a simple feathered hat colored pink.

"Oh, I'm s-so sorry, sir," The mare apologized profusely. "I really didn't mean to bump into you, honest. Please, you can yell at me all you want, just let me get my coffee for my boss, then I promise I'll be out of your hair for good."

"There's no need to apologize, ma'am, it was my fault for not watching where I was going," Fancy Pants replied, offering the mare a hoof. "My name is Fancy Pants, what's yours?"

"C-Coco, Coco Pommel," The mare answered, clearly uncertain how to respond to Fancy Pant's kind gesture. "And if you don't mind, I really need to get my boss her coffee, she gets mad if I'm not back with it before long. She gets mad if I do much of anything wrong it seems, but I suppose I can't be too mad, she gave me my first job after all."

Fancy Pants seemed to be surprised, not just at how much Coco seemed to be beating herself down, but also by what she was mentioning about her boss. "If you don't mind my asking, just who is your boss? I would like to meet her and maybe put in a good word on your behalf."

"Her name is Suri Polomare," Coco answered. "But if you're going to talk to her, at least wait for me to get her her coffee first. I've wasted enough time talking to you that could've been spent getting Suri her order. Oh, I hope I have enough bits to pay for it, it's always so expensive."

"Tell you what, Coco," Fancy Pants offered. "You tell me your boss' order and I'll get it for you and take it to her myself. You sound like you deserve a break." He then offered her the ruby Rarity had given him earlier. "Here, you keep the change. Something tells me you need it more than I do at the moment."

Coco's eyes lit up and she seemed to be very ecstatic about this sudden display of kindness and generosity. "Oh, thank you! It's more than I deserve!" And she took off with a happy spring in her step, but not before hoofing a small note to Fancy Pants. "Just ask for that at the counter and make sure Suri gets it! Worse comes to worse, tell 'em Suri sent you!"

"Wait, what does your boss look like?" Fancy Pants asked. "I can't give this to Suri if I don't know who she is."

Coco chuckled and briefly turned around to tell Fancy Pants. "You can't miss her. She's an earth pony mare about my size and age, she's got a pink coat, brown eyes, a violet mane and tail styled into beautiful curls, and a cutie mark consisting of three buttons. And I wish you the best of luck dealing with her."

Fancy Pants had no trouble getting Suri's order, and by the time he was to locate her the kick off to fashion week had already concluded. "Well it's about time!" Suri exclaimed, snatching the coffee from Fancy Pants without even bothering to ask or say thank you. It was only after she'd downed the hot drink that she bothered to acknowledge Fancy Pants' existence at all. "Just who are you?! I sent Coco to get my order! Ugh, can't she do anything right?!"

Now, Fancy Pants was normally a patient stallion. He had to be in order to put up with the countless snobs and upper crusts he saw all the time in Canterlot. But Suri's remarks about Coco were enough to set him off. "Excuse you?!" He angrily exclaimed, a profound frown formed on his face. "I'll have you know that I offered to get that coffee for Coco, so if you've got something you want to say about her you can say that to my face."

Upon seeing Fancy Pants' harsh glare, Suri seemed to let up. "Well why didn't you just say so in the first place?" She chuckled to herself, her entire personality suddenly changing. "I guess Coco's finally good for something, but what can you expect when she's got a pony like me to teach her?"

"You mean, she's your protege?" Fancy Pants asked, sounding rather surprised.

Suri nodded. "The poor girl was completely down on her luck when I came across her, she was desperate for a job and out of the kindness of my own heart I took her in. She's a good errand filly, I'll say that much. But I hope she realizes I'm not paying her to take breaks and make others do her work for her. That's not how you get ahead in this big city, it's everypony for themselves and the sooner you learn that, the better."

"Forgive me if I don't necessarily agree with that remark." Fancy Pants replied, trying to hide how much that last part of the sentence had angered him.

"Trust me, I don't like it anymore than you do, but it's a fact," Suri responded, even though her tone didn't sound unpleasant or unhappy. "I didn't make it to fashion week because I play nice. I play to win, and if that means having to step on the competition then so be it. After all, you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, m'kay? Now, if you've got nothing more to say, I suggest you scram. I've got some catching up to do with Rarity. I never imagined she'd make it this far, but with you supporting I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I just hope you're both prepared, because I'm not going to settle for second place. I'm going to do whatever it takes to win, m'kay?" And she trotted off, sound quite pleased with herself.

" _Coco deserves far better than Suri,_ " Fancy Pants thought to himself. " _But what can I do about that? How can I get her away from Suri's corruptive influences?_ " Then he got an idea, one that he was honestly surprised hadn't taken him longer to think of. "Of course," He realized. "If Princess Celestia could manage having both Shining Armor and his sister as her students, then surely I can do the same with Rarity and Coco." And he set off to find Coco.

* * *

Coco could hardly believe her ears when Fancy Pants made the offer to take her on as his second apprentice. "Oh, I'm not sure if you want me. I'm just a lowly assistant for Suri, nothing more."

"But I can tell you're not happy working for her, wouldn't you like to work for somepony who truly appreciates what you have to offer?" Fancy Pants asked her.

"I-I guess so," Coco reluctantly replied. "I mean, Suri hasn't been the best boss to work for. But are you really sure your other apprentice will understand? I don't want to intrude on what you and Rarity already have."

Fancy Pants just chuckled and lightly patted Coco's head. "You leave that to me, Coco my dear. Now come on, Miss. Rarity is no doubt waiting for me and there is much we will have to do for our solo appointment with Prim Headline tomorrow."

Sure enough, just a short time later, Rarity came trotting back out into the hallway with her dresses in tow. She was humming a small tune to herself, and she seemed to have a noticeable spring in her step. Upon seeing Coco, she was most surprised. "Oh, hello. I don't believe we've met. Are you one of Fancy Pants' business contacts?"

"N-no," Coco stuttered in response. "I-I'm Coco Pommel, Fancy Pants has offered to let me work for him for a while as his new apprentice. Delighted to meet you."

Rarity shook hooves with Coco, in spite of the shock of her statement. "Well, I'm sure Fancy Pants saw something in you when he agreed to take you on. You should feel honored."

"I'm... sure I will be, I look forward to working with you, Rarity." Coco nervously smiled.

Rarity then turned her attention to Fancy Pants. "Not that I mind you taking somepony under your wing or anything, but I would've appreciated having this run by me first. Are you really sure you're up to the task of managing Coco and myself? You only have four hooves you know."

"I appreciate your concern, Miss. Rarity, but I wouldn't take Coco on if I wasn't certain I could handle it," Fancy Pants smiled, and changed the subject. "So, how did things go with Prim Headline? I hope she wasn't too upset by your last minute arrival."

"She was a bit unhappy, but she still gave me a solo appointment," Rarity told Fancy Pants, a slight frown forming on her face. "Unfortunately it was first come first serve, so I'm to show my designs to her last. Same goes for when the contest gets under way tomorrow."

"I see," Fancy Pants replied, sounding more than a little unhappy. "Well then, why don't you stay here and finish setting up so you'll be ready for the solo appointment with Prim? I'll take Coco back to the hotel to meet the others, and you can join us for dinner when you're done here. How does that sound?"

Rarity nodded her head. "Sounds fair enough I suppose. I shouldn't have any trouble with Prim now, the new fabric you and I worked on is sure to be a success."

"Excellent!" Fancy Pants smiled. "Come along, Coco."

"Uh, I'd better go and make sure Suri is okay with me leaving her for you," Coco nervously replied. "You just go back to the hotel and I'll be there in a jiffy. I know my way around the city well enough. Where are you staying?"

"The Manefair Hotel, right near Bridleway," Fancy Pants told Coco. "You sure you can find it?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure, the Manefair Hotel's pretty easy to spot." Coco replied, before she zipped away to find Suri. Fancy Pants and Rarity then reluctantly parted ways.

* * *

Fancy Pants found it most odd when it seemed to take a long time for Coco to come to the Manefair Hotel. Almost two hours had passed before she finally came trotting through the door. "Well it's about time, where have you been?" Fancy Pants asked in an anxious tone. "I was starting to think something horrible had happened to you."

"I-I'm sorry, I... uh... got a little bit lost and it took some time to find my way," Coco hastily apologized. "I'm sorry I made you worry so much."

Fancy Pants sighed, one look at Coco's eyes made it impossible for him to stay mad at her. "It's alright, I suppose it can be a little difficult to find your way around the big city, even if you've lived in it for such a long time. I should have waited for you and escorted you back to the hotel myself."

"No, it was my fault for saying I knew the way," Coco apologized, putting on the most guilty look she could muster up. "I'll understand if you want to punish me for that."

Fancy Pants only chuckled. "We've got to work on that self-esteem of yours, Coco. You can't keep beating yourself up all the time if you want to make it in the fashion world."

"But Suri always said it's everypony for themselves in this city." Coco protested.

"Well you don't work for Suri anymore, you work for me now. So I want you to forget about everything Suri taught you and just focus on what I'm going to teach you. Okay?" Fancy Pants asked Coco in a half kind, half serious tone of voice.

"O-okay." Coco nodded. She wanted to say more, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Say, Fancy, darling, just who is this mare that I see standing before you?" Fleur asked, eyeing the newcomer. "I do hope you're not trying to cheat on me." She joked.

"Of course not, Fleur, haven't I made it clear how much I adore you?" Fancy Pants playfully teased, blushing slightly before he cleared his throat. "This fine young mare you see before you is none other than Coco Pommel. But you can call her Coco. She is my new apprentice."

"New apprentice, huh?" Spike asked, looking at Coco. "So what happened to Rarity? Are you two done working together?"

"No no no, it's nothing like that," Fancy Pants protested with a shake of his head. "Miss. Rarity and I are still working together. It's just that Miss. Pommel here is in need of somepony to help her develop into a promising fashion pony, and I figured it might as well be me."

"And Rarity is okay with this?" Spike asked with concern.

"Absolutely, she was the first one I introduced Coco to and she was perfectly fine with Coco working for me for the time being," Fancy Pants replied. "You needn't worry, by the time fashion week is done I am highly certain that Coco will have developed into a fine student and will be more than ready to make her own way in the world. Look at how greatly Miss. Rarity has flourished since she went into business with me. It wouldn't surprise me if she takes first place in fashion week."

But a short time later, just after everypony else had come back from an exciting afternoon spent touring Manehattan and having a good time, Rarity came bursting back into the hotel room, clearly in tears. She instantly collapsed onto her hotel bed, sobbing loudly to herself. "My generosity has ruined me!"

"What are you talking about? What happened?!" Shining Armor asked, as everypony immediately rushed to Rarity's side.

In between sobbing fits, Rarity explained to the best of her ability. "I gave Suri some of my one of a kind fabric, and she turned around and copied my entire line. Only now it looks like I'm the one copying her. My career as a fashion pony is over!"

"But how did she get all of that done so fast? There's no way she could've copied an entire fashion life all by herself!" Soarin furiously exclaimed. "Can she?"

Coco gulped. "Oh I should've known! It's all my fault!"

Everypony in the room immediately cast daggers at Coco. "Just what do you mean by that?!" Applejack demanded. "You sayin' your the one responsible for all of this?!"

A cold sweat worked its way down Coco's face as she hastily explained. "When I went to say goodbye to Suri and thank her for giving me my first job, she told me she'd let me go if I did one last favor for her. She asked me to help her copy the designs for Rarity's wardrobe so she could pass it off as her own. And she said if I didn't she'd tell Prim that I was the one doing it."

"And you believed her?!" Braeburn exclaimed, steam escaping his nostrils. "It was your word against Suri's and I'm sure Rarity would've backed you up had you told her what Suri was gonna do!"

"Coco, I trusted you! I took you under my wing! And yet you betrayed my business partner and close friend?!" Fancy Pants remarked.

"I, I didn't know what else to do! I've been working for Suri for so long and I know she has ways of getting what she wants!" Coco nervously replied, slowly backing up. "Please, I didn't mean for any of this! She was still my boss when she hatched that plan, and I was told never to say no to your boss if you valued your career!"

Fancy Pants didn't know what more to say to Coco beyond simply. "We will discuss this later," He then turned his attention to Rarity. "So what did you do when you found out about Suri stealing your fabric? What did you tell Prim?"

"I told her nothing, I just ran off and claimed I wasn't feeling well!" Rarity answered, still sobbing. "She said it was fine just as long as I was ready to present my designs tomorrow morning! What am I gonna do?! Suri stole my designs and thanks to the schedule it's going to look like I'm copying her instead of the other way around!"

Much to everyone's surprise it was Applejack who told Rarity. "Come on now, buck up! You gotta get a hold of yourself! You've been in tough spots before and you've always come through, this ain't any different. All you need is to come up with a brand spankin' new line and you'll be back in business. Wallowin' in pity ain't gonna help you for long. So either buck up or go home!"

Rarity's sobs took a while to subside, but slowly but surely Applejack's words sank in. Taking a deep breath she finally sat up in her bed and said firmly. "You're right, Applejack. I've come too far to turn back now! If Suri expects me to lay down and let her walk all over me, she's got another thing coming!" Then she looked around the room, her eyes scanning everything in it. "And I have just the inspiration to do it. A brand new line that will be bigger and bolder than anything I've ever done before! But, I can't do it alone. I'm literally going to have to start from scratch."

"How we can help?" Thunderlane offered. "We all want you to succeed."

"Well, how good are all of you when it comes to sewing and needle work?" Rarity asked.

* * *

Just a few hours later, Rarity had converted the hotel room into a makeshift workshop, and everypony was working hard. Some, such as Rainbow Dash and Soarin spun yarn and thread, others such as Thunderlane and Fluttershy managed the sewing machines. Even Shining Armor pitched in to help stitch the patterns together (he'd learned a thing or two about sewing from when he'd had to do emergency repairs on Smarty Pants, albeit at great pain to himself).

Fleur wasn't too happy that the plans for her anniversary had to be changed, but she still helped as best she could. "At least we can still reserve dinner for tomorrow night to celebrate Rarity's victory, that will be a wonderful anniversary present." She told herself, as she moved from one station to the next, helping out wherever her skills were most needed.

Fancy Pants made sure to rope Coco into the massive sewing project as well. "This mess is partially your responsibility as well," He told her. "Though I must say I'm quite displeased Miss. Rarity would give some of her fabric away to someone she once knew. Perhaps after the competition if Suri was asking nicely, a small swath would've sufficed."

Even so, the pressures of having to assemble an entire new line in the span of a few hours quickly took its toll on everypony. Most of all, Rarity and Fancy Pants, who had the most at stake.

"I'm sorry to tell you all this, but I don't think we'll be done in time to see _Hinny of the Hills_ ," Fancy Pants told all his friends as the dinner hour approached. "The pizza Rarity ordered should be here in half an hour, but we're still only about half way done with the new line."

"But, you already bought us the tickets and we were really looking forward to it." Soarin protested, trying to sound as pleasant as he possibly could.

Fancy Pants sighed and tried to stay cool, but his tone of voice made it clear he was struggling to stay composed. "Oh, I see," He commented, sounding noticeably frustrated. "Look, I'm really sorry about all of this, but if you go to see the play there won't be enough time left to finish the line in time for Miss. Rarity to use it tomorrow. I went out of my way to get those tickets, is it so wrong to expect a little compensation for that?"

"Uh, Fancy Pants, you feeling okay?" Shining asked, sensing that his friend might be getting worked up and not thinking clearly. "I think that between you, Fleur, Rarity, and Coco, there should still be enough ponies to get the line more or less done while the rest of us go to see _Hinny of the Hills_. It was your gift after all."

Fancy Pants huffed, stomping his hoof down on the floor in frustration. "Well, isn't friendship just magical?!" He complained. "You would all abandon me in my hour of need?!"

"Fancy Pants, what's gotten into you?" Big Macintosh asked with concern. "You ain't actin' like yourself."

"What's gotten into me?! What's gotten into all of you?!" Fancy Pants replied, glaring at everypony present. "Fine, go see your little show for all I care! And then tomorrow you can come and watch as Miss. Rarity and I go down to defeat because we have nothing to show at the fashion show! Congrataponylations fillies, I guess you finally figured out that it's everypony for themselves in Manehattan!" And he exited the room, angrily slamming the door on his way out. Rarity followed a short time later, not saying a word but repeating the same motion as her employer.

The room became deathly silent after that, nopony dared to say a word. For a moment or two they all looked at each other as if considering what to do, before they all sighed and reluctantly went back to work.

* * *

Next morning, Fancy Pants and Rarity were quick to dash out the door when they learned that the new fashion line was complete. Fancy Pants making sure to take Coco along with them. "Miss. Rarity, you will present your new line as planned," He explained on the way to the Runway Plaza. "Coco, you are going to trot straight up to Prim and tell her what you and Suri did yesterday. Is that understood?"

"Y-yes sir, I'm truly sorry sir." Coco replied, already profusely apologizing.

"It's not just me you have to apologize to, I hope you realize that," Fancy Pants said seriously, as they neared the designated location. "What you and Suri did could be considered a serious offense. Copying somepony else's work is just like copying a classmate's homework and then passing it off as your own. That kind of dishonesty can get you into serious trouble, even cost you your career!"

Coco gulped, but she knew better than to think about trying to back out. "I'll do my best to make things clear for Prim, but I doubt it'll be enough to stop Suri before she presents." She nervously agreed, and as soon as as Rarity had made her way backstage, Coco set off to go find Prim.

However, it was already too late to stop Suri from presenting her line with the stolen fabric. "It wasn't anything, really. It just came to me," She lied, and after taking her bows she was surprised to find Rarity approaching her. "Oh, you gonna show off your one of a kind fabric that's actually mine? Good luck trying to convince Prim you didn't steal it from me. You might as well have stayed home, I'm gonna win that first place prize, 'kay?"

All Rarity said in reply was, "We'll just see about that." and she approached the runway, trying her best not to think about the fact that she was about to present her new line of dresses all by herself.

As for Fancy Pants, he was looking out at the stands, and was quite dismayed to see that none of his friends were present. Even his wife Fleur seemed to have not bothered to show up. Already, he was beginning to regret how he had treated them last night, and wished more than anything he could take back what he'd said. Then, all of a sudden, something unexpected happened. For some reason, when Fancy Pants looked at the rope that blocked off the stands from the runway, he saw it give off a rainbow shimmer and that shimmer was reflected in his eyes. Something seemed to hit him hard, as he realized what he had to do. " _I've been so fixated on Coco that I've forgotten all about the reasons why I came here in the first place. I can't believe I was so dumb!_ " He thought to himself, and immediately he dashed to Rarity's side, just as she had finished showing off her new collection (effectively titled "Hotel Chic").

* * *

When the contest was over, Fancy Pants didn't stick around to see who would be declared the winner, he immediately dashed back to the hotel, picking up a small bouquet of flowers along the way. He knew it would take more than a token gesture to make up for everything he'd done, especially to his wife, but he at least hoped flowers would be a step in the right direction.

Upon approaching the hotel entrance, Fancy Pants was surprised to see a bellhop stallion pushing a luggage cart around. "Good day to you, sir," The bellhop greeted with a smile. "What can I do for you on this lovely day?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not here to chat," Fancy Pants apologized. "Have you seen the occupants of Room 408?"

"Sure did, saw 'em not too long ago," The bellhop replied. "Looked like they were on their way to the train station, but I didn't stop to ask 'em where they were going."

Fancy Pants could feel his heart sink. " _No doubt they've gone back to Ponyville already,_ " He unhappily thought to himself. " _And I can't blame them. Guess there's no reason to hang around here, I'll just have to go back to Miss. Rarity and see what the judges thought of her new line._ " To the bellhop stallion he politely told him. "Thank you for your help young man. Here, why don't you take this as a small token of appreciation?" He forked over a small pocket worth of bits.

"But sir, I didn't do anything!" The bellhop stallion called out, but Fancy Pants was already too far away to hear.

It took Fancy Pants a while to reach fashion runway plaza, but when he did his eyes were immediately greeted with the sad face of Rarity. "So, did we lose?" He asked her, even though the look on her face seemed to tell all.

"I, I don't know. The judges said they're still deciding," Rarity glumly replied. "It's down to either Suri or myself though, I know that much. Prim didn't seem too happy about you running off though."

Fancy Pants sighed, but still trotted up to Rarity and put a hoof around her neck. "Well, at least we gave it the old college try." He told her, trying his best to sound upbeat and optimistic.

Just then, the door burst open, and into the room trotted an entire group worth of familiar ponies (and one dragon)! Fancy Pants could hardly believe his eyes, and neither could Rarity!

"We're sorry, we overslept." Thunderlane apologized.

"By the time we came down here, it was too late. The show was already over." Shining Armor added, sounding rather unhappy.

"So, did you win?" Fluttershy asked, hopefully.

Rarity and Fancy Pants looked at each other, then sighed as Fancy Pants told everyone gathered. "I don't think so, I'm afraid it looks like Suri has won after all," The hearts of everyone in the room sank just a little. But Fancy Pants immediately followed up by saying. "But you know what, I don't care about that silly award anymore! All I care about is how I treated you all, and last night I treated you most awfully."

"Well, you _were_ pretty rotten to put it mildly." Big Macintosh commented with a straight face.

Soarin was quite surprised. "Not quite how I would've chosen to present it, but I suppose that's why you're the Element of Honesty and I'm not." He commented to Big Macintosh.

"Look, last night we may not have seen you two at your best, but we know you well enough to know that's not who you really are," Twilight spoke up on behalf of the group. "It'll take a lot more than that for us to abandon you."

From afar, Coco watched the entire group. She felt tempted to speak up and say something, especially considering what she had just found out. But one look at the group told her she shouldn't bother. They were all so happy, so why should she ruin the moment when it was because of her that their friendship had been pushed to nearly the breaking point in the first place?

Not noticing Coco, Fancy Pants immediately spoke up and offered. "Perhaps the least I can do is make up for our behavior last night. So, how would you all like to see a special encore performance of _Hinny of the Hills_?"

* * *

Later that afternoon, the bridleway theater was mostly empty, except for a small group of ponies and one dragon. All of whom were watching the final scene of _Hinny of the Hills_.

When the musical had concluded and all the actors and actresses had taken their bows, everyone burst into thunderous applause. Clapping and cheering, or in the case of the ponies stomping their hooves in appreciation.

Even Rainbow Dash couldn't contain her excitement! She flew into the air loudly shouting, "Woohoo, best musical ever!" before she realized how silly she looked, landed, and adopting a more neutral tone added. "I mean... it was 'ight." That got a chuckle out of her friends.

"So, not that I mean to look this here gift horse in the mouth or anythin', but how did you manage to talk the cast into doin' a special encore performance just for us?" Braeburn asked Fancy Pants.

"Well, you remember the costume designer who's a good friend of Miss. Rarity and I?" Fancy Pants asked, to which everyone nodded. "Well, I offered to help him design the costumes for his next play."

The mood in the theater suddenly changed, as everyone realized what that would mean. "Oh." Was all they could bring themselves to say.

"Fancy Pants, you don't have to do that," Rarity offered. "I'm the one who knows how to make costumes, let me help the designer."

But Fancy Pants shook his head. "Miss. Rarity, you deserve better than the likes of me. I got so wrapped up in trying to help Coco that I completely neglected you until it was almost too late to help you. Even if you don't win first place here, at least you'll have developed a reputation, you'll have plenty of top notch fashion designers begging to take you on. Any one of them will treat you better than I have these past few days."

"Fancy Pants, you are more than just an employer to me," Rarity spoke up, a few tears forming in her eyes. "In a lot of ways you're one of my best friends. You've always been there for me when it counts. Heck, you were willing to drag yourself through tartarus and back just to get me a tapestry from the Castle of the Two Sisters. How could I possibly abandon you just because you made one mistake? You realized it, you feel sorry about it, and you've gone to great lengths to make up for it. I should think anypony would consider themselves looking to work for you."

"Thank you, Miss. Rarity, but my mind has been made up already," Fancy Pants replied, sounding a bit glum. "I know this job will keep me away from Ponyville for a while, but it was the only way I could make up for causing all of you to miss _Hinny of the Hills_ last night."

"Yeah, we know that. And we're happy for you, really." Pinkie Pie said, as everyone else in attendance silently nodded.

"We're just... you know... sad, for us." Twilight finished.

However, at that very moment, a familiar soft and gentle voice spoke up. "Um, is there room for one more?" Everyone turned and gasped, there was Coco, and she appeared to be holding a small box of some sort in her hooves.

"Coco, what are you doing here?" Fancy Pants asked, sounding quite surprised.

"You left before you could claim your reward," Coco explained, as she approached the stallion to whom she owed so much and gave him the book. "Go ahead, open it." She encouraged.

Fancy Pants did so, and what he saw nearly made his eyes pop out! Inside was a small golden trophy with the number one emblazoned onto it! "But, I don't understand. I thought we lost." He spoke up.

Coco smiled. "You didn't, you won. The judges had a hard time deciding who to give the victory to, until I told Prim what Suri had done. When Suri found out she was furious, so she thought that if you didn't claim your prize and thought you had lost, the judges would consider it a forfeit, and the prize would go to the next runner up. I guess she figured that if she couldn't win fashion week, the least she could do was make sure you didn't win either," Then she added. "I've been working for Suri so long that I really did start to believe it was everypony for herself in the big city. But when I saw how your friends and loved ones never abandoned you, even after you treated them badly, I realized that Suri was wrong. So I made sure to tell Suri I quit for good this time!" She then dug into her saddle bag as she told Fancy Pants. "And here, I brought you a little something to say thanks." The gift she hoofed to him was a rainbow colored thread on a spool.

Fancy Pants smiled back, before he said to Coco. "I guess you're going to need a new job now that you're no longer working for Suri. And I'm sorry to say, I'm just not cut out to manage two promising young mares. But as a consolation prize, how would you like to have a job designing costumes for bridleway plays? I'll put in a good word with the costume designer and I'm sure he'll say yes."

Coco was practically ecstatic! "Really?! You'd do that just for me?!"

Fancy Pants nodded. "Think of it as my way of repaying you for the thread."

* * *

The rest of fashion week flew by in a blur after that. Fancy Pants and Fleur had a wonderful anniversary, made even sweeter by the fact that Rarity had taken first place.

Rarity enjoyed meeting and working with some of the best designers in all of Equestria, even managing to land a new order from Sapphire Shores who was planning to launch a new Equestria wide tour in a few months (supposedly it was to try and maintain her position as the pony of pop, a new challenger had recently popped up by the name of Countess Coloratura).

Before either Fancy Pants or Rarity would've liked it, fashion week came to a close and it was time to board the train back to Ponyville. Both were sad to say goodbye to the big city, but at the same time they _were_ starting to get a bit homesick.

On the train ride home, Fancy Pants took out the rainbow colored threat on a spool and smiled at it. "You know, I think I'm going to hold onto this thread for a while," He said, looking across to Shining Armor. "I can't really explain it, but there's just something magical about it." If he had been looking, Fancy Pants would've seen the thread give off the same rainbow shimmer that the ropes had given off a few days earlier.


	80. Chapter 80: Spitfire's Sick Day

Fashion week was not the only major event that occupied the attention of Shining and his friends as the weeks following the Summer Sun Celebration went by with no progress on the mysterious chest. With the Crystal Empire having been selected to host the Equestria Games, there was a great deal of excitement both in the empire, and all over Equestria.

But for Soarin, the Equestria Games meant extra work, for him and his fellow Wonderbolts. With The Wonderbolts representing Cloudsdale in the Equestria Games, including the tryouts, there was a great sense of pride and determination.

Thankfully, however, Soarin _was_ granted a little bit of time off. Said time extended to about a week after returning from Manehattan with his friends, and he made sure to make the most of it.

Alas, time flies when you're having fun, and sooner than Soarin would've liked it was time to him to head back up to Cloudsdale and return to the Wonderbolts compound at their official academy.

"I'll try to come and visit you all as much as Spitfire will let me," Soarin said to all his friends the evening before. "But don't be too surprised if I'm more or less stuck up in Cloudsdale until the Equestria Games pass. Hey, nopony ever said being a Wonderbolt was easy."

"It's alright, Spitfire and the others would want you at your best," Shining replied. "And we know you won't forget about us. Just don't forget to write every once in a while, you know especially how clingy Pinkie Pie can get."

No one dared to say a word, they just looked across at Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.

Quickly changing the subject by clearing his throat, Soarin smiled as he said. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks again, everyone. And Rainbow Dash, I look forward to facing you and your team in the stadium when the games roll around. I hope you'll give me, Spitfire, and Fleetfoot a good challenge."

"Count on it, Soarin!" Rainbow Dash vowed. "We'll give you a challenge the likes of which you've never seen before!"

And with that, Soarin took off. He arrived at Wonderbolt Academy just after sunset, and his fellow Wonderbolts gave him a big welcome (even Fleetfoot), though Soarin _did_ find it odd that Spitfire wasn't there to greet him. He shrugged it off. " _She's probably got important captain stuff to tend to,_ " He thought. " _Like figuring out just how many laps she's gonna make me fly to get me in shape._ " And he went to sleep quite unconcerned, thoroughly convinced that Spitfire would have him up bright and early the next day.

* * *

But the next day, Soarin was awoken not by the whistle Spitfire was fond of using, but by the ringing of his alarm clock. Something that gave Soarin cause for concern. "Spitfire _never_ sleeps in during training season," He said to himself, as he got out of bed. And he began to worry. "I sure hope nothing bad's happened to her."

Soarin went about his morning routine, but there was no sign of Spitfire anyway, which only made Soarin even more concerned. Even after he'd finished breakfast and changed into his flight suit, Spitfire was still nowhere to be seen.

Thinking that perhaps Spitfire had for whatever reason fallen asleep at her desk, Soarin walked the halls of the academy, but when he pushed open the door to Spitfire's office, he found that she wasn't there. And a quick search of the locker rooms, the exercise room, the showers, and the mess hall, turned up neither hide or hair of her.

Just as Soarin was about to check his calendar to see if perhaps he'd misread the date, Fleetfoot came trotting up to him with an anxious look on her face. "Ah, there you are, Soarin. Been looking all over for you." She greeted while panting, for whatever reason she seemed to be out of breath.

"Fleetfoot?" Soarin asked with a puzzled look. "Is something wrong?"

"The mail just arrived a short time ago, and there was a letter from Spitfire," Fleetfoot explained, pausing every so often to catch her breath. "She's gotten sick with a nasty cold and won't be able to come in and supervise us today."

Soarin was shocked, but a part of him was weary of believing what Fleetfoot had said. She usually meant well, but her ego could sometimes be a problem (Soarin had hoped he was hearing things when Fleetfoot had "joked" to Spitfire about having Soarin replaced on the aerial relay team). "Fleetfoot, if this is your idea of a joke, it isn't funny." He replied quite sternly.

But Fleetfoot only shook her head as she told Soarin. "It's no joke. Here, have a look for yourself!" And she hoofed the letter to Soarin, who grabbed it and examined it carefully, the hoofwriting did indeed match Spitfire's (and Soarin doubted Fleetfoot could just copy Spitfire's hoofwriting).

"So, she's sick after all huh?" Soarin commented when he'd finished reading the letter. "Well, that's too bad."

Fleetfoot nodded. "But you know what that means, Soarin. Due to Spitfire's absence, as co-captain and second in command of The Wonderbolts, the chain of command falls to you. So as of now, you are officially acting Captain of The Wonderbolts! Congratulations!"

Soarin was delighted, he'd always longed for the chance to lead The Wonderbolts, and now he finally had the chance! But suddenly and inexplicably, his thoughts turned to Spitfire, likely sick in bed back at her home. " _Even if it's just a cold, it must really stink to be home all alone with nopony to care for you,_ " He thought to himself. " _I should probably pay her a visit, just to make sure she's okay. It's the least I can do considering I kind of owe my spot on the team to her, what with us being childhood friends and all._ "

"So, what are your orders, Captain Soarin?" Fleetfoot asked in the official Wonderbolts salute pose. "You name it, we'll do it!"

Soarin tried not to smirk. " _This'll teach Fleetfoot a thing or two about trying to replace me,_ " He thought. " _Once she sees what I have to put up with, she'll reconsider in a heartbeat._ " He immediately looked at Fleetfoot and told her. "My first act as captain, is to make **YOU** captain. Effective immediately and until Spitfire comes back, you'll be in charge of The Wonderbolts."

Fleetfoot's mouth dropped wide open! "What?! Me?!" She exclaimed. "But, I've never been a leader before!"

"Making this an excellent opportunity to get your hooves wet," Soarin replied. "Surely you can manage for a day or two, right? After all, you were so eager to have me replaced on the aerial relay team just a few weeks back. I think it's obvious you want my post, so allow me to give it you as a gift."

"But Soarin, I was only joking!" Fleetfoot protested. "Come on, wouldn't somepony like Misty Fly or even Surprise be better suited to this? And think about what you're doing, this is the opportunity of a lifetime, are you really going to pass it up?"

"My decision is final, you're the captain now whether you like it or not," Soarin said with a snicker. "As for yours truly, I'm gonna be paying Spitfire a little visit. You know how hard it can be for her to take a break at times like this, somepony's got to make sure she doesn't try to overtax herself."

"Couldn't we just send a letter to her mother? What's her name, Stormy Flare was it?" Fleetfoot suggested to Soarin.

Soarin shook his head. "Even if one were sent, it could take days before Stormy Flare could get there to check up on Spitfire. I'll be much faster, plus Spitfire will probably listen to me more than she will her own mother. They keep in touch, but I can tell Spitfire wouldn't like being treated like a kid again."

"But, but!" Fleetfoot protested, trying to think of a valid argument.

Soarin just laughed and shook his head. "If you really need help, just get Misty Fly or Surprise, or even Rapid Fire. Now if you'll excuse me, I really must be going." And he flew off before Fleetfoot could utter a single phrase in protest.

* * *

Soarin quickly flew to Spitfire's house, fortunately it wasn't too far away from Wonderbolt HQ (though still a good flight's length away). It was your typical cloud house, two stories high, a couple of windows, and one door. Landing on the doorstep, Soarin inspected himself. He had changed out of his flight suit (he didn't need it getting all sweaty from flying to and from Spitfire's house, plus he didn't want to attract unwanted attention in case any annoying autograph hounds or the paparazzi were around) and left it and his googles back at the academy, so now he was just in his cornflower blue coat. Perfect, this wasn't supposed to be anything special, just a visit between friends. Without further hesitation, Soarin reached out a hoof and knocked gently on the door.

"Who is it?" Spitfire called from the other side of the door, she sounded noticeably raspy and Soarin could've sworn he'd just heard a sniffle.

"It's me, Soarin," Soarin answered. "Mind if I come in, Captain?"

"Go away, Soarin! I'm perfectly fine, it's just a stupid head cold!" Spitfire protested, this time Soarin knew for sure he'd heard a sniffle. "It'll clear up in a day or two with bed rest and medicine."

Soarin refused to obey. "Spitfire, I didn't come all this way just to be turned away. You and I both know you're far too dedicated to your job to take some time off even when you're sick. You need somepony like me to help you take it easy."

"But you'll get sick too," Spitfire protested, before she let out what sounded like a sneeze. "Please, just go back to headquarters and carry on without me. You're not my mother and I didn't ask for you to care about my well being."

"Well too bad, because I'm here now and I'm not leaving whether you like it or not," Soarin stubbornly replied. "Come on, open the door, please."

Spitfire sighed, Soarin was being incredibly persistent. "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?" She asked.

"Nope," Soarin said with a smile. "After all, it's what friends do. And if you're worried about me getting sick, I'll be just fine. I already had a cold the day I came back from that creepy Castle of the Two Sisters, plus I'm up to date on all my shots. Now come on, open the door already!"

A minute or two passed without any sort of reply, before Soarin's ears picked up the sound of the doorknob turning. When the door swung open, Soarin didn't hesitate to step inside and close the door behind him. It was now that he got a good look at the inside of Spitfire's house, and he was surprised at how messy and disorganized everything was.

Piles of letters lay unsorted on a nearby table, several unwashed dishes rested next to the kitchen sink, a pillow and blanket appeared to scattered lazily across the living room sofa, and on the nightstand besides it (resting beside a framed picture of Stormy Flare) was a box of tissues with the used ones tossed into a pile beside it. Even more surprising, was that all the lights had been turned off, so the only source of light in the entire building came from Celestia's sun.

A nazzly and hoarse sounding cough drew Soarin's attention to Spitfire, a tissue clutched firmly in her front right hoof. Soarin took one look at Spitfire, and nearly jumped back in surprise, she looked terrible! Her vivid two tone orange mane and tail looked completely disheveled and disfigured, sticking up in a few places. Her orange coat looked noticeably drained of color around her face, and faint bangs were noticeable under her dark orange eyes. Were it not for her cutie mark, Soarin would've thought he was looking at a different pony entirely.

"Well?" Spitfire asked, turning her head to cough. "You gonna just stand there, looking at me all day?!"

"Spitfire, you look far worse than I thought you would for just a cold," Soarin commented. "And just look at how messy this place is."

Spitfire coughed. "Sorry, haven't really had much time to clean up. I wasn't exactly expecting company." She apologized.

Soarin tried his hardest to smile. "Well, guess it's a good thing I came here then. Looks like you need somepony to help clean things up a little."

"I can manage just fine on my own, I don't need your help!" Spitfire protested, before she let out a huge sneeze (thankfully not in Soarin's direction) and wobbled slightly.

"It's not up for argument, Spitfire!" Soarin replied quite firmly. "And you're not sleeping on the couch either, you need bed rest. Just leave everything to me while you focus on getting your strength back. Right now, you're no good to anyone, especially not The Wonderbolts."

Spitfire couldn't argue with that, as much as she wished she could. "I suppose I'm due for a sick day," She said with a yawn. "Being captain of Cloudsdale's pride and joy sure does take it out of you," Then a thought struck her and she turned to Soarin as she asked. "But, if you're here, then who's running things back at the academy?"

Soarin smiled. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about it, Fleetfoot's got everything under control."

Spitfire was more than a little alarmed by Soarin's statement! "Fleetfoot?! But she's one of the younger members!"

"True, and look at how fast she's climbed the ladder," Soarin replied, calming Spitfire down. "I wouldn't have put her in charge if the chain of command didn't dictate that she was the next one to take over if you and I were unavailable. It's just until you're back on your hooves."

"I just hope she knows what she's doing, for her sake," Spitfire said, as she made her way up to her bedroom. "If she doesn't, when i get back she's gonna have a lot to answer for."

Soarin laughed. "Anyone ever tell you you're beautiful when you're angry?" He teased.

"Shut up, or when I'm back to full strength I'm gonna make you fly 10,000 laps, or until your wings fall off, whichever comes first." Spitfire teased back, before she slipped upstairs. It wasn't long before Soarin heard the sound of his friend, captain, and fellow Wonderbolt snoring away, and he smiled. " _Good, she needs to rest. She's been overdue for some down time for a long time now._ " He thought, as he set to work on cleaning up Spitfire's house.

* * *

It didn't take long for Soarin to lose track of the time, as he occupied himself with cleaning up the messes Spitfire had made. He didn't particular mind it, compared to cleaning up the compound whenever he was the worst flyer (which thankfully was happening less and less) cleaning up his friend's house wasn't as big a deal for the stallion. Disposing of the tissues was simple enough, Soarin just used his wing to push them into a trash bin. Washing the dishes took a while, as some stains proved difficult to scrub out. Deciding to leave the pillow and blanket for last (so as not to wake Spitfire when he returned them to her bedroom), he next set his sights on the stack of letters, sorting them into the usual piles of bills, junk mail, and autograph and public appearance requests.

But there was one letter amidst the stack that stood out like a sore hoof. Encased in a red envelope, the address was instantly recognizable to Soarin. It was from Stormy Flare, and it was now that Soarin remembered, Spitfire's birthday was today! " _Man, nothing is worse than being sick on your birthday._ " He thought, as he respectfully set the letter on the stand next to the sofa, for Spitfire to read later.

The knowledge of the fact that it was Spitfire's birthday, caused Soarin to feel a bit guilty. " _If I hadn't come over to check on Spitfire, I don't know if I would've remembered,_ " He thought to himself. " _And chances are the other Wonderbolts forgot too. I should go back to headquarters and tell them, then we can work on a care package or something for when Spitfire's back to full strength._ "

However, before Soarin could make any decisions, his ears picked up the sound of a yawn followed by what sounded like minutes worth of coughing, sniffling, and sneezing. In an instant, Soarin knew what his priorities were. He could always just send a letter to headquarters or something, and there was probably a good chance Surprise had remembered Spitfire's birthday, Surprise always made it a habit to remember everypony's birthday. It was part of the reason why she'd taken it upon herself to become the self proclaimed party pony of The Wonderbolts.

" _Let's do something for that nasty cough first,_ " Soarin thought to himself, and started searching the cabinets in the kitchen. " _Nursing Spitfire back to health is probably the best birthday present I give to her on such short notice._ "

Spitfire groaned as she slowly sat up in her bed, her cold was being incredibly persistent. "Stupid cold, you just had to pick today of all days." She said to herself, punching her pillow in frustration.

"Yeah, it's unfortunate, but at least you've got one pony to celebrate it with, more or less," Soarin replied with a smile, as he trotted into the room with a bottle of medicine and a small cup tucked under his hooves. "Happy birthday, Spitfire. Sorry you have to spend it stuck in bed."

Spitfire looked at Soarin. Surely, she had heard things.

Soarin just laughed. "That's right, you heard me. Today's your birthday, and I'm here to celebrate it with you, to some extent anyways," He then unscrewed the cap on the medicine bottle, pouring the red liquid into the cup. "Here, drink this. It'll help with the cold."

"Soarin, I'm not some little kid!" Spitfire complained.

Soarin only smiled and chuckled. "Oh come now, don't be like that. Either take your medicine like the big filly you are, or I'll do it for you. Your choice."

Reluctantly, Spitfire accepted the small cup and allowed its contents to enter her mouth. The taste was quite overwhelming, and she coughed quite a bit.

"Oops, sorry about that!" Soarin apologized. "Why don't I get you something to wash out the taste?"

"No!" Spitfire protested loudly, before she quickly corrected herself. "I mean, no thank you, I can fetch it myself. Why don't you make yourself useful and go out into town? That medicine bottle's nearly empty."

"Captain, I'm not gonna just leave you like this. No way, no how!" Soarin said with a shake of his head.

Spitfire could tell Soarin was being stubborn, and knew she had to think of some other way to convince him to leave. Suddenly, an idea came to her! "Since you just remembered its my birthday, you probably don't have any sort of gift you can give me," She suggested to Soarin. "So, why don't you browse around town and get a little gift for me?"

"What sort of gift would you like?" Soarin asked, hoping for something more specific.

"Oh, whatever you think I'll like. You know me so well, so I'm sure you can tell if what you have in mind is something I'll like," Spitfire vaguely answered. "I'll just stay here and maybe get some more rest. Besides, I've got plenty of books and magazines to keep me occupied."

Soarin looked at Spitfire, eyeing his friend carefully. He couldn't quite put his hoof on it, but something felt off. However, this thought was quickly overshadowed by his desire to get her something nice for her birthday. " _I won't be gone long,_ " He thought to himself. " _Spitfire should be able to take care of things by herself until I get back, right?_ " Reluctantly, Soarin left Spitfire's room and prepared to set off to find a gift.

Spitfire chuckled to herself. "Hate to do that to you, Soarin. But desperate times call for desperate measures." She made sure not to say that too loudly.

* * *

Searching for the perfect gift proved to be rather challenging for Soarin, it was hard for him to think of what Spitfire most wanted (besides getting over her cold of course). But at last, he found a suitable present in the form of a Team Cloudsdale banner.

Once the gift had been wrapped up, and Soarin had obtained a refill on the medicine bottle, he flew back to Spitfire's house. He was a bit concerned, as he'd been gone for almost two hours, far longer than he would've liked.

Putting the medicine bottle back in the cabinet, and setting the gift on the kitchen table, Soarin called out. "Spitfire! I'm back!" But there was no reply.

Thinking she might have dozed off, Soarin flew up to Spitfire's bedroom. But he gasped in horror at what he saw! Not only was Spitfire not in bed, but the sheets had been carelessly tossed aside, a clear sign that Spitfire had gotten up! And since Soarin couldn't find her anywhere, he had a very bad feeling about where Spitfire was.

His fears seemed to be concerned when the stallion lay his eyes upon a note that rested on Spitfire's bed stand, it read as follows:

 _Soarin,_

 _I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I don't need you to look out for me all the time. I just need a little fresh air to get over this stubborn cold._

 _I've gone out for a short fly but should be back before sunset. Don't bother waiting for me or looking for me._

 _This is something I must do myself to prove that no measly cold can keep me down! If you try to come after me, I'll have you court-martialed for disobeying a direct order from your captain!_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Spitfire, your captain_

As Soarin pondered what to do, suddenly and without any explanation, a stream of rainbow colored light shimmered across the paper and was reflected in Soarin's eyes. At that moment, the co-captain knew **EXACTLY** what he had to do!

"Hang on, Spitfire! I'm coming!" Soarin shouted, flapping his wings as he bolted out the front door. In his mind he was thinking. " _Please don't let her have gone too far! Please!_ "

* * *

Spitfire coughed and sneezed, struggling to keep her wings flapping steadily. "Urgh, come on!" She groaned to herself. "I am Spitfire, Captain of The Wonderbolts! Some stupid cold isn't gonna keep me down, no siree!"

But it seemed that the young captain's body wasn't listening, it actively fought against her every step of the way. Every wing flap felt like a struggle just to stay in the air!

All of a sudden, in the distance, a voice shouted. "Never fear, Captain! Soarin's here!"

Spitfire would've loved to turn around in mid flight and eye the one who had shouted that command. But all her energy was being spent just to keep flying in a straight line, she didn't dare try to turn around and expend what energy she had left! All she could do was call out in her raspy and nazzly voice. "S...Soarin?"

In a flash, Soarin caught up with Spitfire and was by her side, effectively propping her up! "Come on, Cap, we've got to get you back home and fast!"

"What are you doing here? I thought I told you not to follow me." Spitfire weakly called, coughing quite a bit.

"That's one order I could never obey, not under these circumstances!" Soarin vowed. "We Wonderbolts always stick together, no matter what! I will not leave your side just because you say so, not when I know you need me!"

" _He's as stubborn as they come,_ " Spitfire thought to herself, as she was led back home by Soarin. " _But that's what I like about him. A friend like him comes once in a lifetime, if you're lucky._ "

* * *

The journey back home proved to be very tense, but with Soarin's help Spitfire was soon back on solid cloud and no longer had to worry about flying. Completely taxed from her struggle, she nearly collapsed right then and there.

Soarin helped Spitfire back up to bed and tucked her in. "You really need to learn to rest and relax, Captain. You're always trying to push yourself to the limit, no matter what. And don't we Wonderbolts thrive on the motto 'No unnecessary risks'?"

Spitfire blushed in embarrassment. "I've never been so humiliated in all my life," She commented. "Thank you so much, Soarin. You were willing to put your very position on the team at stake, just for me. How could I ever repay loyalty like that?"

"You don't have to, just being there for you is reward enough," Soarin replied, but he was most surprised to see Spitfire reach over to her bedroom drawer, open it, and give him a badge depicting The Wonderbolts logo. "For me?" Soarin asked.

Spitfire nodded. "You deserve it, you're the best friend I could've ever asked for. I'd be proud to call you my wingpony, anytime."

Soarin chuckled and smiled. "Horseapples, you could be _my_ wingmare." He joked, prompting him and Spitfire to both laugh out loud. Had either of them been looking at the badge that moment, however, they would've seen it give off a rainbow glow.


	81. Chapter 81: The Super Duper Party Pony?

After the qualifiers for the Equestria Games concluded at Rainbow Falls, Braeburn decided he'd been away from Appleloosa for long enough and it was time to return home. Much like with Soarin, he promised to stay in touch with the group as best he could, and hopefully he'd be able to make it to the actual Equestria Games at the Crystal Empire.

"Sure does feel good to be home again," Braeburn said to himself, as he stepped off the train at Appleloosa. "Feels like it's been ages since I was back here. I can't wait to tell everyone about Fashion Week and what went down at Rainbow Falls. Boy, I'm sure gonna have a lot of stories to tell."

But shortly after leaving the train station, Braeburn was surprised to spot what appeared to be an earth pony stallion in the distance. Said stallion was coming over the horizon, and appeared to be wearing what looked like a black cowboy hat and poncho, as well as a rubber chicken resting on his back.

" _A stranger?_ " Braeburn thought to himself. " _But why do I get the feeling I've somehow seen him before somewhere?_ "

Braeburn just stood there, watching as the mysterious stallion drew closer. It was now that Braeburn had a chance to see just what the stallion looked like. His coat was a light brilliant orangish-yellow, his mane and tail were colored brown and looked strikingly similar to Pinkie Pie's, and his green eyes looked like they were containing hints of sorrow. What was most odd though, was his cutie mark. It appeared to be a grilled cheese sandwich.

"Howdy, stranger," Braeburn greeted, as the mysterious stallion drew close. "My name's Braeburn, and it's my job to welcome you to Aaaapleloosa!"

"Ah, so that's the name of the town, huh?" The mysterious stallion asked, looking at Braeburn. "Well, Appleloosa seems like an interesting sort of place."

"Uh, excuse me, sir, but I didn't catch your name," Braeburn commented. "You... uh _do_ have a name, right?"

The mysterious stallion nodded, though he still seemed intent to keep up his somber appearance and tone of voice. "Name's Cheese, Cheese Sandwich."

Braeburn shook Cheese Sandwich's hoof. "Well howdy do there, Mr. Cheese Sandwich! So nice of ya to pay our humble little town a visit. What brings ya this way, if you don't mind me askin'?"

"Well, I just go wherever the wind and my 'Cheesie Sense' tell me I'm needed," Cheese answered. "Not that I mean to brag, but I'm actually a party pony of great worth. I like to call myself 'The Super Duper Party Pony'!"

Braeburn flashed a bright smile at Cheese. "Oh, so you're a party pony too, huh? Well that's good to hear!" Then he added. "I ain't a party pony by profession or anythin', but I like to think I'm sort of an unofficial one! I plan parties quite often, sometimes on my own and sometimes with help from Pinkie Pie!"

"You know Pinkie?" Cheese asked, his mood suddenly changing.

Braeburn nodded. "I sure do. In fact, I recently heard from Cousin Applejack that she might be a distant cousin of mine, fourth cousin twice removed or somethin' like that."

"Interesting," Cheese mumbled, and then he replied. "Well, I was just curious. Nice to meet a fellow party pony though."

"Huh, maybe you, Pinkie, and I could form somethin' of an alliance of party ponies!" Braeburn suggested. "Wouldn't that be cool?!"

"Thanks, but I much prefer to live my life on the road," Cheese explained. "I go from town to town and from place to place, wherever there's a party in need of planning, I'll be there. Right, Boneless?" He asked the rubber chicken on his back, said rubber chicken didn't reply.

"You give your rubber chicken a name, huh?" Braeburn asked. "You sleep with him too?"

Cheese nodded and blushed. "Sometimes, usually if I don't have a proper bed to sleep on. But such is the life of a traveling party pony, you get used to roughing it."

"So, I take it your 'Cheesie Sense' brought you here?" Braeburn asked the party pony.

Cheese firmly nodded. "But it doesn't seem like there's a party in need of planning, I guess my 'Cheesie Sense' is on the fritz again or something."

"Or perhaps, you just got here a little early and the party that needs plannin' isn't ready to be planned yet," Braeburn commented. "Either way, you're welcome to stay here and live with me for as long as you'd like. After all, we here at Appleloosa are known for our hospitality."

"Well, with an offer like that, how could I say no?" Cheese asked, his tone of voice changing to sound more upbeat. "Lead the way, my good sir."

Braeburn nodded happily, and led Cheese Sandwich through town, all the while thinking to himself. " _How lucky am I?! I get to meet a party pony that could rival even Pinkie Pie, and one that claims to be a Super Duper Party Pony! Fate must've brought him here to help me plan the upcoming party celebrating the anniversary of peace in Appleloosa!_ "

* * *

Sure enough, the very next day, Braeburn announced said plans to Cheese Sandwich. "I've got just the party for you to plan! We here in Appleloosa are about to celebrate an important anniversary! It's the anniversary of peace between us settlers and the native buffalo tribe!"

"And you want me to help you plan it, right?" Cheese asked, to which Braeburn nodded. "Very well, it'll be nice to throw a party for such a grand occasion, instead of the usual birthday and surprise parties. Not that I mind doing them."

"Well, first you've gotta meet everyone, or at least the head of the buffalo tribe and his daughter!" Braeburn happily exclaimed, grabbing Cheese Sandwich by the hoof. "Come on, just wait until you see Chief Thunderhooves and Little Strongheart! I know they'll like you!"

And Braeburn was right, both Chief Thunderhooves and Little Strongheart were more than thrilled to meet a pony like Cheese Sandwich. They were impressed by his many stories, and the fact that he'd traveled all over Equestria.

"It is not often we are allowed to have such company," Chief Thunderhooves said in his booming voice. "If your parties are truly as magnificent as you say they are, then we look forward to being a part of this one."

"But I'm curious," Little Strongheart commented, looking at Boneless. "Why do you carry that rubber chicken around everywhere you go?"

Cheese seemed to be rather surprised at this statement, as if he were not expecting such a question to be asked. "Uh... it's a long and boring story," He hastily answered. "Let's just say that Boneless reminds me of somepony I once met, somepony that really inspired me to become who I am today," Under his breath he added. "But I doubt she even remembers me."

"I see," Little Strongheart replied. "Well, I do hope you'll stick around after the party, or at least some time before the party to hang out. You look like quite the traveler, and I wish I could be like you. Being able to go out and see the world sounds like it would be an incredible adventure. But I must stay with my tribe, it is tradition."

"Sounds like a silly tradition to me, no offense." Cheese commented.

"It's alright, I know you meant no disrespect," Little Strongheart said with a smile. "Now, you and Braeburn had best be going, that party isn't going to plan itself you know."

"Little Strongheart's right!" Braeburn cheerfully commented. "Come on, Cheese! Let's get back to town and start plannin' for that party! I can't wait to see what a Super Duper Party Pony like you can accomplish!"

* * *

The party festivities were arranged to be held in the center of the town, largely so that there would be plenty of room for all the buffalo that wanted to attend. There was a lot that needed to be done in the span of just a few days, and Braeburn was thrilled to have somepony to help him out. "I must admit, even though I've worked with Pinkie Pie on a couple of parties, I've never had anypony helpin' me out here in Appleloosa before," Braeburn said to Cheese Sandwich. "I sure am glad you came along when ya did."

"Hey, if there's a party in need of planning, I'm the pony for the job!" Cheese proclaimed.

"Then let's stop talkin' and start plannin'!" Braeburn happily replied. "I figured we could start with the refreshments and snacks, can't have a party without the proper catterin'."

"Well, let's go take a look and see what you've got so far." Cheese suggested.

Braeburn led Cheese over to a table that had been set up, upon which rested the current food and drink planned to be offered at the party. "Well, here's what we've got at the moment, Mr. Cheese Sandwich. You think it's good enough?" Braeburn asked.

Cheese eyed all the treats and drinks, letting his nose take in all the aromas wafting from the food. He could barely contain his enthusiasm as he happily exclaimed. "Wow, you've got some fine party snacks and drinks!" In a more serious tone he then added. "But do you have anything that's not apple themed at all?"

"Well, maybe a couple of things, I reckon I could probably arrange for stuff like sarsaparilla and some candies," Braeburn concluded, before he chuckled. "However, I can't help it if the menu's mostly apple based goods. It's a part of why we Appleloosans settled down here. So long as you don't mind stuff like apple turnovers, apple brown betties, apple fritters, and apple pie, you can't go wrong."

"Right, I see." Cheese commented. Was it Braeburn's imagination, or did he suddenly seem to be a bit less enthusiastic?

Braeburn didn't dwell on the matter for long, there were plenty of other areas related to the party that needed to be looked over. "So, now that food and drinks are taken care of, why don't we set up some party games?" Braeburn asked Cheese, leading him to a series of small booths set up on either side of the middle of town.

"Are all these booths just for party games?" Cheese asked Braeburn. "Even to a party pony like me, that seems a bit overboard."

Braeburn just laughed. "Maybe a little, but in this case if it's worth doin' then it's worth overdoin'!" He proudly proclaimed. "With your help, I'll bet we can get every kind of party game imaginable! Bob for apples, musical chairs, pinata, and of course 'Pin The Tail on The Pony' my personal favorite!"

Cheese was taken back by that unexpected statement. " _That's_ _ **her**_ _favorite game too!_ " He realized, but didn't say this outloud. " _Yet I still haven't been called to Ponyville to truly prove myself to her, despite the countless parties she's probably thrown._ "

* * *

As the day dragged on, Braeburn started to notice more and more, that Cheese Sandwich's heart didn't seem to fully be into planning the party. Whenever Braeburn would make a suggestion or a comment, Cheese would often just reply with a simple, "Huh? Oh, yeah." or a "Sure, works for me I guess."

Braeburn tried everything to get Cheese to become more interested, but nothing seemed to work. But whenever Braeburn tried to pry and find out what was wrong, Cheese would firmly insist that it was nothing.

By the time the party planning was drawing to a close for the day, progress had been slowed down quite a bit. Unable to get Cheese Sandwich's approval or even suggestions, Braeburn was hesitant to go ahead with several major aspects of the party. " _At the rate this is going, this party's going to be a dud, hardly worthy of a party hosted and organized by a self proclaimed 'Super Duper Party Pony' like Cheese Sandwich,_ " He thought to himself. " _Does this mean I'm losing my touch when it comes to cheering ponies up?_ "

Just then, the setting rays of the sun reflected off of some of the streamers, and when Braeburn looked closely he saw them give off a rainbow colored shimmer. Said shimmer was reflected in his eyes, and all of a sudden, he knew what to do! "Hey, Cheese Sandwich!" He called.

"Yes?" Cheese asked Braeburn, barely able to pretend he was interested in planning a party.

"Why don't you just head on home and get some rest? I'll manage the rest by myself." Braeburn encouraged.

"You really sure about that? I could still help you a little." Cheese suggested, he really didn't want Braeburn to have anymore reason to suspect something was wrong with him.

Braeburn only shook his head. "You've had a long day helpin' me plan everythin' and get it all organized, you deserve a good night's rest far more than I do. Besides, I'm always more of a night owl, so I'm used to stayin' out late."

Cheese sighed, but obeyed. "Well, alright I guess. But if you change your mind, just let me know." And the party pony turned and trotted back to Braeburn's house to spend the night.

Braeburn smiled, as he watched Cheese depart. " _Don't you worry, Mr. Cheese Sandwich,_ " He thought. " _I know just what you need to put a smile back on that face of yours! I just hope I can pull it off in such a short amount of time._ " And once he was certain Cheese was nowhere in sight, he too set off, though not for home.

* * *

The next morning, Cheese woke up to find that Braeburn was nowhere to be seen. " _He probably went out to get an early start on the party planning preparations,_ " He thought, as he got up from the bed and made sure Boneless was close by, as he slipped on his shirt.

But when Cheese left Braeburn's house and started to make his way towards the center of town, he was surprised to find it almost completely deserted, as if all the inhabitants had just packed up and left in the middle of the night.

However, was it just Cheese's imagination, or did there seem to be the sounds of party music and excited chattering just over the horizon? His curiosity getting the better of him, Cheese slowly continued his journey towards the center of town, peeking around the corners of buildings and roads to see if he could spot anything.

When Cheese, at last, reached the center of town, he could hardly believe his eyes! The entire town of Appleloosa (and most of the local buffalo tribe) was gathered beneath a massive banner, while a bunch of colorful streamers hung limply along the sides of buildings, an entire chocolate fountain and a giant cake rested atop the food and drinks table next to the apple treats. And the banner itself read in large letters: "Happy Birthday Cheese Sandwich!"

"Surprise!" Braeburn shouted, as did everyone else gathered!

Cheese Sandwich was speechless! "How did you know it was my birthday today?!" To Braeburn he asked. "Do you have some kind of 'Cheesie Sense' or something? I couldn't sense that you had one."

Braeburn shook his head. "No, I don't have a sixth sense. In fact, I actually didn't know today was your birthday, it was just a complete coincidence," He then explained. "I saw you gettin' all unhappy, and I saw how that was affectin' your ability to plan parties. At first I could only think about you as a fellow party pony, and not as an individual. Once I did, I realized that even the best of party ponies can have their down days. And that even party ponies need somepony to plan parties for _them_. I decided a birthday was the best reason to throw you a surprise party, but since I couldn't ask you when your birthday was, I had to just host it today. If it hadn't been your exact birthday, could've been an early or late one."

"But, how did you manage to do all of this in just the span of one night?" Cheese asked Braeburn.

"Like I said, I'm a night owl," Braeburn cheerfully replied. "So it wasn't too hard to get everypony together and get everythin' we needed. The cake and chocolate fountain I ordered secretly from Sugarcube Corner, and had shipped here on the first train this mornin'."

Cheese smiled, even as he wiped tears from his eyes. "Thank you," He said to Braeburn. "You couldn't possibly know how much I needed a party like this. You've really cheered me up."

"Think nothin' of it, it's what we party ponies do best," Braeburn replied, and happily proclaimed. "Now come on, it's party time!"

* * *

The celebration lasted all day long, and into early sunset. Cheese Sandwich delighted in being the guest of honor for a change, and being on the receiving end of a well planned party.

At last, as the party goers began to disperse and call it a night, it happened! All of a sudden, Cheese began to shake and wiggle, his entire body behaving as if something was causing it to vibrate! Most noticeably of all, his cutie mark began to move like an accordion, even giving off a sound that sounded similar to an accordion if played.

Cheese jumped into the air as he happily exclaimed. "Woo-hoo-hoo! That was a doozy!" Once he landed, he adopted a more serious expression as he donned his cowboy hat and poncho, and said to Boneless. "Well, Boneless. Looks like our next party is gonna be in... Ponyville. Hmm... yes, figured it was about time," A slight smile formed on his face as he added. "I'll finally get to see her again, and show her just how far I've come."

But before Cheese could leave, he knew there was one thing he needed to do. He approached Braeburn and gave him Boneless, as he commented. "Here, why don't you take this as a souvenir of my visit?"

Braeburn was surprised. "You really want to give me your special rubber chicken friend?" He asked Cheese. "I couldn't... what would you do without him by your side?"

Cheese only laughed. "Oh, you needn't worry. Boneless isn't the only special rubber chicken in my life. He's got plenty of younger brothers, just ask Boneless Two," He proceeded to pull out a rubber chicken that was similar to Boneless, but had a red number two painted on it. "I _was_ going to give him to Pinkie Pie, seeing as she was the one who gave him to me in the first place, albeit quite unintentionally. But something tells me you were meant to have it."

"So, you're leaving already? And without even a goodbye?" Braeburn asked. "I mean, we party ponies really should try to stick together. Between you, Pinkie Pie, and I, I reckon we could form somethin' of a party pony alliance! An organization dedicated to bringin' smiles and cheers to every corner of Equestria!"

"As flattering as that sounds, I have to decline," Cheese commented to Braeburn. "My path is one that I must walk alone, a path of solitude and solo travel," Then he added. "But, if you ever _do_ decide to get in contact with me for whatever reason, I have something of a small home in the town of San Franciscolt, Boneless should have the address." And with that, he departed. Heading off into the sunset with Boneless Two perched firmly on his back.

Braeburn couldn't help but marvel at Cheese Sandwich, as he watched the party pony disappear over the horizon. " _Somehow, I get the feeling his behavior, costume, and method of entrance are oddly similar to something._ " He thought, as he carried Boneless back to his house. If he had been looking at just the right moment, he would've seen Boneless give off a rainbow glow.


	82. Chapter 82: Life's A Breezie

"The Breezies?" Soarin asked Thunderlane, he and his friends had been most surprised when Thunderlane had asked them to come out to the edge of town to talk to them.

Thunderlane nodded. "Fluttershy says they're due to pass through here on their way back home, and she wants everything to be perfect," Then he added. "It's important their journey home go off without a hitch, the portal to their home is seldom open, and when it is it isn't for very long. If they take too long to come back from their pollen gathering, they risk being stuck outside their home world for a very long time. And unfortunately, when you're as small as a breezie, that's a problem."

"Well, that's interesting and all, but why exactly did you need to tell us this here?" Soarin asked.

"I was hoping to assign some roles to all of you to help the Breezies when they pass through here," Thunderlane explained. "Soarin, you've got some pretty strong wing muscles. I think you'd do an excellent job on breeze control. It needs to be fast enough to steer them through, but gentle enough so that it won't blow them apart. It can be quite tricky to find the right speed."

"Ah gee, I'd like to help, but unfortunately since Cloudsdale's participating in the Equestria Games proper, Spitfire's quite insistent we get as much practice in as we can," Soarin replied, sounding most unhappy. "I'm afraid I won't have time to work on the breeze, let alone be there when the Breezies pass through. A shame though, sounds like it'll be a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"Sadly, Soarin ain't gonna be the only one who's gonna miss out on the whole thing," Braeburn remarked with a frown. "Things are gettin' busy in Appleloosa, there's even talks we might be hostin' the next professional Equestrian Grand Rodeo! With Sheriff Silverstar makin' it clear he wants all hooves on deck, I'm afraid I'll be out of town for quite some time."

"Well, I'll just take a photo for ya, cousin." Big Macintosh suggested.

But Thunderlane immediately spoke up and protested. "You can't do that! The flash could blind some of the Breezies long enough to divert them off course or cause them to crash in the others and up end everything! That pollen they carry is very important, and if they don't get back home in time, it'll go bad. And no pollen means no fruit for most of Equestria. It's unfortunate, but the Breezies are incredibly delicate, it's why they don't leave their home world too often."

"I'm guessing you need my help to get things set up so the Breezies can pass through Ponyville safe and sound?" Shining Armor guessed.

Thunderlane smiled and nodded. "If you could do that, that would be very helpful. Heck, if you wanna bring your sister onboard I wouldn't mind. I know you and Cadence are busy getting things ready in the Crystal Empire for the Equestria Games."

"Ah, Cadence and Flash Sentry have everything under control. I checked in with them via letter this morning," Shining replied. "You just tell me what you need done, and I'll get right on it."

"I suppose I'll have to do my part to keep Miss. Rarity from wearing anything that could prove hazardous to the Breezies," Fancy Pants commented. "That'll probably mean no sequins. A pity, Miss. Rarity just put the finishing touches on a detailed dress made of sequins just this morning."

"Is there anythin' you'd need me to help you with, Thunderlane?" Big Macintosh asked.

Thunderlane shook his head. "Just make sure to keep your little sister and her friends under control if you can, I don't want them to do anything that could interfere with the Breezies journey."

"Don't worry, that shouldn't be a problem," Big Macintosh promised. "So, what are you gonna do? You gonna be helpin' Rainbow Dash to make the breeze for the Breezies?"

"No," Thunderlane replied. "Rainbow Dash already signed up 8-Bit and Cloud Chaser. I'm just responsible for keeping an eye on the Breezies, while looking out for any possible hazards. But I don't see that happening, from what I can see now, I have faith that everything will be just fine and go off without a hitch." Thunderlane had no idea that he would be proven wrong on that statement, and sooner than he might have expected.

* * *

A few days after Thunderlane had asked his friends to meet him at the outskirts of Ponyville, it was time for the Breezies to pass through. Every precaution had been taken to ensure their journey through town would go smoothly and as quickly as possible.

Of course, everypony present had to speak in a whisper, so as not to startle the Breezies. But they didn't mind, the sight of the little creatures more than made up for it. The breezies came in every color imaginable, from hues of blue, yellow, and pink, to shades of green, red, and white.

"Hey, would you get a load of that Breezie over there?" Big Macintosh whispered to Fancy Pants, pointing to a breezie that had a blue coat, and pink hair. "He looks like the leader."

Said Breezie was barking out orders in a language that no one seemed to be able to understand. But his tone of voice was making it quite clear he wasn't very happy. In fact, he sounded rather impatient.

"Wonder what he's so upset about?" Fancy Pants pondered in reply. "They seem to be making good time."

"Yeah, and just look at how adorable they are," Big Macintosh smiled, as he fondly recalled. "I daresay, they're as cute as Apple Bloom was the day she was born. Sure, all the stuff that came after that was a headache, but her happy little face made it all worthwhile."

"Oh, and check out those little sacks they're carrying their pollen in," Fancy Pants observed. "Now that's fashionable _and_ functional."

Thunderlane was watching everything from a nearby hill, and was smiling happily. " _I couldn't have asked for a more perfect experience,_ " He thought to himself. " _Those Breezies will be home in no time, safe and sound._ "

But then suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, Thunderlane spotted a sign of trouble! A stray leaf was been blown towards the Breezies, and no one seemed to know it was coming!

Thunderlane frantically flapped his wings, in the hopes of generating enough of a breeze to divert the leaf away from the Breezies and keep them on course! But alas, he was not powerful enough on his own to alter the leaf's path. " _Oh, I wish Soarin was here!_ " He thought to himself, as he could only watch in horror as the leaf blew past him and towards the Breezies!

In the blink of an eye, a group of Breezies were knocked off course by the leaf and started to spin helplessly!

"Slow down the breeze and let the others catch up!" Rainbow Dash shouted to 8-Bit and Cloudchaser.

"We can't!" 8-Bit glumly replied. "They're too far apart already, if we slow the breeze down anymore it won't be blowing fast enough for any of the Breezies to make it!"

"But we've gotta do something!" Rainbow Dash insisted. "We can't just leave them stuck out there like that!"

Suddenly, Thunderlane felt a sense of urgency overcome him! Before he realized what he was doing, he was already taking off into the skies, rushing to catch the Breezies as they continued to spin about, while the rest of their group had no choice but to leave them behind! "Quick, attach yourselves to me!" He instructed. The Breezies did so without much hesitation, and Thunderlane quickly brought them to safety.

As the Breezies were set on a rock, they began to speak. Thunderlane quickly replied to them. "You're quite welcome, it was my pleasure."

To Thunderlane's surprise, the blue coated and pink haired Breezie from earlier suddenly spoke up and said in plain Equestrian. "You can understand Breezie?"

Thunderlane nodded. "One of the many benefits of hanging out with Fluttershy. So can all of you speak Equestrian too?"

The Breezie shook his head. "Only I can apparently, the rest cannot. My name is Sea Breeze, and I'm the leader of this bunch. Sadly, it would seem they are far from the brightest of Breezies I could've asked to accompany me." The other Breezies seemed to take offense to the remark, but Sea Breeze paid them little attention.

"Will you be alright?" Thunderlane asked Sea Breeze.

"I think we will be, thanks to you," Sea Breeze replied with a smile. "But now we must get home to the others, would you be so kind as to tell your feathered friends up there to generate another breeze for us?"

But Thunderlane shook his head. "Oh no no no! You've all just been through a terrifying experience, and you need time to rest and recover! I know just the pony who can take care of you guys until you're ready to go back home." And he set off for Fluttershy's cottage before any of the Breezies could utter a word in protest.

* * *

Fluttershy was more than a little surprised when Thunderlane showed up at her cottage doorstep. She had wanted to see the Breezies travel home, but had been held up tending to her animal friends, so she was not aware of what had transpired just a short time ago. Thunderlane quickly explained though, much to Fluttershy's shock! "Oh, thank goodness you were there to help. I shudder to think what could've happened had you not been there."

"You said it yourself, the outside world is a dangerous place for the Breezies," Thunderlane replied, trying to be modest. "After that frightening experience I think they could use a little time to unwind. Then they can fly again once they're back up to full strength. I'd hate to make them go out into that cruel world before they were ready."

Sea Breeze was quick to protest. "But we can't stay here! We need to go, or else we will never get home! I wish we did not need that stupid breeze, or I'd force you all to fly right now! If you would all just stick with the program and listen to me, we would already be back home! Home, where every Breezie is like us."

"Now Sea Breeze, there's no need to worry," Thunderlane commented to the leader. "Fluttershy will take good care of you all, and will make sure you leave with plenty of time to get back home. If you try to leave before you're ready, there's no telling what might happen." The other Breezies seemed to agree with Thunderlane, practically clinging to him even as he instructed them to go to Fluttershy.

"I suppose I could keep an eye on them and let them rest up here for an hour or two," Fluttershy said to Thunderlane with a smile. "You'll make sure to come and get me if I forget, won't you?"

"Of course," Thunderlane nodded in reply. "I'll also make sure to check with Rainbow Dash, 8-Bit, and Cloud Chaser, so we can get the right kind of breeze going for them. And I might even be able to track down the cause of that stray leaf."

Sea Breeze wasn't too thrilled with the idea of a delay. "Even one hour is too much! Like you said, we need all the help we can get!" He complained, before he started spouting off a series of random comments that even Thunderlane couldn't decipher.

Fluttershy blushed as she commented to Thunderlane. "He's a bit upset right now and he said some things I'd rather not repeat. I'm sure he'll calm down eventually though."

"Right, see you in an hour or two, Fluttershy." Thunderlane replied, and flew off.

Sea Breeze just looked at Thunderlane, and hung his head. " _There goes my only chance to talk some sense into the others. Guess this Breezie will have to find a way home on his own._ " He thought, and he began to formulate a plan.

* * *

The time seemed to fly by faster than Thunderlane would've liked, almost before he realized it, it was time for the Breezies to go home. "I wouldn't want them to think I'm abandoning them to the outside world before they were ready." He commented.

"You said it yourself though, they can't stay here forever. They need to get going if they ever want to make it back to their home," Rainbow Dash replied to Thunderlane. "The longer you wait, the harder it's gonna be to generate the proper breeze for them. It's already proving hard enough as it is to find the right speed."

Thunderlane sighed, as he reluctantly set off for Fluttershy's cottage again. " _I really wish there was another way,_ " He thought to himself. " _A way to make sure they could get back home whenever they were truly ready. But I can't delay for any longer._ "

Time once again seemed to work against Thunderlane, ticking by way too fast. In the blink of an eye he was at Fluttershy's doorstep and ready to enter. He even already knew what he had to say to her, and to the Breezies, as much as he would've liked to hesitate.

But upon opening the door of the cottage, Thunderlane was surprised to see Fluttershy looking anxious and worried. Instantly, he knew something was wrong, and that it was probably related to the tiny and adorable creatures he'd left in her care.

"Please tell me Sea Breeze is with you, please." Fluttershy pleaded.

"I thought he was with you?" Thunderlane asked Fluttershy.

Fluttershy shook her head, and then gasped. "Oh no, it's just like I feared! Sea Breeze went off on his own!"

"What?! Is he crazy?!" Thunderlane exclaimed, his heart beating so fast it felt like it would jump out of his chest.

"He just kept complaining about how the other Breezies were too afraid to go back out there and try again, and when I told him we needed to wait a little longer to get ready, he got awfully mad," Fluttershy confessed, and sighed. "I've been looking all over for him for the past several minutes. I don't even want to _begin_ to imagine what kind of trouble he might be in."

"But you can't just leave the other Breezies here by themselves," Thunderlane protested, and almost immediately he realized what he had to do. "You stay here and make sure none of the other Breezies fly away," He instructed to Fluttershy. "I'm going to find Sea Breeze and make sure he's brought back here safe and sound." And with a flap of his wings, Thunderlane flew off once again.

* * *

Sea Breeze was regretting his decision to fly off on his own to try and get back home. Without the aid of his fellow Breezies, even the slightest gust of wind was enough to blow him around. And despite how hard he tried, he could not stay on his intended path. Blown one way and then another, Sea Breeze barely had time to react, as he suddenly found himself heading straight for a bee hive!

Sea Breeze thought the worst was over, once he was able to poke his head out of the hive. But unfortunately, his troubles were just beginning. The entire flock of bees were quite angry at having been disturbed, especially by a creature they'd never seen before. They flew out of the hive after Sea Breeze, who clung desperately to a branch, unable to do much else. All of them pointed their stingers at Sea Breeze, determined to show him what happened to those unfortunate enough to anger them.

But before anyone could think of doing anything, a voice called out. "Excuse me, bees. Do you think maybe you could hold off on attacking my friend for a moment?" The voice soon revealed itself as Thunderlane. "Sea Breeze accidentally got a little lost, he didn't mean to crash into your hive. And if you let him go I promise you he'll never do it again."

The bees didn't seem convinced, so Thunderlane tried to attract their attention. "Say, maybe you guys could help me out with something?" He asked the bees, as he somehow managed to dress up in a bee costume. "I know you guys have your own little dances to communicate with each other. I'm working on a bee type of dance of my own," As he wiggled the stinger portion around he asked them. "So, does this bring to mind any images for you? Maybe a bee? I'd like to know what it signals in your language."

A few of the bees appeared to be attracted to the wiggle dance Thunderlane was doing with his costume, but most of them were still content to point their stingers at Sea Breeze, who was still clinging to that branch as if his life depended on it. Thunderlane lost his patience and he angrily scolded the bees. "I have done nothing but be kind to you bees, and have given you every chance to back off. You all know better than to hurt a helpless Breezie so far from his own home. I suggest you all leave and go back into your hive now, or I'll tell Fluttershy! And I can assure she won't be very happy!"

That did the trick, the bees lowered their stingers and flew back into their hive. Picking on Sea Breeze wasn't worth it anymore. Sea Breeze, finally feeling safe, pulled himself up onto the branch and he said to Thunderlane. "Oh thank you, thank you so much for coming after me."

"It's the least I could do, you flew off because I made you and the other Breezies stay here for longer than you were supposed to," Thunderlane apologized. "I was just trying not to hurt any creature's feelings, but it seems like my actions put you all in danger."

"It's like I've been saying all along, but those Breezies never listen to me," Sea Breeze complained. "No Breezie ever listens to me."

"Well, perhaps your message would get across better if you weren't always yelling and shouting all the time," Thunderlane encouraged. "We ponies like to say 'You catch more flies with honey than you do vinegar.'"

"But what about those bees?" Sea Breeze asked, eyeing the hive. "You were not nice to them, you shouted at them and told them to go away, and that was the only way they would listen."

"Only because I tried every other way, and they refused to listen. I didn't immediately start yelling and shouting at them," Thunderlane explained. "They had to go, and ultimately, yelling was the only way to make them understand that. Had my nicer ways been accepted by them, I wouldn't have needed to shout," Just then, Thunderlane was surprised to see some kind of rainbow glow work its way across Sea Breeze's wings, and reflect itself in his eyes. At that moment, Thunderlane realized what he had to do next. "Come on, let's get you back to Fluttershy," He said seriously. "It's time for you and the other Breezies to finally go home."

* * *

Thunderlane brought Sea Breeze back to Fluttershy's cottage, but then he insisted on speaking to the rest of the Breezies. "I just had to rescue Sea Breeze from a swarm of angry bees, who were most unhappy about having their hive disturbed," He told them. "And I have come to realize that, you can't stay here any longer. I thought I was doing the right thing by giving you guys time to rest and recover, but all I did was delay your journey back home until it was almost too late."

The Breezies clung desperately to Fluttershy, even though they knew what Thunderlane said was right. Trying to fight back tears, Fluttershy commented to them. "I know you all wish you could stay here and be taken care of forever, but this isn't your home, and it isn't right of me to keep you from it. That pollen you've collected is important."

Thunderlane opened the cottage door, also trying not to cry, as he said firmly to the Breezies. "You must go, now! Please, do it before I change my mind."

Reluctantly, one by one, the Breezies all flew through the open cottage door. Huddling close together, they began to ride the breeze that would take them home.

The last Breezie to leave, surprisingly, was Sea Breeze. And just before he did so, he gave Thunderlane a small flower that he had picked up during his earlier travels. "Here, take this to remember us by," He said to Thunderlane, and then added. "I will do my best to remember the lesson you taught me, about being kind to others, and not always shouting at them. Thank you again for all you did for me and the others."

"No, thank _you_ , for helping me to realize that sometimes to be kind I have to do things that may seem cruel," Thunderlane replied. "It may hurt me greatly, and a part of me is going to think you aren't ready no matter what. But if I listen to that part, all I'll be doing is putting you and your entire species in danger."

"You are welcome to observe us anytime, and we will always remember you," Sea Breeze promised, as he flew off. "Goodbye, Thunderlane." And in the blink of an eye, the leader of the Breezies disappeared over the horizon, as he joined up with the others.

"That was one of the hardest things I think I've ever had to do in my entire life," Thunderlane commented. "I miss them already."

"I know, Thunderlane. I do too. But we both agree it's for the best," Fluttershy replied, hugging Thunderlane. "Besides, they'll come back again someday to collect more pollen. We'll have another chance to observe them."

"You think they'll make it home in time?" Thunderlane asked Fluttershy.

Fluttershy nodded. "I'm sure they will. Now come on, let's have some tea and talk it over between friends."

Thunderlane followed Fluttershy into the kitchen, unaware that the flower that Sea Breeze had planted in his head was giving off a rainbow glow.


	83. Chapter 83: Test of the Tonic

At Sweet Apple Acres, Big Macintosh was helping Granny Smith move some boxes. They were quite heavy and full of all sorts of things that were old and been gathering dust and cobwebs.

"Thanks for helpin' me with these here boxes," Granny Smith said to Big Macintosh. "I really shouldn't be holdin' onto so much old stuff, but there's just so many memories associated with 'em," A faint tear seemed to come into her eye as she added. "It's amazin' how time can just fly by. Seems like only yesterday I was in the prime of my youth, and now two of my grandkids are fine young adults, and my third's old enough to start makin' zap apple jam. I reckon it won't be long before you three won't be needin' me at all. Probably gonna just stick me in a senior livin' home and visit me when you're not busy with your lives."

But Big Macintosh shook his head. "This place has been your home for a long time, Granny Smith. We ain't about to make ya leave it. Seems like everyday we learn somethin' new about ya."

"Sure does," Granny Smith commented, and changed the subject. "Be careful with them boxes, some of that stuff is real fragile ya hear? And many of the things, they don't make anymore or don't make 'em like they used to. If it weren't for all the memories associated with 'em, I'd probably have sold 'em a long time ago."

It was then that Big Macintosh noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Inside one of the boxes, was an old photo album of some kind. It was unrecognizable to him, but he could tell it wasn't like the one Granny Smith liked to show off during Apple family reunions.

Granny Smith spotted the photo album as well, and quickly grabbed it. "About time, I've been lookin' for this here book for ages! I was wonderin' where I might have put it!" She exclaimed with delight.

"What kind of photos do you keep in that old album?" Big Macintosh inquired of Granny Smith. "And why wouldn't you put them in a normal photo album?"

Granny Smith looked all around, as if she were worried somepony might overhear. When she was convinced that wasn't the case, she whispered to Big Macintosh. "This album chronicles a part of my life I ain't exactly proud of," She pulled it open, and the first picture displayed showed a younger Granny Smith in some kind of swim bonnet and skirt, though the photo was in black and white so the color of the outfit couldn't be determined. "Back when I was no older than Applejack is now, I was a champion swimmer and diver. An aquapony all-star, or at least that's what they called me. I used to be able to do all kinds of neat tricks off the divin' board, and won a couple of awards. In fact, I was the only Apple to ever come close to breakin' the Equestria high-diving record!"

"So, what happened to make you give it up?" Big Macintosh asked.

Granny Smith sighed. "Falling six stories into a deep dish pie pan sure takes a toll on the hindquarters," She confessed, displaying a clipping of a newspaper headline that showed the same younger Granny Smith from before, in the hospital. "After that painful experience, I figured it was best to quit before I broke somethin' that couldn't be mended. I met your grandpappy shortly thereafter and we settled down on Sweet Apple Acres together. The rest is history."

"Wow!" Big Macintosh exclaimed, before he realized he'd unintentionally spoken up a bit too loudly. He waited for a bit to see if anypony had overheard, before he said in a softer voice to Granny Smith. "No wonder you had my sister and I teach Apple Bloom how to swim, I can see why you wouldn't go near the water again after a painful experience like that."

Granny Smith nodded, before she hung her head a bit and commented softly. "All the same, I'd give anythin' to feel young again, even just for a day. To be able to zip along with a spring in my step, like Braeburn or Pinkie Pie, our possible fourth cousin twice removed. That would be lovely."

That comment actually got Big Macintosh to think. " _Is it actually possible to make a pony young again?_ " He thought. " _Shining Armor's sister studied age spells. But those were permanent, weren't they?_ " Deciding it would be best to find out for himself, Big Macintosh made arrangements to see Shining Armor and Twilight as soon as possible.

* * *

As soon as possible turned out to be the next day. But the possibility of age spells wasn't the only reason for his visit to the Golden Oaks Library that day. There was something else he wanted to ask about.

And that question was what he decided to ask first, for Shining Armor was the one who answered the door. "Bet you're surprised to see me back in Ponyville, especially with the Equestria Games lurking around the corner," Shining commented to Big Macintosh, and explained as he invited his friend inside. "Well, everything's been more or less ironed out, even the security detail. The new stadium is ready and waiting, and Ms. Harshwhinny even agreed to let Spike light the torch at the opening ceremonies, seeing as he's a big hero in the Crystal Empire and everything. Besides, between you and me, he deserves a bit more national recognition."

"As if him bein' your official adopted nephew isn't enough," Big Macintosh laughed, before he asked Shining. "So, any leads on that mysterious chest? I know it's been a while, but I can't shake the feelin' the keys are right under our noses somehow."

Shining shook his head. "I wish I had any kind of news, good or bad. But it's the same as it was the last time you asked," He told Big Macintosh. "I've exhausted just about every book in Ponyville, Canterlot, and the Crystal Empire, and I've found nothing. If the keys _are_ out there, I have no idea where they could be. And neither do I have any guesses as to what the chest could hold, other than a replacement for the Elements of Harmony. That being said, it's been relatively quiet since the plunder vines fiasco. And I hope I'm not jinxing anything when I said I'd like it to stay that way."

Big Macintosh and Shining Armor both shared a laugh, before Big Mac went to go see Twilight. He was still a bit weary of being around her, as their last significant interaction had been when Twilight had requested his help wrestling away an old doll from the Cutie Mark Crusaders. And the next thing Big Mac remembered, he'd found himself alone with the doll after sunset and had happily run off with it. "I... didn't come here to return that doll of yours if that's what you're thinkin'." He nervously said to Twilight.

Twilight seemed to smile and nod as she replied. "It's okay, I didn't really use Smarty Pants all that often anyway. As long as she's got a loving home, I'm okay with you holding onto her," Clearing her throat to quickly change the subject, she asked the stallion. "So, what did you _really_ come here for?"

Big Mac explained as best he could. "Granny Smith wants to feel young again, and it got me to thinkin' about those age spells you study. Do you know of any that aren't permanent, that could make her just a tad bit younger? I think we can all agree turnin' her into a foal or a school aged filly probably ain't what she's lookin' for, or what anypony at Sweet Apple Acres needs."

Twilight seemed to frown rather noticeably at that comment, which Big Mac took as a sign that bad news was surely to follow. And indeed it did. Twilight tried her best to keep a straight face, betrayed by the sad tone in her voice that told Big Macintosh what he'd been dreading to hear. "There aren't any known age spells that can make a pony only slightly younger. Even the most commonly sought after ones can be hard to do, which is why there's so little information about them. I'm sorry, I don't think there's anything that can help you."

"Oh." Big Mac commented, trying to hide how much the news hurt him.

"If it makes Granny Smith feel any better, she's quite healthy and active for her age," Spike commented, hoping to cheer Big Mac up. "Dare I say, she doesn't look a day over fifty."

Big Mac didn't say anything, he just turned and left the Golden Oaks Library, still thinking about whether it was at all possible for Granny Smith to feel young again. Big Mac prided himself on being a good listener (which is why he didn't open up much outside his circle of friends and his family), and that meant being able to pick up on clues most ponies wouldn't notice. The tone and expressions he'd seen and heard in Granny Smith were all that he needed to know that his grandmother truly longed for an opportunity to regain some of her youthful vigor, and nothing would make her happier than for that to be accomplished.

* * *

Opting to forget about things for a while and just give himself time to think, Big Macintosh decided to spend some time down by the lake not far from Sweet Apple Acres. Even if the fish weren't biting today, at least he'd be alone with his thoughts, and perhaps an idea would come to him.

All of a sudden though, Big Macintosh was surprised to see what appeared to be Granny Smith swimming past, and she was dressed in what appeared to be a red swim bonnet and matching red swim skirt, both of which had white polka dots on them! Without a moment's hesitation, Big Mac threw down his line, removed the harness around his neck that he hadn't been without for over a decade and a half, and tossed it out towards Granny Smith! "Granny Smith, swim into my harness and paddle your way to shore! Quick!" Big Macintosh shouted, as he rushed down to the lake bed and ran along the shore.

But Granny Smith swam past the soaking harness with no trouble. In fact, she doubled back around to it, tucked it under her left arm, and paddled to shore with in tow. Doing so without any signs of a struggle. "Here ya go, Big Mac. I believe this is yours," Granny Smith called, tossing the harness onto the ground. "Let's hope it don't shrink when it gets wet." She chuckled at her joke and shook herself dry.

Big Mac's mouth dropped open in shock, he could hardly believe his eyes! "What the hay happened to ya, Granny?" He inquired, hoping for some answers. "Just yesterday you sounded like you wouldn't dare dream of even goin' near the water, and now you've got no problems swimmin' around like a pro? You okay?"

"Oh, I'm more than okay! I'm fantastic!" Granny Smith proudly proclaimed, pulling out a bottle. "And it's all thanks to this here tonic. I bumped into a nice stallion just a few hours ago, and he was kind enough to give me a sample of this cure all tonic, and at a discount to boot," She proceeded to drink some of the "tonic", and wiped her lips, before she added. "It's just what the doctor ordered! With it I feel twenty years younger! And ain't just swimmin' that this here tonic's helpful for. I reckon I could probably help ya and Applejack with the applebuckin' round the farm, between the three of us we'd have the job done in no time."

"Who the heck was that stallion, and why would he just give you that cure all tonic so cheaply?" Big Macintosh asked with concern. "No offense, Granny. But as I think Applejack would say if she were here to see this: 'If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.'"

Granny Smith shrugged off her grandson's concerns. "That stallion just happened to be a pony who used to need crutches to walk everywhere, and he showed me the crutches he used to need. But he took one swig of that tonic, and you bet your boots he was up and walkin' around like he'd never needed crutches at all! You should go check him out if ya don't believe me, he's down at this tent near the outskirts of town, and he told me that's where ya can buy more of the tonic if ya need it. He didn't mention who was sellin it' though."

"Will there be a show tonight?" Big Macintosh asked.

Granny Smith nodded. "Yup, he said there's gonna be a show every day and every night for the next week or so."

"Well then, guess I know where I'll be goin' tonight." Big Macintosh commented. And in his mind he silently thought. " _This all seems suspicious, especially since that stallion wouldn't say who's selling the tonic. Besides that, there are usually channels you need to go through before you can start selling medicines in Equestria. Zecora's the only exception, and even she usually goes through the process anyway._ "

* * *

Just as Celestia's sun was setting off in the distance, Big Macintosh made his way through town. Before long, his eyes fell upon the very tent Granny Smith had described. And he could swear he heard music coming from inside it.

All of a sudden, a light gray coated stallion with a curly orange mane, glasses, and blue overalls, came dancing out of the tent while singing. "I won't need these crutches to dance out the door!" He then quickly looked around, and then zipped away.

It didn't take a genius to suspect that stallion was likely the same one Granny Smith had mentioned earlier, and Big Macintosh followed him from a distance. The stallion soon came to a stop near what appeared to be some kind of outdoor parlor, and it was lined with all kinds of outfits, fake glasses and wigs, and crutches as far as the eye could see. " _I knew it was too good to be true! That stallion's a sham!_ " Big Mac thought to himself, and carefully crept up to him. The stallion didn't seem to be aware of the fact that somepony was closing in on him, that is until he spun around and found himself face to face with Big Mac, who could now see that the stallion had a plain gray mane and tail, and pale blue eyes, not to mention a cutie mark depicting two silver bits.

"Uh, c-can I help you?" The stallion stuttered, as he gazed into the angry eyes of Big Macintosh and cowered in fright.

"You can start with name and purpose!" Big Macintosh demanded.

"M-my name's Shill, S-Silver Shill," The stallion confessed. "And I-I'm not telling you anything, you can't pin a thing on me!"

Big Mac wasn't going to take no for an answer, he snorted and continued to stare at Silver Shill as he asked. "What are you doin' posin' as a pony who needs crutches when you can walk around just fine? You're workin' for somepony to sell that tonic, and I wanna know who it is."

Silver Shill didn't answer, he just reached over and pulled a handle, causing a nearby steam whistle to let off steam. This temporarily blinded Big Mac, allowing Silver Shill to make a run for it! "Get back here! I want answers!" Big Mac demanded, and chased after Silver Shill as best he could. Ultimately, his chase led him into the tent proper. But he soon found that Silver Shill was cowering behind two familiar unicorn stallions with bowler hats there were yellow with blue ribbons, one of which had a red haired mustache.

"Well, well," The non mustached stallion greeted. "What an unexpected surprise to see the likes of you here."

"What brings you to our humble new abode?" The mustached stallion asked Big Mac. "As I'm sure you can see, we've given up the cider selling business for a higher calling."

"Flim and Flam, I should've guessed you two were behind all this," Big Macintosh commented. "Just what do you think you're doin' runnin' a fake tonic business with your pal Silver Shill here?! I ain't too thrilled he sold my granny a bunch of hogwash, and now she's off actin' like a filly again 'cause she thinks that tonic's made her young."

Flim and Flam didn't seem all that concerned, they just laughed as Flim replied. "So, what's the big deal? We're doing you a favor, aren't we? Your Granny Smith wanted to feel young again, and Silver Shill was desperate for somepony to help him sell this new product of his in exchange for a 50/50 profit split."

"So we figured we'd kill two birds with one stone," Flam explained, a smirk appearing across his face. "Is it so wrong that we stretched the truth a bit? What your granny doesn't know won't hurt her."

"P-please, just leave us alone." Silver Shill insisted, cowering behind Flim and Flam for protection.

Big Mac shook his head. "No, not until you three come clean and tell Granny Smith the truth about there tonic, and give her back the money you swindled out of her!"

"'Swindled' is such an ugly word." Flim protested.

"We prefer to think of Granny Smith and the others as paying customers. It's not up to us to decide how they spend their money now is it?" Flam asked, the smirk on his face growing wider. "We never even truly intended to sell it to Granny Smith, that was just a happy little accident, but one that's worked to our advantage."

"She only bought that tonic because your friend here's been dressin' up as a different pony every day and night, so that he can pretend to be cured!" Big Mac protested, stomping his hooves. "I had hoped you two would learn your lesson after the last time, especially since you chose to lose the cider makin' contest. But I guess I was wrong."

"Did you forget the part about us being con ponies?" Flim replied with a huff. "Besides, let's say your accusation is true, which it isn't. If what Silver Shill told us is true, your Granny Smith was once an aquapony all-star."

"But she hasn't set hoof in the water for years after her attempt at breaking the Equestrian high dive record," Flam added. "Until today that is."

Big Mac eyed the brothers with suspicion. "And your point is?"

"So, even if our tonic were nothing more than a mixture of apple juice and beet leaves..." Flim began.

"And that's just a hypothetical scenario," Flam quickly chimed in. "The fact is that Granny is happier now than before she tried it. Isn't that right?"

"I... guess so. But.." Big Mac began.

"But nothing!" Flim interrupted. "The only question left is..."

"Do you _really_ want to be the pony who takes all that happiness away? Well, do you?" Flam asked, the smirk on his face growing so wide it was impossible not to notice it.

Big Macintosh opened his mouth to protest, but he didn't know what to say. As much as he hated to admit it, the brothers made a good point. Could he really take away Granny Smith's happiness, even if it was based on a lie?

"Well, if you've got nothing else to say, then scram, beat it!" Flam shouted in fury.

"But feel free to come back if you need more of that tonic, just give us time to make it of course." Flim added, and he and his brother quickly pushed Big Mac out of the tent before the farm pony could say anything.

* * *

Big Macintosh did not sleep well that night, he was deeply troubled. Both at the fact that he would have to be the one to tell Granny Smith the truth about the tonic, and that Flim and Flam had decided to resort to coning innocent ponies out of their hard earned bits, rather than try to make an honest living with one of their contraptions. " _Maybe I should've told the others about them,_ " He thought to himself. " _Perhaps then we could've staged an intervention and stopped them from going down the wrong path._ "

As for the tonic issue, Big Mac had no idea how to best break the news. He saw for himself how happy Granny Smith was now that she felt there was something that could make her feel young again. While Applejack refused to allow Granny Smith to help with applebucking, that didn't stop Granny Smith from joining in on the many trips to the swimming hole, where she especially enjoyed spending time with Apple Bloom.

Still, Big Mac tried his best to steer the topic towards the truth about the tonic. "Granny, not for nothin' but, don't you think maybe you should take it kinda easy?" He tried to encourage on multiple occasions.

But Granny Smith would always simply reply by saying. "I've been takin' it easy for too long! And now, thanks to that Flim Flam Tonic, I don't have to!"

So the process went on for a few days, until one fateful day when Apple Bloom suggested. "Say, Granny Smith. The Ponyville swim meet is comin' up. Why don't we enter together?! With a legendary aqua pony like you, we'd be a cinch to win!"

Surprisingly, Granny Smith was quite uncertain of the request. "I don't know youngin'," She nervously responded. "I mean, bein' back in the water is one thing, but a competition is a pony of a different color. I ain't sure the tonic's up for that."

" _This is the perfect opportunity to break the news about the tonic!_ " Big Macintosh realized, and opened his mouth to speak. But when he looked at Granny Smith and saw how unhappy she looked at the idea of not being able to do something with her youngest granddaughter, he just couldn't bring himself to tell the truth. Instead he said to Granny Smith. "A swim meet sounds pretty safe to me, Granny. And after all, if that tonic lets you swim in a river and a swimmin' hole, a pool should be no problem at all."

"Huh, I reckon you're right!" Granny Smith replied. "I'll just get some more of that tonic, and the rest will be easy, peasy, cider squeezy!"

But Big Macintosh could only gulp, as he realized what he'd allowed to happen. " _What have I gotten myself into?! Now I've gone and made things worse!_ " He thought to himself.

* * *

The day of the swim meet arrived, and everyone was excited. Or at least, mostly everyone. Flim and Flam were just interested in pushing their new tonic, and Big Macintosh was still wracked with guilt over the fact that he was allowing the lie to go on, rather than tell the truth. He knew the longer he put it off, the worse it would hurt, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. " _This is the last day Granny can think that tonic is doing all that stuff for her, tomorrow she's gonna hear the truth whether she likes it or not._ " He thought to himself, as he watched Granny Smith and Apple Bloom warm up before the competition. "Just remember, you two. The most important thing is to be safe and have fun, right?" He asked them, hoping they hadn't forgotten.

"Of course we remember, but we're still goin' in this to win it!" Apple Bloom boasted.

"With the routine we've been workin' on, I'll be a plum puddin' if we don't win this thing!" Granny Smith added. "I ain't lost my touch after all these years of bein' away. And I don't plan on losin', no siree."

"Well, uh... good luck, then!" Big Macintosh called.

But Granny Smith responded with. "Luck? Ah, pfft, who needs luck? We got tonic on our side! And with that tonic, we can't lose!"

"Flim Flam's Miracle Curative Tonic!" Flam called out.

"Get your certified, Apple Family-approved tonic here!" Flim added. "Granny Smith drinks it – so why shouldn't you?"

Big Mac just sighed, as a couple of ponies cheered, and the swim meet began. It didn't take long for Apple Bloom and Granny Smith to completely dominate the competition, Granny Smith's experience and Apple Bloom's youth made for a powerful combination that no other group could hope to match. It wasn't long before they'd managed to take first place. All Big Macintosh could bring himself to say was, "Well, I'll be..." as Granny Smith and Apple Bloom exited the pool, and a crowd of photographers gathered to take pictures.

One of the photographers asked the triumphant duo. "That was some of the most amazing aquabatics I've ever seen! How in Equestria did you do it? Hard work? Lots of practice? Do tell."

"Well, it's some of that," Granny Smith happily replied, before she pulled out the tonic bottle and added. "But mostly it's the tonic!"

Flim and Flam quickly appeared alongside Granny Smith as Flim was quick to point out. "That's Flim Flam's Miracle Curative Tonic, to be precise."

"And you're in luck, we're selling it here and now. So buy yours while supplies last." Flam encouraged, and ponies began to line up for a chance to buy some of the tonic.

Big Mac, meanwhile, looked around. And he was surprised to see Silver Shill, who despite wearing his fake glasses, now had a black and white button vest, and a blue cap. He was also carrying around a small tray of the tonic, said tray secured to his neck by a harness. "What are _you_ doin' here?" Big Macintosh inquired of the stallion.

Silver Shill laughed as he proudly proclaimed. "Oh, things are going so well that Flim and Flam decided to give me a promotion! In fact, I just made my first bit as a salespony. No more costumes for this pony," He then quickly added before Big Macintosh could say anything. "This is more of a uniform."

"If you say so, I guess." Big Mac nervously replied, but said no more.

"Truth be told, I used to wonder if I was doing the right thing by working with Flim and Flam," Silver Shill added. "You know, pretending to be cured, basically lying to folks about this tonic and what it can do. But thanks to you, I realized that sometimes honesty _isn't_ the best policy."

Big Mac was completely surprised by this statement. "What?! Thanks to... me?"

Silver Shill nodded. "Oh, but you don't have to take my word for it. Just listen to what your little sister has to say." And he pointed to the photographers and reporters who were still asking questions about the impressive victory Granny Smith and Apple Bloom had pulled off.

"With Flim Flam's Miracle Curative Tonic, my Granny can do anythin'!" Apple Bloom boasted for all to hear. "Just ask my brother, he's the one who convinced my Granny to enter this here competition."

The photographers and reporters all turned their cameras on Big Macintosh, who at first didn't know what to say. He was not about to let ponies assume he was okay with endorsing this tonic, but the only way he could explain why he wouldn't do so after all this, was if he told the truth. "Uh... um..." He stuttered, trying to think of what to do. But suddenly, he looked out at Granny Smith drinking the tonic bottle, and saw a rainbow light shimmer across it, said shimmer was reflected in his eyes. He knew what he had to say. Stubbornly, he looked at the cameras and protested. "No! This has gotta stop! If ponies keep believin' that tonic can do things it can't, then who knows what'll happen? I hate to disappoint everypony, but the tonic's a fake!"

That got everypony gathered to gasp. One pony even asked. "Are you saying you lied?"

Big Mac hung his head as he confessed. "...I am, and I'm ashamed to admit it."

More gasps filled the air, as Applejack scowled at Big Macintosh and asked him. "How could you do such a thing?!"

Big Macintosh tried his hardest not to look guilty, as he explained to the best of his ability. "It wasn't my intent, but Granny Smith just seemed so much happier when she thought the tonic made her young again. I never intended to let everythin' get so out of hoof, I found out the truth about the tonic days ago, but I said nothin'."

"But if the tonic is a fake, then how come Granny can swim again, and what about all that aquabatics stuff we just did?" Apple Bloom asked with confusion. "Was that all a lie too?"

Big Macintosh shook his head. "It was real alright. I reckon sometimes you can forget what you're capable of, and it just takes a little extra confidence to remember that it was inside of you all along. But that doesn't mean you can go around claimin' your product can do stuff it really can't, it ain't just wrong, it's dangerous!"

"Yet you claim our tonic boosted your Granny's confidence." Flim protested.

"Besides, nopony got hurt, and you were the one who encouraged Granny Smith to participate in this contest," Flam added, trying to deflect the blame. "So perhaps we stretched the truth on the tonic a little. It's not poisonous, it's perfectly harmless. And it does more than just boost confidence, folks."

"It doesn't even do that!" Silver Shill spoke up loudly, taking off his glasses and hat. "In fact, it's not a tonic at all! I know, 'cause I helped make it! I may have been part of Flim and Flam's little scheme, but seeing Big Macintosh owe up to his role in this shame has made me realize I have to confess my own involvement too. I was making ponies believe in a thing that just wasn't so! And I certainly never wanted my tonic to be pitched as this miracle medicine, that kind of false advertising would get me in real trouble!"

"Honesty isn't always the best policy, and neither is it easy," Big Macintosh added, as he saw Flim and Flam trying to leave and turned his attention towards them. "But you can't get ahead in life by always lyin', cheatin', and takin' advantage of others. Sooner or later your luck's gonna run out."

"Spare us your lectures! You were a part of this and now you're trying to pin the blame entirely on us!" Flim complained. "Well, we won't stay here and have our reputation be slandered!"

"Just you wait though, one of these days we'll get even with you!" Flam vowed. "We'll find a way! Come, brother, I think it's time we leave Ponyville behind for good! I hear Las Pegasus is lovely this time of year." And the two brothers left before anyone had a chance to stop them, though along the way they ended up losing many of the remaining tonic bottles.

Meanwhile, Silver Shill approached Big Macintosh and gave him the bit coin he'd earned from the sale earlier. "Here, I don't deserve this bit, I got it through dishonest means. That was a mistake I won't be making ever again! I'd like you to have it, as a reminder of how you helped me finally see the truth." He told Big Macintosh.

"Silver Shill, I can't. I lied too. You didn't know about what Flim and Flam were really doin'." Big Macintosh protested.

Silver Shill only shook his head. "I did, from the moment I agreed to pretend to be cured, I knew what their intentions were. I could've told them no, but I refused. As for the coin, don't you worry, I'll track down the pony I sold that worthless tonic to and give him another bit to replace this one! Honest," Then before he left he added. "You know, you're lucky to have a family that cares about you, and that you in turn care for. I've been on my own for years, so don't ever forget what it's like to have friends and family. Because you never know when they'll be taken away from you."

Once Silver Shill had left to track down his customer, Big Macintosh turned to Granny Smith and apologized. "I'm sorry I didn't tell ya the truth earlier, Granny Smith. I hope this doesn't mean you'll stop swimmin' though."

"Of course not. I may not be goin' back onto the professional circuit, but I reckon a soak down at the swimmin' hole every now and then will do my old bones some good," Granny Smith replied. "And it sounds to me like you've got a lesson ya need to write about in that journal you and your friends share."

"You're right about that, Granny," Big Macintosh nodded. "And I think I'll hang onto this coin for now, so that way I'll remember what happened when I chose to place lies over the honest truth." He then tucked it into his pocket, and he and his family walked back home. Unknown to all of them, the coin gave off a rainbow colored shimmer.


	84. Chapter 84: Equestria Games

At long last, after months and months of planning and preparation, it was time for the Crystal Empire to host the Equestria Games. For Shining Armor, the still relatively new alicorn prince (at least in terms of when he'd been crowned) was a bit unhappy at the fact that he wouldn't be able to watch the games with his friends. It was his job to open and close the games, as well as oversee security should the need arrive. Other than that though, he wasn't expected to do much except smile and wave. " _Is this really what my role as Equestria's first alicorn prince has amounted to?_ " He thought to himself, as he donned his captain's outfit (Rarity had taken the liberty of modifying it to suit his new wings) and fastened the helmet tightly around his head. " _I doubt any of the princesses ever just stood around, smiling and waving, once_ _ **they**_ _became alicorns._ "

But Shining pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, he had more important things to worry about. Quickly departing from the castle, he made his way to the newly constructed stadium the Crystal Empire had built to hold the games. Upon entering, Shining could see that not a single seat in the stadium was unfilled, everyone was anyone was there, and the roar of the crowd was almost deafening!

Shining turned his head, and saw his friends, his sister, and her friends, all sitting in one of the stands closest to the field. They all clapped, cheered, and whistled. Seated just rows above them, were Shining's parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet, who were seated with the parents of Scootaloo and Rarity and Sweetie Belle. And at the very top of the stadium, in a special box, sat the three princesses, Celestia, Luna, and Cadence. The only one missing was Spike, and that was because Miss Harshwhinny had allowed him the honors of lighting the torch to start the games.

If Shining was at all nervous, he did a great job of hiding it, as he marched up to the megaphone placed in the center of the stadium, and cleared his throats. "Mares and gentlestallions, colts and fillies of all ages. My name is Prince Shining Armor, and it is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to the fifty fifth annual Equestria Games!" The crowd burst into thunderous applause, so Shining waited for it to die down, before he continued. "We have teams from all over Equestria, and even a few from nations like Griffonstone all gathering together in this stadium to compete," He then began to introduce each the teams of each city and town as they arrived. Before long, a smile worked its way onto his face as he said proudly. "And now, please welcome to the stadium, Team Ponyville!"

"Ponyville forever, yay!" Shouted the Cutie Mark Crusaders, as they held up a hoop, and one by one all of the members on Ponyville's team came running (or flying in the case of the pegasi) out onto the field. Then, Scootaloo zipped over on her scooter, and planted the Ponyville team flag with the others, while the Ponyville athletes took their place with the other teams.

"All that remains now is the official torch lighting to conclude these opening ceremonies!" Shining announced, and he waited for Spike to light up the massive torch with his fire breath. But nothing happened, even after several minutes had passed. Shining began to worry. " _Is something wrong with Spike? It shouldn't be taking him this long._ " He thought to himself, wondering if perhaps he should break from his role and go to check on the baby dragon. But all of a sudden, there was a tremendous roar, and the torch lit up with a bright blue flame! Relieved that everything seemed to be under control, Shining turned back to the megaphone and proudly announced. "Let the games begin!"

* * *

The next few days flew by in a flash, even after Shining learned that Spike had gotten performance anxiety, and Twilight had bailed him out by lighting the torch secretly with his magic. "Why don't you give out the medals in my place?" Shining offered the dragon upon learning this fact. "Will that make you feel better?"

"I guess." Spike had answered, but he remained unhappy for most of the games, especially after he attempted to sing the anthem of the winning team in the aerial relay (only to choke when Cloudsdale won instead of Ponyville).

Security detail was uneventful for Shining, but it still get him distracted enough to not really notice the medal count. Fortunately, his friends would be quick to remind him (Soarin delighted in showing off the gold medal he won in the aerial relay, while Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were pleased with their silver medals from the same event). It didn't take long for Ponyville and Cloudsdale to reach the top of the medal count (Manehattan and Canterlot tying for a distant third), and the fierce but friendly rivalry soon dominated the games. Merchandise for both teams sold like hot cakes, and neither side seemed willing to let the other stay in first for long.

On the final evening of the games, it all came down to one event to determine who would win the medal count, the ice archery finals. With Ponyville just a medal ahead of Cloudsdale, Cloudsdale needed both of its finalists to place in order to pass by Ponyville, and the favored to win first place was number seven from Cloudsdale, a gray coated pegasus stallion with a silver mane and tail, and black eyes. The other finalists (including the other Cloudsdale one) found it hard to keep up. Then suddenly, it happened! One of the finalists pulled back his bow too hard, and lost his balance. He tripped, and his ice arrow shot up into a nearby cloud, causing thick icicles to form inside the cloud. The weight of said icicles made the cloud heavy, and it began to sink down towards the stadium!

Horrified, Shining turned to the security guards and shouted at them. "Quick! Cut the disabling spell!" Remembering that said spell had been used to ensure unicorns (and alicorns) wouldn't be able to cheat during the games.

But the security guards answered back. "There isn't time, we must evacuate the stadium!"

"No, the princesses and I will deal with this!" Shining said firmly, preparing to flap his wings and fly off to try and assist the pegasi with steering the cloud away from the crowded stadium.

However, it was at that very moment, that Spike shouted. "Stand back, I've got this!" And before Shining realized it, Spike was bouncing off his back and the backs of several pegasi! Allowing the baby dragon to leap into the air and melt the icicles (and vaporize the cloud), thus averting disaster. Unfortunately, the melting ice made the grounds too slippery to hold the ice archery finals. And with trains having already been booked for the next day to return the teams to their cities and towns, the ice archery finals were forced to be scrubbed, thus giving Ponyville the victory (a few fans of Team Cloudsdale were not happy with this, but most were just glad to be unharmed).

Shining presided over the closing ceremonies, during which Spike used his fire breath to light the rockets used to display the fireworks. Shining was glad Spike was feeling better, but a part of him couldn't help but think. " _I should've been the one to stop that cloud of ice._ " Of course, he kept that thought to himself.

* * *

But the very next day, Princess Cadence was quick to notice the signs that her husband wasn't happy. And that morning, over breakfast, she asked him. "What's troubling you? I don't think I've seen you this unhappy since the changeling invasion just before our wedding."

Knowing that he couldn't hope to lie to his wife, Shining sighed and confessed. "Well, it doesn't really feel like my role as an alicorn prince amounts to all that much. I mean, Princess Celestia raises and lowers the sun, Princess Luna raises and lowers the moon, and you are tied to the power of love. Meanwhile, all I seem to do is just smile and wave. Heck, I'm still having trouble getting used to these wings. And when the Duke and Duchess of Maretona visit next week, all I'm expected to do is unfold a banner to welcome them. Even Flash Sentry will have more of a role, he'll be in charge of protecting them for the duration of their visit."

Cadence smiled, as she looked at her husband and told him. "I understand what you're going through, but you should know that you're not alone. You have me, my aunts, and all our friends to count on for support. Not to mention your sister," She then took on a more serious tone as she added. "I would've given anything to have that kind of support when I became a princess, but I had nopony until Princess Celestia came in and took me under her wing."

"You said you were born a pegasus, is that true?" Shining asked, recalling something he'd heard his wife tell him once when they were younger and still just friends.

Cadence nodded. "I don't even know who my birth parents were. I was found in the woods by a couple of earth ponies, who took me in and raised me as their own daughter," Her tone of voice changed from happy reminiscing to sad reflection, as she continued her story. "Then that witch known as Prismia came along with her magic-enhancing necklace. She cast a hate spell that amplified her jealousy and power by turning everyone against each other. By some stroke of luck I was not afflicted, and the necklace amplified my love, allowing me to reserve the spell and defeat Prismia. But by then it was too late, hatred had consumed my parents and destroyed them from within. Yet before I could truly moron for my loss, I ascended and gained my horn. That was where I met Celestia, who took me in as her niece. I didn't learn until years later, that I was a descendant of Princess Amore, which made me heir to the Crystal Empire when it returned."

Shining's mouth hung open in shock, he could not have imagined Cadence had such an unhappy past. Now he couldn't help but feel guilty, guilty about the fact that he had friends and family even as an alicorn, whereas Cadence had had noone.

"So you see," Cadence said seriously and somberly. "You should be grateful for what you have. I would've not hesitated to give up my magical powers to be reunited with my parents, even just for a day. Celestia was a wonderful aunt, but even she could not fill the gap left by my parents' abrupt departure from this world. And the wounds still linger even to this day, time has dulled them but not erased them. I'm sure you will find out what role it is you're meant to play as Equestria's first alicorn prince before long. But focus on what you still have, what hasn't changed, rather than what you want to have. For you never know when the things you take for granted will no longer be there."

"You're right, Cadence," Shining reluctantly agreed. "I can't believe I'm being so selfish. I know it's wrong of me to think about my own role."

Cadence came over and nuzzled her husband. "It's alright, everypony goes through this sooner or later. I don't know what your role in Equestria may be yet, but I do know that when it comes you'll be ready for it." Little did Cadence realize that she would be proven right far sooner than she might have expected.


	85. Chapter 85: Out of the Shadows

It was a dark and misty night in the back alleys of Canterlot, certainly not the kind of night one would want to stay out on, not even for all the bits you could ever want. But such was the unfortunate case with a chestnut brown coated unicorn stallion with blue eyes, a shady white mane and tail, and a cutie mark depicting four green balls.

" _If only the store wasn't so far from my stand, I'd wait until morning to pick these up._ " The stallion thought to himself, just as he thought he'd heard a strange sound. Frightened, the stallion turned around, only to find it was a tossed aside can that was completely empty that had made the noise. Relieved at this, the stallion sighed, and turned back to the path ahead. Only to be surprised when he ended up face to face with a figure obscured by a thick black cloak. And said figure seemed to be breathing heavily.

"Oh, very sorry," The stallion apologized. "Y-you came out of nowhere. Didn't mean to frighten you," But the cloaked figure did not reply, it just kept breathing heavily. "Um, are you okay?" The stallion asked the figure, hoping for a response of some kind, but there was none. "Hello? Can you hear me?" The stallion asked, a bit more loudly.

At last, the figure spoke. It sounded male, but kind of raspy. "'Is he friend or is he foe?' the pony wonders," The figure said in an eerie tone of voice. "Well, I can assure you that I am no _friend_."

That statement was enough to unnerve the stallion, just a little. "W-who are you anyway? W-whaddya want?" He asked, trying not to show how frightened he was.

"I am Lord Tirek," The figure replied, revealing itself as a small centaur like creature, as his face poked out from the cloak. He then opened his mouth and began to drain the unfortunate stallion of his magic. "And I will take what should've been rightfully mine long ago." Tirek just kept on draining the unicorn, until there was no magic left in the stallion who had been unlucky enough to cross Tirek's path. Said stallion dropped to the ground, his cutie mark having vanished, and his eyes having taken on a faded gray color.

Tirek began to glow, as the magic coursed through his veins. Then he began to chuckle himself. " _I'm coming for you, princesses!_ " He thought to himself. " _You'll regret that you did not destroy me when you had the chance._ "

* * *

Princess Celestia woke with a start in her own bed, frightened beyond all belief, and still wearing her royal tiara and horseshoes. " _That's the last time I eat cake before bed!_ " She thought to herself, even though she knew what the more likely explanation for her disturbance was.

Sure enough, Princess Luna came barging in a short time later. "Sister, are you alright? I heard your cries of distress from a mile away." She spoke with concern.

Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh Luna, I've just had the most terrible dream."

But in a very serious tone, Luna looked at her sister and said to her. "Why do you think _I'm_ here, dear sister? You know as well as I do, that this was not just a dream, but a vision. A warning of things yet to come!"

"I was afraid of that," Celestia sighed, as she got out of her bed. "But I figured he would make his move eventually."

"Do you really think Tirek has finally decided to show himself?" Luna asked her sister, as the two looked out at the window.

"No doubt about it," Celestia nodded, and turning to her sister she instructed. "We must notify Cadence and Shining Armor at once. The longer we wait, the more we are _all_ in very real danger! Tirek must be stopped at all costs!"

"And you believe it is imperative we inform our niece and our nephew-in-law?" Luna inquired. "I have seen into your dreams, sister. I already know who you intend to send to face Tirek. Assuming Discord can be trusted, is there a need to inform anyone else? Surely it would be wise not to cause a panic."

"I don't know how powerful Tirek has become, or how close he is to finding us," Celestia replied with concern. "Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor need to know about Tirek, so that if anything were to happen to us, they will be able to take over. I just hope that it doesn't come to that."


	86. Chapter 86: The Legend of Tirek

Sure enough, the very next day, Celestia and Luna called Cadence and Shining Armor to Canterlot. It didn't take long for Princess Celestia to reveal what they had been called in for. "Have you ever heard of Lord Tirek?" Celestia asked the two.

"No, never." Was the response.

Celestia sighed. "I expected such a response from you two. Alas, I'm afraid it has become necessary to explain his history. I feared this day might come, and part of me hoped it never would," She pulled out a massive book, and opened it up. The pictures displayed two strange creatures, as Celestia narrated. "The story of Tirek dates back to over 1,000 years ago, a time shortly after Luna and I had ascended to the throne. Tirek, and his brother Scorpan, came to Equestria from a distant land, with the intent of stealing Equestrian magic. Some claimed they needed it to discover 'The Rainbow of Darkness', but there is no evidence such a thing existed outside of fairy tales."

"Oh yeah, I remember those," Shining commented. "When I was just a little colt my mother was fond of telling me stories involving her and these ponies she once knew. Stories involving them and a strange bipedal creature called Meghan. One of the ones she was most fond of telling, was the one about how her and the five ponies, alongside Meghan, defeated Tirek in his Castle Midnight. And I believe The Rainbow of Darkness came up often."

Luna spoke next, as she flipped the book to the next page. "Well, Tirek and Scorpan certainly aren't fairy tales, they were real. However, Scorpan soon discovered that the ponies of Equestria were peaceful creatures, and not the savage brutes his brother had led him to believe. Thus, he befriended them, even gaining the trust of our beloved mentor, Starswirl The Bearded."

"Guess even Starswirl had a few beings he could consider friends," Cadence interrupted. "Sure wish I'd have known about that when I was foalsitting Twilight and trying to teach her about the importance of friendship."

Luna cleared her throat as the book was flipped to the next page, now depicting Tirek and Scorpan on their own in what appeared to be a cave of some kind. "Having befriended the ponies, Scorpan urged his brother to abandon his quest and renounce his pony hating ways. But alas, Tirek refused to oblige."

The book was flipped to the next page, which now showed Scorpan meeting with Celestia and Luna. Celestia narrated in a much more somber tone. "Unable to convince his brother, Scorpan came to us for help. He told us of Tirek's intentions, but could not bring himself to fight his own brother. Fortunately, he had no need. Our magical powers combined proved to be more than enough to stop Tirek. But rather than destroy him, we had him banished to Tartarus for his crimes. And Scorpan returned to his own land, never to be seen or heard from again as far as we know."

"However, Tirek has now escaped Tartarus!" Luna said dramatically. "We suspect it must've happened just over a year ago, when Cerberus left his post at the gates and wandered into Ponyville. A quick head count the following day revealed one prisoner missing, and Tirek was that missing prisoner."

"But, if he's really been on the loose for so long, why has he waited until now to strike?" Shining Armor asked, wondering if perhaps the princesses were hiding something from him. "If he harbors so much of a grudge against Equestria, why keep a low profile for over a year? It makes no sense."

"I think I can explain," Celestia replied, and stood up from her spot at the table. "When Tirek was banished to Tartarus, we made sure to strip him of his magical powers. Unfortunately, it was not permanent, we relied on the demonic abilities of Tartarus to suppress Tirek's abilities when they did return. After all that time spent trapped in Tartarus, Tirek was left very weak. I suspect it is only now that he has managed to regain his dark powers, strong enough to drain the magic of unsuspecting unicorns."

"And I think I know _just_ the pony who can stop him." Cadence smiled, as she eyed Shining. It didn't take a genius to figure out who she was referring to.

"Me? Cadence, I'm flattered you think so highly of me, really I am," Shining modestly blushed, while scratching the back of his head with a hoof. "But, I don't even know where Tirek might be, let alone how I'm supposed to stop him if I DO find him."

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Shining Armor," Celestia said, and then paused and drew a deep breath before she added in a very serious tone. "Which is why I'm afraid I must call in another to stop Tirek. Discord!"

"What?!" Shining Armor and Cadence both gasped.

"Your reaction is the same as mine when I first learned of it," Luna commented to the two. "Even now I am still not sure if sending Discord is truly the best option here. He may be reformed, but he's still very much a wild card at this point. We don't know for sure if he will be loyal to us."

"Believe me, those were all concerns I asked myself before I decided on Discord," Celestia explained. "And it's not a decision I came to easily. But that is part of the reason why I had him reformed in the first place, this is the purpose for which his magic will be of good use to us. Unfortunately, I must send him in alone. To send someone with him, even a non-unicorn, is too risky. Even though he's not back at full power, Tirek is not a threat to be taken lightly. I fear he may hurt or even kill anyone if he believes it will help him achieve his goals."

"But why not send yourself?" Shining asked. "This sounds like a threat you and Luna are perfectly equipped to deal with."

"Discord can track Tirek down to an exact location, whereas Luna or I would be fishing without an anchor," Celestia explained with reluctance. "And the longer it takes to track Tirek, the stronger he becomes."

Luna nodded. "Indeed, with each passing second, Tirek grows stronger still. It may not be long before he becomes powerful enough to drain pegasi of their weather controlling magic, or earth ponies of their magic that connects them to the soil and enables them to grow crops."

"So, what should we do in the meantime?" Shining Armor asked Celestia and Luna.

"For now, we will all go about our business as usual," Celestia explained, a smile forming on her face. "Hopefully, by the end of this week, everything will be back to normal, and Tirek will be back in Tartarus, this time in maximum security," Looking at Shining Armor she asked him. "Is there something wrong, Prince Shining? You seem troubled."

"I have not had time to examine your dreams lately, but from what I have sensed you are not at ease," Luna added, and cautioned. "Whatever might be eating at you, I would suggest you not keep it to yourself. When I tried to do the same with my guilt over Nightmare Moon, it took the form of a creature called the Tantibus. And through my negligence, I almost allowed it to become powerful enough to invade other dreams and escape into the real world. Had my sister not intervened, I fear that might have happened."

"Please, Shining, you must tell my aunts," Cadence encouraged. "This isn't going to go away if you keep it to yourself."

Shining hesitated for a moment in consideration, but then he reluctantly sighed and confessed. "Well, Princess Celestia, it's just that... You raise the sun, Princess Luna raises the moon, and Princess Cadence is in charge of love, which finds a place in all but the blackest of hearts. Meanwhile, it seems like all I do is just stand around, smiling and waving. Is this really my destiny as Equestria's first alicorn prince? I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I want to have a bigger role, I want to feel like I truly belong among the ranks of nobility, that I am worthy of my title. If I have to wait, how long must that be so? Please, tell me."

Celestia just replied in a warm yet serious tone. "I understand your concerns, Shining Armor. Your time will come soon, this I have foreseen in my dreams. Though when, I cannot say with certainty. In the meantime, I suggest you return to Ponyville. Clearly, time away from your friends and sister has not done you well."

"But, what about Cadence, and Flash Sentry, and all the Crystal Ponies?" Shining asked Celestia.

"We've managed without you before, and we can do so again," Cadence encouraged. "You've more than earned some time off, Shining. You're as much of a hard worker as your sister was in her student days. I'm sure your friends will be glad to see you again, and I don't foresee any crisis' in the Crystal Empire that I can't manage on my own."

Shining sighed, both Celestia and Cadence made fine points. And he was fairly certain Luna would tell him to go back to Ponyville as well. In any case, it was no use trying to argue with his wife **AND** the pony that was almost like a second mother to him. "Very well, I suppose some time off in Ponyville couldn't hurt," He agreed. "But, if any of you need for anything, you know how to reach me." And with that, he departed.


	87. Chapter 87: Discord, Agent of Harmony

Shining was glad to see his friends again when he arrived in Ponyville, but it didn't take long for him to reveal why he'd come, and what he and the princesses had talked about earlier. Surprisingly, his friends took the news about Tirek pretty well. It was who had been entrusted with capturing him that made them just a little concerned.

"Discord? As in 'Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony' Discord?" Big Macintosh asked. "If this is Princess Celestia's idea of a joke, it ain't funny."

But Shining shook his head. "It's no joke, she specifically said Discord was suited to the task. The next time Tirek steals magic, Discord can sense Tirek's location and track him down."

"I know there was the whole 'plunder seeds' incident that he partially lied about," Thunderlane commented to the others. "But if Princess Celestia is willing to trust him enough to go after Tirek, I think we have to give Discord the benefit of the doubt. Fluttershy has said he _can_ do the right thing."

"Well, he'd better, for all our sakes." Soarin remarked.

Quickly changing the subject, Fancy Pants looked at Shining and asked him. "So, what are you going to do in the meantime?"

Shining sighed. "Well, I don't see those keys to that mysterious chest just appearing out of thin air. It's odd though, I can't put my hoof on it, but I feel like the keys are right under our noses. But I guess there's not much I can do, I've exhausted just about every option there is and I've got nothing to show for it," Then he added. "I guess maybe I'll just walk about and see what's changed since I was last here. That is of course, unless one of you needs me to smile and wave."

"Perhaps a visit to the Castle of the Two Sisters and the Tree of Harmony would cheer you up?" Braeburn encouraged with a smile. "I mean, Ponyville like's a second home to ya. And even princes need a castle to call their own, and I don't see one just magically popping up overnight."

Shining chuckled at Braeburn's statement. "Well, I've got nothing better to do anyway. Another visit to the castle wouldn't hurt. I at least want to double check and make sure we didn't miss anything like that secret cave, where Spike found that tacky old book."

"Oh yes, the _Inspiration Manifestation_ book," Fancy Pants remarked with a frown. "I can't believe Spike sweet talked me into giving it to Miss. Rarity. It's a good thing she was more interested in beautifying the town than trying to destroy it, in more powerful hooves who knows what it could've done?"

* * *

As the group approached the Castle of the Two Sisters, their attention was briefly turned to the alcove that held the Tree of Harmony, which still glowed brightly. And of course, the mysterious chest that rested beneath said tree's trunk.

"You really sure we couldn't just take the Elements of Harmony off the tree for a while, and use 'em to defeat Tirek?" Soarin asked Shining, eyeing the tree. "Seems like that would save a lot of trouble."

Shining shook his head. "No, the Elements of Harmony can never leave the Tree of Harmony ever again. They are needed to ensure the Everfree Forest is kept in check, and that the Tree of Harmony survives. Even if we only needed them for a few hours, the Tree of Harmony would be left powerless, and the Everfree Forest would be free to invade Ponyville again."

"Rats. Guess that means we're back to square one, looking for the keys." Soarin remarked.

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh nodded. "And let's just hope we find them soon, in case a certain friend of ours fails to complete his mission."

"Oh, you're talking about me, aren't you?" A familiar voice called out, soon revealing itself to be none other than Discord. He descended upon the group, holding an umbrella, and wearing a fancy hat.

"Ah, Discord, what an... unexpected surprise," Fancy Pants commented. "How did you know we were talking about you?"

"Simple, my ears were buzzing." Discord explained, pointing to his ears which seemed to be on fire. He quickly extinguished them as if it were no big deal.

"I hope you didn't come here to just rub your assignment in our faces." Braeburn said, narrowing his eyes at Discord ever so slightly.

"Ah yes, I see Shining Armor has kept you all well informed," Discord announced, dressing up in a military outfit. "Tirek can run, but he can't hide, not from me! I'll track him down quick as a flash, and with my magic I'll easily capture him and send him back to Tartarus for good! Seems like my magic has an important role to play in Equestria. Ooh, maybe they'll even make _me_ into an alicorn prince," Discord snapped his fingers, and a horn and wings similar to Shining Armor's appeared on him. He proceeded to blow kisses as if he were standing before a crowd. "Oh thank you, thank you all. You're all too kind."

Soarin was not amused. "In your dreams, pal!" He commented, knocking Discord's alicorn costume off.

"Oh, I never dream of such things," Discord replied in an unconcerned tone of voice. "Just ask Princess Luna, she'll tell you," Then, clearing his throat, he added. "But if you want to know why I'm _really_ here, I just thought I'd drop by for a quick progress report. Still trying to find the keys to that chest?"

"What are you playin' at? Out with it, Discord, we don't have all day!" Big Macintosh demanded.

"Oh, you're no fun," Discord commented. "But, very well, I'll cut to the chase. I think whatever's in that chest is very important. I can sense these kind of things," Then he added. "And while it's a big 'What If?', perhaps what's contained inside isn't just Equestria's new last line of defense, but also something that could help Shining Armor prove his worth an alicorn prince."

"You sayin' you know where the keys are?" Braeburn asked Discord.

Discord opened his mouth to answer, but that was when he felt a sudden tingle run down his spine, and he wiggled all about. "Ooh, sorry guys. Looks like Tirek's made his move sooner than I anticipated," He apologized. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I really must be going. Wish me luck, not that I'll need it." Hopping onto a scooter that had materialized out of thin air, Discord sped away and vanished in a flash.

"He's toying with us, isn't he?" Fancy Pants remarked, rolling his eyes. "Everytime you think you've got him figured out, he somehow finds a way to surprise you."

But just then, Discord reappeared in a flash. "Oopsie doopsie, I almost forgot to leave this behind," He announced, holding up the journal the six friends had kept. "This little journal of yours is quite fascinating. Seems like you guys have learned an awful lot," Tossing it to Shining, he added. "Here, I believe this is yours. And fyi, I bookmarked a couple of sections you might wanna take a closer look at it," Then he looked at Thunderlane as he asked the pegasus. "So, what's the word on Fluttershy? We still on for that Tuesday Tea?"

Thunderlane nodded. "Of course, we'll keep your seat warm in case you decide to show up."

"Goody," Discord smiled, as he snapped his paws, and a door appeared in front of him. "I'll bring the cucumber sandwiches. See you all soon!" He called, and stepped through the door which slammed shut and disappeared, once he'd stepped through it.

"Just what in tarnation was that all about?" Big Macintosh asked Shining Armor. "I don't like sayin' this, but I feel like sometimes Discord does this kind of stuff just to get under our fur."

"Now now, let's not talk bad about him behind his back," Thunderlane cautioned. "Discord works in mysterious ways, but he _is_ technically on our side now. I'm sure he has his reasons for bookmarking those sections."

"We can worry about that later," Shining announced. "For now, let's check the castle and make sure to leave no stone unturned!" In the back of his mind, the young prince thought to himself. " _I get the feeling we're right on the verge of a big discovery about those keys! But, why do I also suddenly find myself dreading the outcome? Am I getting a vision of the future like Celestia does?_ "


	88. Chapter 88: Chaos and Keys

Tirek had just finished draining the magic from another unsuspecting unicorn, he'd already regained a good amount of power. But his physical appearance hadn't changed, and he knew what that meant. " _Curses, this is taking too long! At this rate, I'll never be back to full strength before the princesses find me and send me back to Tartarus!_ " He thought to himself. " _I need to find someway to drain a whole bunch of unicorns all at once._ " However, it was then that the crafty centaur spotted an unusual looking unicorn, and he could sense that this unicorn was quite powerful. "Ooh, even better!" Tirek whispered to himself, as he slowly crept towards the mysterious unicorn stallion, hoping to catch the unsuspecting pony by surprise.

" _The poor fool has no idea what's going to happen to him. I_ _ **almost**_ _feel sorry for him. Key word: Almost._ " Tirek thought with a fiendish smile, as he closed in on his prey.

But suddenly, the pony spun around, and a familiar goat shaped face with two different horns greeted Tirek's eyes. "Ah yes, Tirek, I presume." The creature greeted.

Tirek was surprised for a moment, then he realized who this strange pony was. "Discord? You're free?" He asked.

"As a bird! Boy, you're really behind on the times, Tirek!" Discord laughed in reply, as he transformed himself into a bird that stood on a perch.

"Oh, well congratulations on your escape!" Tirek applauded.

Discord returned to normal, as he said seriously. "Well, I'm afraid the feeling isn't mutual. You're under arrest! You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you, yadya yadya yadya." He then slapped a series of cuffs onto Tirek's wrists. Tirek attempted to blast Discord in the face, but Discord split his face in two, and the blast past through, leaving him unharmed.

Tirek growled, as he tried in vain to break the cuffs. "Oh, I should've known you'd want Equestria all to yourself!" He hissed. "I suppose you're off to go take care of the princesses yourself."

But Discord laughed. "Ohhoho, Tirek, just how far behind the times are you?!" Wearing a police pony's outfit, including a hat, a badge, cuffs, and a nightstick (which he twiddled around as if it were a chain ball), the witty spirit explained. "The princesses are the very ones who sent me to track you down. I'm not really doing this for myself, I've got orders and I intend to follow them."

"What?! Do you seriously mean to tell me what I think you mean to tell me?!" Tirek demanded.

"That's right, I'm doing this for the ponies!" Discord boasted, and then he whispered. "Just between you and me though, it's mostly for Fluttershy. The others are... okay I guess, but they don't seem to trust me."

"Fluttershy?" Tirek asked.

"Surprise!" Discord replied, popping out of a giant cake. "Oh wait, wasn't that the name of one of those ponies that defeats you in the stories made up about you? I swear I've heard that name somewhere before."

"I don't know what the ponies have told you about me, but I assure you that any stories they've created about me are highly exaggerated," Tirek growled. "But I _am_ surprised, Discord. Surprised that you do not see that this so called 'friendship' of yours, is but a new form of imprisonment."

Discord scoffed. "Pah, that's where you're wrong, Tirek! Now, are you going to come quietly, or do I have to take you in by force?"

Tirek simply replied by saying to Discord. "Let me explain this in a way your feeble mind will understand. Surely, in order to 'befriend' these ponies, you had to abandon your true nature."

Discord appeared to have a halo and play a harp, but he quickly made both things go away as he protested. "I have done nothing of the sort! Your words are nothing but empty threats."

That was when Tirek laughed. "Hear me out, Discord. These ponies have turned you into an obedient pet. You wag your tail at their command. But you hear it, don't you? The real you, locked away deep inside your heart. Scratching and clawing, trying desperately to break free once again. If we teamed up, you could have it all."

"As if, you'd just toss me aside the first chance you got!" Discord protested, then against his better judgement he added. "Why should I believe a word you say?"

Sensing a weakness within Discord, Tirek pressed his advantage, as he slyly said. "Once I've stripped these feeble ponies of their magic, nothing would delight me more than to see their world turned upside down. And who better to do so, than the master of chaos himself? Join me, Discord, and reclaim your greatness. Become the legend you were truly meant to be! That is of course, unless 'pony errand boy' is the role you've always wanted to play in Equestria."

Discord pondered Tirek's offer for a moment, eyeing the picture of him and Fluttershy that was perched atop a floating drawer. He thought deeply about what Tirek was offering him, and what he was going to lose if he accepted it. His thoughts turned to all his friends, including Fluttershy, the one who believed most firmly of all that he could be good. At last, Discord came to a decision. "You know, had you offered me the chance a few months ago, Tirek, perhaps I'd have said yes," He told the centaur. "But I've come to understand that I have real friends now, friends who at least accept me for who I am. Sure, perhaps I still delight in teasing and toying with them a bit from time to time, but it's all in good fun. I'm not about to just throw that all away, for the sake of helping you get what you want. Now, enough games! It's time to send you back to Tartarus, where you belong!"

However, it was at that moment, that the crafty centaur sprang his trap. "So, you really _do_ care for those ponies, don't you?" Tirek asked with a smirk. "Well, what would you do if I were to say, hurt them? Think about it, Discord. You could send me back to Tartarus, but I've already escaped once. How do you know I won't escape again? And if I do, I know who I'll target first. Those so called 'friends' of yours."

That comment prompted Discord's eyes to light up in flames, as he growled at Tirek. "Don't you DARE hurt my friends, Tirek!"

"I'll spare your friends from my wrath, on one condition," Tirek promised. "Serve me, and help me to regain my strength. Otherwise, I can't guarantee your friends will be unharmed."

"You're bluffing! There's no way you're going to get out of Tartarus again, I'll make sure of that!" Discord vowed.

"That's what the princesses thought when they banished to that rotten place all those years ago," Tirek smirked. "But I escaped anyway. Can you really afford to make the same mistake _they_ did?"

Discord wanted nothing more than to send Tirek back to Tartarus at the moment, and he was sorely tempted to do so. But a nagging part of his mind couldn't help but wonder. " _What if Tirek's right? What if he really_ _ **does**_ _find a way to escape? Perhaps he knows something even I don't know?_ " Against his better judgement, Discord looked at the centaur, and told him. "I guess I don't have a choice, Tirek. But if I join you, you have to promise to leave my friends alone. That's my offer to you, take it or leave it!"

Tirek smiled, and laughed fiendishly. "Excellent!" Shaking Discord's paw he then added. "You've made a wise decision, Discord. You won't regret it."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Castle of the Two Sisters, Shining Armor and his friends were currently combing through the ruined remaints of the castle library. They'd been searching for a while, but so far they had nothing to show for it.

"I'm starting to think this is a dead end. Wherever Spike found that ancient spell book, it was probably just a fluke." Fancy Pants commented.

"We've practically searched this whole place from top to bottom twice now," Soarin added. "Maybe it's time to give up. Maybe the keys are supposed to come us, instead of us looking for them?"

Shining sighed. "I just know the keys are nearby, I can sense it. I swear, if they were snakes, they'd have bitten us by now. But for the life of me, I can't figure why I feel that way. It just doesn't make sense, why would the Tree of Harmony produce that chest if we weren't meant to open it?" Looking down at the desk he was seated at, Shining's eyes were drawn to the journal he and his friends had kept since that fateful night in the Castle of the Two Sisters just a few months ago. More specifically, the sections Discord had bookmarked (each with a colored bookmark that matched the coat of the pony who had written the designated entry). Skimming through them again, something suddenly caught his eye! " _No, it couldn't be. Could it?_ " He thought to himself, and called for his friends. "Hey, guys. I think something just came to me. Something that's going to point us in the right direction!"

"What is it?" Big Macintosh asked Shining. "You find a clue about the whereabouts of them keys?"

"Sort of," Shining explained, as he presented the open journal to his friends. "Looking at the entries Discord has bookmarked, I've noticed something. In each of the entries, the one who wrote it faced a challenge in which living up to their designated Element of Harmony wasn't easy. For example, Fancy Pants' entry is about Suri, Coco, and Fashion Week in Manehattan. And Thunderlane's entry is about Sea Breeze and the Breezies."

"We all remember those moments, they were some of the toughest decisions we ever had to make," Braeburn commented. "What exactly does that have to do with the keys?"

Shining continued with his explanation. "Each of you had a moment of realization, where you knew what you had to do. And when you did so, you inspired somepony else do the same, and were rewarded with a special trinket. Fancy Pants got a spool of silk, Soarin got Spitfire's badge, Braeburn got Boneless a.k.a a rubber chicken, Thunderlane got a flower, and Big Macintosh got a bit coin."

"Wait, are you implying what I think you're implying?" Thunderlane asked Shining.

Shining nodded. "I think those items are either the keys themselves, or they're intended to lead us to the location of the keys. As strange as it may sound, I think Discord was onto something. He must've known what was special about those items, and was trying to point us towards them."

Everyone's eyes lit up! "Well, what are we standing around here for?!" Soarin asked out loud. "Let's get to the Tree of Harmony, and see if we can find those keys!"

* * *

The six stallions raced to the tree (after picking up the items designated in the journal entries), setting the items atop the mysterious chest. Shining examined them carefully. "Hm, I don't see anything on them that involves directions. But I also don't see anything that implies they might transform. There must be something that can explain what their purpose is."

Braeburn grabbed Boneless, and started shaking it up and down. "Come on, Boneless! Give us that key already, we really need it!" But nothing happened.

"I don't think that's going to work." Shining commented to Braeburn, before Braeburn furiously tossed Boneless towards the chest. Surprisingly, when Boneless got close to the chest, it was enveloped in a rainbow glow, and a key shaped like the Element of Laughter appeared in Boneless' place!

One by one, Thunderlane, Soarin, Big Macintosh, and Fancy Pants all held their items close to the chest, and each one turned into a key that was shaped like their respective Element of Harmony.

"Only one key left to go and that chest is finally gonna open!" Braeburn cheered.

"So, where's your key, Shining Armor?" Soarin asked the unicorn.

Shining hung his head as he sighed. "I don't have it. There's nothing I have that could possibly be that key in disguise."

"Nonsense. I'm sure there is, you just haven't thought of it yet," Fancy Pants commented, and encouraged. "Come on, think for a moment, Shining. When did you complete a difficult magical task, and in doing so inspired someone else to do the same?"

"First of all, my element may be magic, but it's not magic itself, it's the magic of friendship," Shining protested, and glumly he added. "And second, there's never been a moment like that. If there was, I'd have written it down in the journal, and Discord would've bookmarked it," With a sigh, he then commented. "I can't believe this! So close, and yet so far!"

"Hey, cheer up, Shinin'," Braeburn encouraged with a bright smile. "I'm sure your key will turn up eventually. Heck, maybe one of the princesses will know where it is."

Just then, Spike came rushing up towards Shining, panting heavily. A scroll was tucked under his left arm. "There you are, Shining! Been looking everywhere for you!" Spike commented between pants, as he gave the scroll to Shining. "Urgent memo from Canterlot! Better take a good look at it, I don't think you'll like what it says."

Shining enveloped the scroll with his magic, and read it carefully. When he had finished, his heart sank, and his entire body filled with dread. "Oh no!" He cried.

"What?! What's wrong?!" Big Macintosh asked.

"It doesn't say, it just says something's gone wrong and I'm needed in Canterlot at once!" Shining replied dramatically. "Sorry guys, looks like that last key's gonna have to wait! This is an emergency!" Then with a flap of his wings, he was off! All the while, Shining thought to himself. " _Please don't let this be about Tirek! Please!_ "


	89. Chapter 89: Hide The Magic!

Shining flew into Canterlot, immediately heading straight for the royal palace. All the while he was thinking to himself. " _Please don't let this be a bad thing, please!_ "

But upon entering the throne room, Shining could see all three princesses were there, waiting for him with anxious looks. Already, he could tell that something wasn't right. Reluctantly, he cleared his throat and spoke. "I came as soon as I got your message. What's wrong?"

The three princesses exchanged nervous looks for a moment, before Celestia looked at Shining and said somberly. "I'm afraid my judgement has come back to haunt me. It seems I overestimated the influence friendship had on Discord, just as I underestimated Tirek's crafty ways."

"No, you can't mean..." Shining began.

"-I'm afraid I do." Celestia replied, hanging her head in shame.

"We have received word that Discord has betrayed Equestria, and sided with Tirek, allowing him to steal more magic than he ever could've on his own," Luna added. "To make matters worse, we've learned that Tirek has now grown powerful enough to steal the magic from all pegasi, leaving them unable to control the weather. And there are reports Tirek has targeted earth ponies as well, making them unable to tend to the soil and grow crops. Cloudsdale, Appleloosa, Manehattan, Fillydelphia, Los Pegasus, Trottingham, Baltimare, and even Dodge Junction have all fallen victim to Tirek's wrath."

Cadence spoke next, and her words chilled Shining to the very bone. "There is only one thing left that Tirek has undoubtedly set his sights on, alicorn magic! If he gets it, he will be unstoppable!"

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Shining asked the princesses. "Assuming Tirek's on his way now, we don't exactly have a lot of time to come up with a plan. But, surely you're prepared for this. Especially you, Princess Celestia. You've always had a plan for when things look bleak before."

But Celestia only shook her head. "Alas, I could not have anticipated this. There's little I can plan for on such short notice, even my visions have become clouded. I sense that Tirek will eventually be stopped, but how and by who, I don't know."

"Well, maybe whatever's in that mysterious chest will help?" Shining wondered out loud. "My friends and I recently discovered five of the six keys needed to unlock it. But my key still eludes me at the moment. Do you know where it might be found?"

"No," Celestia admitted. "And neither do I know what that chest might contain. There is but one option I can think of that we can try. We must rid ourselves of our magic, before Tirek has a chance to steal it from us!"

Shining's mouth dropped wide open. "What?! But, but... that's impossible! Magic can't just disappear, it doesn't work like that. I should know, Twily's read a ton of books on the subject."

"You misunderstand," Luna explained. "Of course our magic can't just vanish into thin air. It must be hidden inside something, or rather somepony. And while it's not a decision we've arrived at lightly, we've decided it would be for the best to hide all the alicorn magic inside of you!"

"Why me?! Why not Cadence?!" Shining asked.

"We don't know how much Tirek knows about us, or what Discord has told him," Cadence commented. "But the fact that he hasn't yet targeted Ponyville or the Crystal Empire, means he's currently still unaware that you exist. Hiding the magic inside you may at least buy us time to come up with a solution."

"And, if I should run into Tirek and Discord?" Shining nervously asked, even though he was certain of the answer.

"If you should run into either of them, you are to defeat them at all costs," Celestia declared, her mood changing from somber to serious. "Are you prepared to accept that possibility? If not, we could hide the magic inside Cadence or Luna, or even hide it inside me. I'm the strongest and oldest of all the alicorns, perhaps that might give me an edge over Tirek?"

But Shining only shook his head. "No, I can't ask you to accept that burden, Princess Celestia. I'll do it! My friends and I will find a way to stop Tirek!"

"You may tell your friends if you wish, but know that doing so may put them at greater risk," Luna cautioned. "And with all that power inside you, you will need time to adjust. It may be for the best if you find somewhere quiet and out of the way to adapt to your new magical powers, once you receive them. Otherwise, you'll be as much of a danger as Tirek is."

"Knowing all of this? Knowing what you'll have to give up? Do you still wish to accept the burden?" Cadence asked her husband. "It's not too late to change your mind. You've already saved Equestria countless times, you don't have to do this."

Shining's response was to protest by proclaiming. "No, Cadence. I can see now that this is the role I'm meant to play as Equestria's first alicorn prince! And I will not fail to do my royal duty!" Stepping forward, he boldly added. "I'm ready! Unleash the magic upon me, I can take it!"

"Very well, and may the power of harmony guide you." Celestia advised, then she, Luna, and Cadence, all surrounded Shining Armor. One by one, each lit up their horns, pouring all their magical power into a gigantic dome. Then, slowly, the dome was lowered into Shining, and the magic began to course through his veins.

Shining immediately felt himself overwhelmed by the enormous power surging through him! One moment he felt red hot, like the sun! The next, he was freezing cold, like the moon! And then he felt all warm and fuzzy, like his heart was full of unending love for all! All the while, sparks of electricity sizzled and crackled as they leaked out from his horn! "So... strong!" He panted, as he struggled to stand up!

"Take it easy, Shining," Celestia cautioned in a motherly tone. "I know it's a lot for you to take in all at once, but sooner or later your body will get used to the tremendous amount of power stored inside you."

Just moments later, there was a blinding flash of light, and all three princesses shielded their eyes. When the flash faded, Shining Armor stood, looking none the worse for wear even in spite of what had just happened. However, looking at the princesses, he took notice of the fact that their cutie marks had vanished, and Celestia and Luna's manes and tails had stopped flowing. Shining hugged all three princesses, and to each one he told them. "I'm sorry it had to be this way. I promise, I won't let you down!"

"We know you won't," Celestia said, smiling despite the tears forming in her face. "Now go, get as far away from here as you can before Tirek arrives!"

"What about you three?" Shining asked the princesses. "What will happen to all of you?"

"We'll each go into hiding," Luna explained. "My sister will stay here, hopefully stalling Tirek for long as possible. I shall try to seek refugee in the castle towers. And Cadence shall return to the Crystal Empire. With any luck, we can send Tirek on a wild goose chase, and buy you time to find out how to stop him."

"And know that our magic isn't the only thing you'll take with you," Cadence called, as Shining turned to leave. "Our support will also be with you, wherever you may go."

Shining tried his best not to cry. " _Everyone is counting on me!_ " He thought to himself, as he flew back to Ponyville. " _I can't let them down! Somehow, someway, I've got to stop Tirek!_ " But he didn't know how.


	90. Chapter 90: Shining Alone

When Shining Armor returned from Canterlot, he immediately retreated to the Golden Oaks Library. And it was there that he told Twilight and Spike what had happened.

"That's it then, huh," Spike commented. "Princess Celestia just told you to take the magic and stick your head in the sand?!"

"You know that's not the whole story, Spike," Twilight interrupted. "There's still that final key. If we can find it, we might have a chance."

But Shining only shook his head. "I don't want to believe that key won't turn up eventually, but waiting around for a miracle just isn't possible in these circumstances. As long as Tirek is out there, and as long as Discord is siding with him, I can't simply wait for the solution to come to me. I have no choice but to perfect the new magic I wield and use it against Tirek! He must be stopped by any means necessary, and if Discord gets in the way my orders are to do the same to do him."

"Can you actually do that though? I mean, what would the others say if they found out?" Spike asked with concern.

"I... don't know," Shining confessed, hanging his head. "And for Discord's sake, I hope our paths don't cross until Tirek is vanquished. He hasn't told him about me yet, but I have to assume it's only a matter of time before Tirek finds out for himself. You, Twilight, and the others can keep searching for that final key if you want. But unless it magically surfaces in the foreseeable future, I can't depend on it to save me, or Equestria! Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadence gave me their magic so that I might stand a chance! Like it or not, I have to go for the only reliable option I have left."

Spike sighed. "Suit yourself, I'm gonna go back to sleep. The sun's not up yet."

Spike's comment actually got Shining to start thinking, about the sun and about the moon. " _Spike is right, the sun should be up by now._ " He thought to himself, and then it suddenly dawned on Shining and he let out a gasp! "Oh no, how did it not cross my mind until now?! When I received Celestia and Luna's magic, I also gained control of the sun and the moon!"

Twilight watched in surprise, and concern, as her brother rushed towards the nearest window, and started to frantically light up his horn! Shining seemed to strain himself heavily, as magical energy surged and crackled all around him. "Are you okay, B.B.B.F.F?" Twilight asked with concern.

Shining squeezed his eyes shut, as he tried to concentrate. "No...all this magic inside me... it's burning me up! But I... have to... control it! Can't... let Tirek... suspect anything!" He replied, panting and sweating. Lowering the moon and raising the sun proved to be a very difficult task, it took every ounce of strength Shining had just to maintain control! At last, he was able to get the sun into the sky and leave it to move on its own power. "I need to get better at my new magic," He said to himself, quickly rushing for the door. "I can't stay here!" He was about to light up his horn for a teleport, but decided against it. " _Teleporting is too dangerous!_ " He thought to himself. " _Who knows where I'll end up, or what I'll do?! I need go somewhere where I can be free of distractions!_ "

Shining attempted to concentrate his magic on the doorknob and turn it, but he ended up using too much power and blew the door right off its hinges! "Sorry, Twily," He hastily apologized, rushing out. "I'll fix that later!" But all of a sudden, as he extended his wings, Shining felt a surge of power overtake him! Before he could stop himself, he was zooming across the sky like a bullet! Fortunately, he soon landed near the outskirts of Ponyville.

* * *

But as luck would have it, at that very moment all five of Shining's closest friends came up to him. They were very much concerned. "Just what was that all about, Shining? I've never seen you fly that fast before." Soarin commented.

"Must've caught a breeze or something." Shining hastily replied.

"Funny, don't recall there bein' any kind of breeze around here today," Big Macintosh commented. "And while we're are it, what the hay was up with the sky? The sun and moon were actin' all crazy, I thought I was losin' my mind."

"Come to think of it, you've been acting strange ever since you came back from Canterlot," Fancy Pants observed. "Just what's going on? Don't bother trying to lie to us, Shining. Something is up, and we want to know what it is."

Shining looked all around, he could tell his friends were not going to leave him alone until they got an answer. " _Should've figured they'd find out eventually._ " He thought, and with a sigh he confessed. "If you must know, the princesses stored all their magic inside of me for safe keeping."

"But why would they need to do that? Shouldn't Discord have captured Tirek by now?" Thunderlane asked with concern.

Shining gulped and swallowed hard, how was he supposed to break the news of Discord's betrayal to his friends? "Discord has..." He began, then paused. He tried to think of how he could best phrase what had to be said, but his heart just couldn't bring himself to tell his friends the harsh truth. " _Ponies deserve to have their faith in goodness rewarded once in a while._ " He thought, and lied to them. "Not responded. We suspect he's gotten lost. Tirek moved faster than any of the princesses anticipated, and apparently he's grown powerful enough to mask his power for short intervals. Discord is likely still trying to get a lock on Tirek's exact location."

"Perhaps we could accompany you on your journey?" Braeburn offered. "Sounds like you've got a lot on your shoulders, and besides, we still need to look for that last key."

Shining only shook his head, as the magic surged through him quite painfully. "No, all you need to stay as far away from me as possible!" He firmly ordered. "Until I can get my new magical powers under control, I'm a ticking time bomb! And I'd never be able to forgive myself if one of you got hurt because of me!"

"Then, what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Soarin nervously asked. "This is serious, Shining! Tirek already stole all the magic from The Wonderbolts, it was a stroke of pure luck I wasn't with them at the time!"

"And I got word that Tirek's already gone after my friends and family in Appleloosa!" Braeburn added. "It seems like he's gettin' stronger by the minute!"

"For now, just leave me alone, please!" Shining pleaded in a desperate tone. "Tell everyone to stay inside and keep all doors and windows shut until further notice! I don't know how long we have until Tirek finds out about me, or that I live here for most of the year, but if we can keep him in the dark for a while I may have enough time to master my magical powers and put a stop to this!"

"Assuming Discord doesn't catch him first." Thunderlane reminded.

Shining tried his best not to look guilty, as he nodded. "Of course. Now go, all of you!" And he watched, as his friends all left to sound the warning for Ponyville.

" _Well, now I really_ _ **am**_ _alone!_ " Shining thought to himself, as he unhappily looked towards the Everfree Forest. " _But I've got no choice, it's the only way I can ensure their safety! I have to get my new powers under control before Tirek shows up!_ " And with a flap of his wings, Shining took off again, leaving Ponyville behind.


	91. Chapter 91: Canterlot in Chaos

Discord had reluctantly sided with Tirek, convinced it was the only way to protect his friends and _hopefully_ give them enough time to track down that final key. But with every passing second, a nagging part of him couldn't help but wonder if he was making the right choice.

While Tirek was busy draining a few insignificant unicorns of their magic, Discord felt a sudden tingle run down his spine, and he started to shake all over. "Wait, that can't be right." He murmured to himself.

" _What_ can't be right?" Tirek asked, his voice having changed from low and raspy to deep and booming with his change in height. By now he no longer had his cloak on, he had two giant, black horns, and dark red fur. Not to mention a tuft of white for hair.

"Oh uh, nothing. Absolutely nothing," Discord hastily responded. "No need to worry yourself."

"You'd better not be lying to me, Discord!" Tirek warned in an ominous tone of voice. "Bad things happen to those who betray my trust."

"I assure you, it's nothing. What I thought I felt couldn't be possible." Discord replied, opting the most convincing smile he possibly could.

If Tirek suspected Discord was lying to him at all, he didn't show it. He simply nodded and turned away, likely to admire his newfound power.

Discord was more than a little concerned by what he'd felt. " _A transfer of power doesn't make sense. Even if the princesses know I'm coming, why would they store all their magical power inside Shining Armor? He couldn't possibly handle all that alicorn magic._ " He thought to himself.

"Something on your mind, Discord?" Tirek asked, turning around.

Discord shook his head. "No, nothing, just wondering if maybe my senses are on the fritz again," Quickly changing the subject he asked Tirek. "So, where to now oh fearless leader?"

Tirek grinned rather fiendishly, and a twinkle seemed to come into his eyes. "Why to Canterlot of course. It's time for me to reclaim my birth rate and take my rightful place as ruler of the world," He cackled. "And this time, no one is going to stop me!"

" _Shining, wherever you and your friends are, I hope you're searching for that final key!_ " Discord thought to himself, as he went off with Tirek. " _I can't keep Tirek in the dark for much longer!_ "

* * *

Flash Sentry was pacing back and forth on the bridge between the castle towers, keeping a close eye on the city. His trusty spear was clutched firmly in his hooves, as he kept watch for any sign of trouble.

All of a sudden, a voice cried out. "Flash Sentry?! What are you doing here?!"

Flash spun around, finding himself face to face with none other than Discord. "You!" He hissed, pointing his spear at the spirit. "How dare you show your face in my presence, traitor!"

"You don't understand!" Discord pleaded. "It's not what it looks like, I swear!"

Flash only shook his head. "Please, don't insult me! You betrayed us all, how can you look us in the eye and say you're proud of that fact?!"

But just then, Tirek appeared! His presence announced by the thunderous stomping of his hooves. "The only one that Discord betrayed was himself," Tirek growled. "Abandoning his true nature in order to make 'friends' with weak minded equines, who offered him nothing but the empty promises of 'friendship'. And just so they could tame him and turn them into a weapon for their own desires. Well, not anymore!"

Flash immediately rushed towards Tirek, screaming at the top of his lungs! But Tirek easily caught Flash, and pulled him close. "You didn't really think that was gonna work, did you?" He taunted, and drained Flash of his magic, dumping the brightly coated stallion onto the ground.

With his cutie mark gone and the color in his eyes having faded, Flash looked at Discord and weakly he muttered. "How could you? Why?" And then he collapsed.

Before Discord had a chance to truly reflect on what he'd seen, Tirek put a paw around him and said to him. "I've got pressing business to attend to with the princesses, but I shan't need your help dealing with them," Pointing out at the town of Canterlot itself he added. "Why don't you go and have a little fun? I won't stand in your way."

"Uh... sure thing, whatever you say." Discord hastily replied, as Tirek stormed off to find the princesses.

* * *

Princess Celestia was sitting all alone in the throne room, when she heard the doors fly apart with a deafening crash! "He's here." She said weakly to herself.

Sure enough, Tirek came barging into the throne room. Every step he took shook the floors, until at last he and Princess Celestia were face to face. "Hello, Princess," He hissed. "Bet you thought you'd seen the last of me, didn't you? Well I'm afraid not," Grabbing the princess with his magic, he then added in an oily tone of voice. "Now, let's not beat around the bush. You know what I want, now give it to me!" Tirek opened his mouth to drain all the magic from the princess, only to find nothing would come out. "Argh!" He growled. "So you're going to be stubborn, huh?! Fine then, I'll take that magic even if I have to yank it out by force!" And he opened his mouth again, trying harder to drain the sun princess' magic. But nothing happened. "What have you done?!" Tirek demanded, as he continued to try again and again to absorb the magic, only to find that there was none to be had. "WHERE IS YOUR MAGIC?!" He cried, carelessly tossing Celestia to the floor.

Celestia simply smiled, as she looked up at Tirek and told him. "It's gone, and you're never going to get your paws on it."

Tirek sat down on Celestia's throne, and eyed the princess as if he were throwing daggers at her. "I see, getting rid of your magic so that I cannot take it from you?" He commented. "How very clever, princess. But you know as well as I do that magic can't just vanish, especially not magic as powerful as yours. Now tell me, what did you do with your magic? Who or what did you give it to?"

"And what makes you think I'd tell the likes of you? I may not have magic, but I am still a princess!" Celestia said seriously. "And as long as I still draw breath, Equestria shall never be yours!"

Tirek only growled, angrily pounding his fist down on the throne. "You'd better tell me, princess. Because otherwise I'll tear your miserable little kingdom apart piece by piece until I find the magic," And then he added in a rather malicious tone. "In fact, I think the heads of your beloved subjects will roll, figuratively and literally. After all, I have Discord on my side now. Boy were you dumb to send the spirit of Chaos and Disharmony off alone to face me," Picking up Celestia, he pulled her close and said as clearly as possible. "So, either tell me what I want to know, or get ready to see your precious kingdom burn!"

But it was at that moment that Discord called out. "Don't bother with her, Tirek. She won't tell you, and neither will either of these do gooders!" In a blinding flash of light, Discord appeared, dressed in what looked like a bug catcher's outfit. Inside a giant net, were none other than Princess Luna and Princess Cadence, both of whom were deposited on the floor next to Celestia.

Tirek smiled, rubbing his paws together. "Excellent work, Discord. I knew I could count on you." He proceeded to pick up Princess Luna and Princess Cadence, hoping to drain their magic to use against Princess Celestia.

"Don't waste your time, their magic is gone too. And they're as tight lipped about where they've hidden it as old sunbutt is," Discord commented. "They must've known we were coming."

"Ah, I see. I should've known it wouldn't be this easy," Tirek grumbled, before he moved to sit back down on Celestia's throne, and eyed the three princesses with a sinister smile on his face. "Tell me, how does it feel?" He asked them. "To know that soon, every last unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony, will bow before my magnificent will? And that there is NOTHING any of you can do to stop it?!" He waited for a little bit, but none of the princesses said a word, they were just content to stare and glare at him. "What's the matter? Got nothing smart left to say?" He teased, hoping for some kind of reaction. "No dramatic or witty comeback? No heroic speeches about how evil never wins? Nomore words left to fail? Not even an offhoof remark about how evil I am?"

Celestia looked up at Tirek, and with the most serious expression on her face, she told him. "Mark my words, you will not prevail, Tirek."

Tirek just scoffed at Celestia's comment. "What a load of heroic but utterly pointless nonsense," Then he growled, as he used his magic to open up a portal and in an ominous tone he added. "Give my regards to Cerberus, and tell him I said 'Hi'." And with that, he tossed all three of the princesses one by one into the depths of Tartarus. Then he sealed the portal shut.

"Uh, you meant _our_ will when you were talking about the ponies. Didn't you?" Discord asked Tirek, as the spirit was busy playing with a redesigned stain glass window that showed him dangling the three princesses over a pit of fire.

"Oh of course, of course," Tirek answered. He proceeded to approach Discord, while clenching a golden, jewel encrusted amulet of some kind. "In fact, here, I'd like you to have this," Tirek went on, and put the amulet around Discord's neck. "This little trinket was given to me by someone very near and dear to me. And now, I give it to you as a sign of our trust."

Discord eyed the amulet, admiring how beautiful it looked. "Ooh, I do _so_ love a good accessory," He commented, then he put a paw to his chin as he said to himself. "Huh, I suppose that's Rarity and Fancy Pants' influence rubbing off of me." And he felt his heart sink a little, even as he tried to convince himself he was still doing the right thing. " _Anyone in my situation would've done the same, right?_ " He mentally pondered.

Meanwhile, Tirek was looking at a stain glass window, depicting himself wielding a sword, and Discord wielding a loaf of bread. The two were positioned, so that Tirek's sword was slicing through Discord's bread loaf. Tirek couldn't help but chuckle at this display. "Very amusing," He commented and cleared his throat. "But we have no time for games, Discord. Now that the princess are out of the way we must..." But the rest of his sentence was cut off, as the crafty centaur's eyes fell upon the stain glass window depicting Shining Armor's ascension to alicornhood. "Is this meant to be humorous?!" He complained to Discord.

" _Dang it, I knew I was forgetting something!_ " Discord thought to himself, and hastily answered with a nervous laugh. "Oh no, I haven't actually touched that one yet."

"You mean that there is a fourth alicorn, a prince no less, and yet you did not tell me?!" Tirek demanded, his eyes narrowing in anger.

"I was going to tell you eventually, honest," Discord insisted. "I kept this secret from you as an insurance policy, in case you tried to double cross me. But, now that I have proof of your trust, I see no need to hang onto my bargaining chip. That is Prince Shining Armor, the husband of Princess Cadence."

"Ah, I see," Tirek replied, his mood changing from fury to satisfaction. Even so, he pulled Discord close and demanded. "Tell me where his castle is, so that I might go and pay him a visit. If he has all the alicorn magic in Equestria, he could pose a threat to our plans!"

But Discord only laughed. "Castle? Oh, that's too funny," He then explained to Tirek. "The young prince only has two places he calls home these days, and as luck would have it, he currently resides in his home away from home, the Golden Oaks Library in Ponyville."

A fiendish smirk formed on Tirek's face, as he used his magic to make the stain glass image melt and be replaced by one depicting the triumphant centaur. "Not for much longer," He commented, as he rubbed his paws together. "Come, let's pay Ponyville a visit. I'm sure the prince and I can have a nice, civilized chat about his magic."

Discord gulped, as he reluctantly followed Tirek. All the while, he was mentally pleading. " _Please, Shining Armor! You and your friends had better find that last key! I can't stall Tirek any further!_ "


	92. Chapter 92: Second Rate

"Well, we did it," Big Macintosh commented, as he and the other stallions stood in the middle of Ponyville. "We managed to convince everyone to stay indoors until further notice."

"Yup, and I reckon it's time we took our own advice," Braeburn nodded. "Not sure 'bout the rest of you, but I think it might be best if I go back to Appleloosa. Tirek won't think to look in a place he's already been."

"I'm sure none of this is necessary though," Thunderlane replied. "Discord will probably capture Tirek, and we'll have nothing to worry about."

Soarin frowned. "Yeah, well knowing Discord, I can imagine he'll take his sweet time toying with Tirek."

"Perhaps, or perhaps these things just take time to accomplish." Discord spoke up, appearing before the ponies.

"You're back!" Thunderlane exclaimed, racing up to the spirit. "Oh thank goodness, I was starting to worry! Just wait til I tell Fluttershy the good news! And heck, we've gotta tell Pinkie Pie, so she can throw you a hero party!"

But Discord didn't budge an inch as Thunderlane turned towards the path leading to Fluttershy's cottage. He just stood there, with a sad and guilty look on his face. "I'm sorry about this." He said, barely able to look the five stallions in the face.

"For what?" Fancy Pants asked, noticing how odd the spirit was acting.

Before Discord could explain, a giant cage materialized from out of nowhere, trapping all five stallions inside it! Even Discord seemed surprised at this!

"What's goin' on?! What is the meanin' of this?!" Big Macintosh demanded, glaring at Discord.

"Excellent work, Discord. You led me right to Shining's friends, and I didn't even have to lift a finger," A deep, booming voice called out, soon revealing itself as a hulking red coated centaur, with two big black horns, and a tuft of white for a mane. "So, these are the friends for whom Prince Shining Armor would do anything for? I must admit, they don't seem like much of a threat. Still, I could use an appetizer before the main course." The centaur proceeded to use his magic to lift up the cage, and absorb all the magic from the five stallions trapped within. Then he set the cage back down.

"Why are you doing this, Discord?!" Thunderlane sadly commented, looking at the spirit with the faded color in his eyes. "After everything we've been through together, this is how you repay us?! Does our friendship mean nothing to you?!"

"No, no, no! You don't understand, it's not like that at all!" Discord hastily replied, looking at Tirek. "Tirek told me that if I helped him get all the magic in Equestria, he'd leave my friends alone. He tricked me!"

Tirek laughed. "Come now, Discord! You were more than willing to betray the ponies, given the proper motivation. Did you really think that, even with how powerful I've become, I wouldn't suspect you might inevitably betray me as well? I merely beat you to the punch."

"But, but, this wasn't part of the deal!" Discord protested, glaring at Tirek.

Tirek laughed again, before he added. "Well, Discord, if there's one thing the princesses should've told you, it's that I am NOT a centaur of my word!"

When those words reached Discord's ears, the spirit of chaos felt something snap inside of him. Flames appeared in his eyes, as he narrowed his brows and looked straight at Tirek! "That does it! You just made a huge mistake, Tirek!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs. "And now it's time to pay the piper!"

If Tirek was at all concerned by Discord's behavior, he sure didn't show it as he merely snickered and taunted. "Come now, Discord. Be reasonable. Do you really think _you_ can stop _me_?"

"No question about it! I'm gonna do what I should've done in the first place, and send you on a one way trip back to Tartarus!" Discord vowed.

Tirek threw back his head and laughed as loudly as he could. "You're an even bigger fool than I imagined, Discord! But then I suppose you always were good, for a laugh."

All the stallions gasped, and even Discord seemed to briefly be stunned by what Tirek had just said. But then the spirit looked at Tirek, and with a sly smile he simply said. "So, I'm just good for a laugh, huh? Well then... what do you think of, THIS?!" With a snap of his paw, Discord changed into a superhero costume, complete with a mask and cape. Then he proceeded to shoot what looked like bolts of lightning (but were actually pure chaos energy) at Tirek. All the while he kept shouting. "Take this! And this! And this!" Even as the bolts of energy kicked up thick clouds of smoke, Discord simply prepared one more bolt, and at the top of his lungs he cried out in a heroic fashion. "And for good measure, THIS!" Then he fired off the last bolt! There was a tremendous boom, and the sound wave shook the ground!

* * *

Slowly but surely, the smoke cleared, and Discord was noticeably panting and sweating. But when the smoke cleared up completely, there was no sign of Tirek anywhere. Feeling a surge of confidence, Discord heroically shouted. "Haha! 'Good for a laugh' eh? Well, Tirek, whose got the last laugh now?!"

But just when Discord was certain he'd defeated Tirek, he heard an ominous and sinister cackle. All of a sudden, there stood Tirek, looking completely unharmed. "Oh, why I believe it's _me_!" He said, flashing a creepy smile. Then he grabbed Discord with his magic and pulled him close.

"Wait, what are you... Oh no!" Discord commented, realizing what was happening.

"Oh yes!" Tirek smirked, and began to sing (as he transformed Discord into a stage magician):

 _I must admit, your little 'parlor tricks' are amusing._

 _Ooh! Why, I've bet you've got a bunny under that hat._

 _Now you've had your chance to get the best of me, and it was all for naught._

 _But come on, Discord! Let's see what you've got!_

Discord broke free of the costume, and tried to strike at Tirek with a blast of chaos magic. But Tirek effortlessly shrugged it off as he tauntingly continued to sing:

 _You can try to hit me with your hardest stuff!_

 _But your chaos magic's just not up to snuff._

 _So let's set the record straight, you're simply way out of date._

 _And you're only second rate!_

Furious at the musical taunting, Discord transformed into a vicious timberwolf and tried to pounce on Tirek! But the crafty centaur merely moved to the side, and made a flaming hoop appear in Discord's path, causing the spirit to turn back once he'd made it through. Tirek then continued to sing, as he put a dunce cap on Discord and sat him on a giant stool:

 _You like to think you're a meany, but your heart's been tamed._

 _You've got a lot to learn about this villain game._

 _Now, for your education, let me reiterate that-_

 _You're only second rate!_

Discord plunged off the stool, only to end up inside an illusioned giant version of Tirek's right paw. Delighting in how much he had frightened Discord, Tirek mockingly sang:

 _Ponies will cower, at the power, in my pinky._

 _My thumb will be number one on_ _ **all**_ _the lists!_

Appearing before Discord, Tirek then sang in a boastful tone:

 _Yet if you're not convinced that I'm unbeatable then, put me to the test._

 _'Cause I'd love to lay this little 'rivalry' to rest!_

Breaking out of a tombstone Tirek had tossed him into, Discord summoned up all the chaos magic he could muster and hurled it at Tirek, who just sang:

 _Go ahead and zap with your big surprise._

 _Slap me in a trap and cut me down to size!_

 _I'll make a grand escape, it's just a piece of cake._

 _'Cause you're only second rate!_

Tirek effortlessly escaped from Discord's trap, and then continued to sing:

 _You know your 'hocus pocus' isn't quite tough enough._

 _And your 'mumbo jumbo' doesn't quite measure up._

 _Now allow me to pontificate upon your sorry state._

 _You're only second rate._

Discord tried to run away from Tirek, but he soon found himself facing several illusions of the centaur, and he couldn't tell which one was real. Meanwhile, all the Tireks were singing at once:

 _Zabacabadabra!_

 _Old Tirek's gonna grab ya!_

Suddenly, one of the Tirek's grabbed Discord and pulled him in close. When the other illusions faded away a second later, Tirek then sang as loud as he could:

 _Alakazam tomas!_

 _This thing's bigger than the both of us!_

Discord tried to glare at Tirek, hoping to maybe unnerve him. But Tirek only laughed and continued to sing:

 _Oh, spare me your tremendous stare!_

 _Wanna clash with me? Your power doesn't even compare._

 _And I can't even wait to discombobulate!_

 _It's time to send you packing in a sorry state!_

 _You'd make a better living with a spinning plate!_

 _Now that you're only second raaaaaaaaaaattttttttttttttttte!_

The song ended, as Tirek flipped the spinning plate Discord on, sending the spirit flying high into the air. When he came back down, Tirek snatched him with his magic, and pulled him in close. "So you see, Discord. You never had a chance against me, not in a million years," He boasted, and then demanded. "But I must admit, you're proving to be a very pesky thorn in my backside, and I can't allow you and Prince Shining Armor to team up against me! I doubt it'll make a difference in the long run, but I want your magic and I want it now!"

"Never! I'll never give you my magic!" Discord protested, as he squirmed about helplessly, unable to break free of Tirek's grasp.

"You assume I'm giving you a choice in the matter, but I'm not!" Tirek growled, and much to the shock, surprise, and horror of everyone present, he effortlessly drained Discord of every drop of chaos magic. When he was finished, he tossed the now powerless spirit to the ground like a worn out rag doll. "It's nothing personal, I just can't stand traitors and double crossers," He added. "I learned from the mistake I made with my brother, after all," Then, to add insult to injury, Tirek commented. "Your magic was hardly even worthy of being appetizer, and to think you believed you could stop me." And with that, he stomped away to look for Shining Armor.

But Tirek hadn't gotten very far, when Discord weakly called out. "W-wait. B-but, you said that this amulet was a sign of our trust," He held up the very amulet Tirek had given him just a short time earlier, and added (recalling the exact words Tirek had spoken). "A gift from someone very near and dear to you?"

Tirek looked back at Discord, and replied. "That amulet was given to me by my useless brother, shortly before he betrayed me to the ponies and had me sent to Tartarus to rot for all eternity, while he got to return to our native land and assume the throne in my place. It is as useless to me as you are now." Then he turned around and stomped off into the distance.

* * *

"Surely, you saw this comin', right?" Big Macintosh asked the weakened Discord. "This is all part of your crazy scheme to lure Tirek into a false sense of security, and any moment now you're gonna slap him right back into Tartarus, right?"

"No, this was never part of my plan. Even in my wildest dreams I never imagined an outcome like this." Discord weakly replied, unable to say more.

"Well then, that's it. It's all up to Shining Armor now," Soarin commented. "Unless he's found that sixth key, he'll have to stop Tirek by sheer force."

Discord hung his head. "We're doomed. Even if Shining has all the alicorn magic in Equestria, Tirek has the magic of just about everypony else in Equestria, and my chaos magic. At best they'll be evenly matched, but I have that nagging feeling that my chaos magic gives Tirek the edge."

"So, this is it? This is how it all ends? With us pinning our hopes on Shining?" Thunderlane asked with concern.

"I'm afraid so," Braeburn glumly replied. "Poor Shinin''s about to face the fight of his life, and he's got no one to support him. He's all alone."

But Fancy Pants shook his head, even as he weakly retorted. "No, nopony is ever truly alone, not as long as they have friends and loved ones. We may not be there in pony, but we'll definitely be with him in spirit. I just hope that'll be enough." No one dared to consider the outcome if that support wasn't enough. The very real possibility that Tirek would prevail after all, was something that no one, not even the most pessimistic among the group, wanted to think about.


	93. Chapter 93: Shining vs Tirek

Shining was all alone in a secluded part of Equestria, beyond even the Everfree Forest, a place that no one inhabited. Which meant he could finally concentrate on mastering his new powers.

" _Alright, nice and secluded. No noise, no bystanders, no distractions,_ " Shining thought to himself. " _I can clear my mind and focus. Total concentration, just like Zecora taught me during that alicorn amulet incident a few months back._ " The young prince briefly recalled his last encounter with the magician, before he shifted his thoughts back to the reason he'd come here.

Lighting up his horn, Shining Armor decided to focus on teleportation, that seemed like a safe first step. But with his increased magical abilities, controlling the destinations for teleporting proved difficult for Shining. He tried again and again, but ultimately he ended up getting himself stuck in a rock. " _This is gonna be a lot harder than I thought._ " He thought to himself.

Just then, a booming voice cried out! "Prince Shining Armor! Where are you, coward?! Show yourself if you're not afraid!"

Realizing that teleporting was probably a bad idea at the moment, Shining opted instead to fly out of the rock he was stuck in. All the while he was thinking to himself. " _Please don't let it be Tirek, please!_ " But it wasn't long before Shining found himself looking up at a tall, red coated goat like creature, with two big black horns, and a tuft of white for a mane. " _Drat, today's really not my day!_ " Shining mentally cursed.

"Ah, so the rumors are true after all," The figure commented with a sinister undertone in its voice. "At last we meet, Prince Shining Armor. A pity our first meeting shall also be our last."

"And you I suppose are-" Shining began, only to be cut off.

"-Lord Tirek? Yes," Tirek nodded, confirming his identity. "But let's not stand around, making small talk. I'm gonna cut straight to the chase. You have something that belongs to me, and you're going to give it to me, now!"

But Shining responded by saying. "Uh, let me think about that for a second," Then he quickly added. "Oh yes, no!" Then, lighting up his horn he taunted Tirek by saying. "Bye bye." Before he disappeared in a flash of light.

Shining retreated back to the balcony of the Golden Oak Library, convinced he'd given Tirek the slip for the time being, and watched the centaur through the safety of the balcony's lone telescope. " _This is perfect!_ " Shining giggled to himself. " _Just look at him, he has no idea where I am. I sure fooled him._ "

But suddenly, Tirek spun around, and looked directly towards the telescope lens! It was pretty clear what he saw, and Shining gasped! " _Oh no! He sees me! But how did he-_ " Then Shining remembered a detail he'd forgotten about. " _Of course! He must've found out from Discord!_ "

Rather than come charging towards Shining's location, however, Tirek instead began to channel all his magical energy into what seemed to be a massive fireball! Then he hurled it towards Shining! "What is he-" Shining began, but realization quickly caught up with him! "Oh no!" He gasped, realizing that the fireball was heading straight towards him! And to make matters worse, Twilight and Spike were inside, along with Owlowiscious! Thinking quickly, Shining lit up his horn as he thought! " _Come on, gotta beat the clock!_ "

* * *

Twilight and Spike didn't seem to be aware of what was going on, or what was about to happen. All they knew was that, all of a sudden, Shining Armor appeared before them, looking quite desperate!

"B.B.B.F.F, what's going on?" Twilight asked with concern.

"No time to explain, we've gotta get outta here!" Shining exclaimed, quickly grabbing Twilight, Spike, and Owlowiscious with his magic and then teleporting them all with him! For extra protection, he quickly conjured up his signature shield spell, which he used to cover himself and everyone with him!

They got out, just in time! Barely even a second after Shining had exited the library, the fireball made contact with the base of the tree, prompting a massive explosion! Shining was relieved to see everyone was okay, but when he turned back to look he was horrified at the sight that greeted his eyes! The Golden Oak Library was completely destroyed! " _Oh no, the library! And it figures, about the only thing that insurance policy_ _ **didn't**_

 _cover, was a random explosion from a magical fireball!_ " He thought to himself. " _But at least Twily, Spike, and Owlowisicious are okay, that's what's most important._ "

"That was too close!" Shining exclaimed, looking at Twilight. "You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks to you," Twilight replied, then her eyes fell upon the charred remains of the library, and her heart sank. "No! That was our home!"

But Shining could already see Tirek stomping over, he was drawing closer with every step he took. Turning to Twilight, Shining Armor seriously instructed. "Twily, listen very carefully to what I'm about to say. Run. Run away! Get as far away from here as you can, go to the Crystal Empire if possible and stay there!"

"No, I'm not leaving you, B.B.B.F.F!" Twilight insisted, clinging tightly to Shining.

Shining only shook his head. "Please, you have to get out of here while you still can, and take Spike and Owlowisicious with you! If I fail to stop Tirek, you're the only one left who has any sort of magic within you, meaning it'll fall to you to defeat him and send him back to Tartarus."

"But, what are _you_ gonna do?" Spike nervously asked.

"What I can to at least stall him! Please, for your own sakes, get going!" Shining insisted. "And don't look back no matter what! Whatever happens to me, you've got to stay strong, for the sake of Equestria!"

"Please be careful, B.B.B.F.F," Twilight cautioned with tears in her eyes. "You mean a lot to me."

Shining nodded, and hugged his sister tightly. "I'll always be with you in spirit. Now get out of here and take your son with you," Twilight obeyed, taking Spike and Owlowiscious as she made a mad dash for the train station. Relieved that his loved ones would be out of harm's way, Shining turned his attention towards the rapidly approaching Tirek, and glared at him with fury! "Alright, Tirek. I'm done running away!" He growled, as his horn sparked to life, full of energy with his barely contained rage. "You want my magic?! You'll have to take it from my cold, dead, hooves!" He immediately flew towards Tirek, and fired off a tremendous blast of energy concentrated into a spiral pattern!

Tirek threw up his hands to protect himself, forming something of a protective barrier! But Shining refused to let up, managing to eventually push Tirek back and destroy his shield with an enormous explosion! When Tirek recovered, he noticed just how far he'd been pushed back, and saw an angry Shining Armor staring right at him. A realization slowly dawned on him. "Ah, now I understand just what your fellow princesses have done," He commented, looking at Shining. "Very clever of them, but it won't be enough to stop me! And you should be careful, prince. With all that anger, you could give yourself a heart attack. Though if that's really the way you want to end this, far be it from me to stop you."

"Fat chance! One way or another, only one of us is walking away from this in one piece! The only question is: Will it be you or will it be me?!" Shining roared, lighting up his horn and flying off at a tremendous rate! Tirek attempted to counter Shining's attack, by launching a preemptive magic strike! But thanks to a quickly casted shield spell, Shining was able to stave off the attack from Tirek, teleport in close, and hit Tirek square in the face with a full powered magic blast!

Tirek eventually slapped the blast aside, but a noticeable singe mark could be seen on his cheeks! "You've got a lot of nerve!" He remarked, as he grabbed Shining with his magic and pulled him in close. "'I'll admit, this is definitely new, prince. But make no mistake, a bug is still a bug, and I've exterminated plenty of bugs over the years," With a smirk he then added. "You know what happens to bugs, right? Bugs get squashed, like this!" He hurled Shining into a nearby mountain, intending to crush his opponent!

Shining shielded himself with another shield spell, though he was unable to stop himself from making a small crater of impact. " _Wow, never would've thought alicorn magic could make me more resistant. I thought for sure I'd at least have broken a bone or two._ " He thought, before he heard a thundering roar! "Uh-oh, not good," Shining commented, as he saw Tirek flying straight towards him, and braced himself for impact. The prince had a plan to catch Tirek off guard and hopefully end the fight quickly, but it required a great deal of risk in order to be pulled off. Tirek grabbed Shining, and smashed him right through the side of the mountain, quickly coming out on the other side. " _Now's my chance, it's all or nothing!_ " Shining thought to himself, teleporting above Tirek and quickly hurling a massive magic blast at the centaur's backside, triggering a giant mushroom cloud explosion! Before the smoke had even cleared, Shining swooped in closer to Tirek, charging up for a slightly less powerful (but still quite potent) magical attack. "THIS ENDS NOW, TIREK! I'LL SMASH YOU TO PIECES!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, and fired off the blast, successfully knocking Tirek underground!

Shining was certain that Tirek was defeated, so he flew down and rested on a nearby rock, wiping the sweat from his brows. "Stay down, Tirek!" He commanded. "If you do, maybe we can end this before someone _really_ get hurt."

But to the surprise of Shining, Tirek merely rose back up, emerging beneath the rock! He grabbed it, and threw it as far as he could! "Nice try, prince, but you can't get rid of me that easily." He taunted.

Shining managed to fly off of the rock, just seconds before it impacted the ground and shattered into dust. He flew towards Tirek once again, his eyes narrowing in anger! Tirek tried to slow Shining down by smashing the ground with his fists, sending massive rock pillars towards his opponent! But Shining effortlessly blasted through them, all the while charging up his horn. At last, he was close enough to strike! "Play time's over, Tirek! Time for lights out!" Shining cried.

"Yes, lights out for you!" Tirek bellowed, before he fired off a tremendously fast and powerful stream of magic! Shining countered with a magic blast of his own, and the two streams collided with each other! They pushed back and forth against each other for a minute, before they generated an enormous bubble that grew, and grew, and grew, and grew! Until finally it burst with a tremendous boom that shook the ground!

* * *

Both Shining and Tirek were knocked to the ground by the explosion, buried beneath tons and tons of rubble. Both of them quickly dug their way out and dusted themselves off, and both were noticeably panting. But it seemed like neither of them had truly sustained any injuries, not a single scratch, scrape, bruise, or cut could be seen on either of them anywhere. This only made Shining nervous. " _I don't get it. I've thrown everything I've got against this guy, and yet he seems to just get right back up, ready for more. Nothing seems to phase him! Is he actually invincible?!_ " Shining immediately shook his head! " _No, what am I saying?! He's_ _ **NOT**_ _invincible, no one is! He's got to have a weak spot somewhere, I just need to find out what and where it is._ "

"Well, it seems we're at an impasse," Tirek commented, observing the wreckage stirred up by the fighting. "You have something I want, but you won't give it to me and neither can I take it from you by force. It seems this is what happens when the unstoppable force, meets the immovable object."

"A very clever observation, Tirek, but flattery won't save you." Shining growled, trying to unnerve Tirek with a glare.

Tirek wasn't phased by Shining's words or expressions, he simply said in reply. "I can sense for myself that we're far too evenly matched. At this rate, we could keep fighting until the end of time," Then a fiendish grin crossed his face, as he added in an oily tone. "But, I think you'll find that I am nothing if not 'flexible'. How about we make a trade, prince?"

"A trade?! With you?! You must be outta your mind!" Shining retorted with a snort. "There's nothing you have to offer me that could ever tempt me into giving up my powers! I'm wise to your tricks, I can't be bargained with, Tirek!"

Tirek only continued to flash that fiendish grin. "Oh really? I think you'll change your tune very quickly once you see what I have in mind."

Shining felt a nagging suspicion reach the back of his mind, and reluctantly he said to Tirek. "You didn't-"

"Oh, but I _did_!" Tirek chuckled, snapping his fingers, as a series of six bubbles appeared. Within each bubble was one of Shining's friends (though Shining was quite surprised to see Discord trapped inside one of them for some reason).

"Let my friends go, Tirek!" Shining demanded.

"Gladly, if you agree to give up all the alicorn magic in Equestria." Tirek replied, laying down the terms of his deal.

"No, don't do it!" Shining's friends all cried, pounding desperately on their bubble prisons.

"Well, prince? What's it going to be?" Tirek asked in a sinister undertone. "Your friends, or your magic?"


	94. Chapter 94: Rainbow Power

Shining didn't know what to do! Should he risk his friends lives to continue fighting Tirek, or should he relinquish his magic to save his friends? Neither option seemed very pleasing, but which was the lesser of two evils? Which one was worth more in the end?

Tirek was beginning to grow impatient. "Come on, prince, I don't have all day," He grumpily commented. "Do you accept my offer or not?"

Immediately, Shining's friends all shouted in unison! "Don't do it, Shining Armor!"

"We're not worth it! Don't surrender the power." Thunderlane insisted.

"Please, even if the alternative is just to fight Tirek to a stalemate, it's better than giving him what he wants!" Soarin demanded. "Our lives aren't worth the safety and well being of Equestria."

Discord glumly commented. "Well, maybe you guys are, but I'm not," With a sigh, the spirit sadly added. "You were the ones who taught me that friendship was magic, that it was something worth living for. I had friendship, and thus I had true magic. And how did I repay you? By betraying you all to Tirek, just on a whim that he would agree to spare you."

"It ain't entirely your fault, Discord," Braeburn replied. "We didn't exactly treat ya like a member of the team. We sorta kept ya at hooves length and left Fluttershy and the girls to care 'bout you."

"Maybe if we'd spent less time talkin' bad 'bout you behind your back, and instead tried to help ya understand friendship better, maybe we wouldn't be in this situation." Big Macintosh added.

"Besides that, you were the one who led us to the first five keys," Fancy Pants chimed in. "Without you, we'd still be searching endlessly for them. We had no clue where to look."

But Discord only hung his head. "All I did was point you guys in the right direction. This was supposed to be my big act of redemption, but look at how I repaid your acts of kindness and generosity. By spitting in your face and siding with someone the instant he promised a better deal. You guys don't deserve this kind of fate, but I most certainly do."

"That's enough out of all of you!" Tirek roared, stomping his hooves in protest! "When I want your 'commentary' I'll gladly ask for it!" Turning to Shining Armor he then asked. "I grow bored of waiting, young prince. So this is the last time I'll ask you: Will you relinquish your alicorn magic in exchange for your friends or not?"

Shining looked at the bubbles holding up his friends, and all of a sudden he was surprised to see them each give off a rainbow glow that was reflected in his eyes. At that moment, Shining knew what he had to do. Firmly, he looked at Tirek and told him. "Okay, Tirek, you win. I'll give you all the alicorn magic you want."

"What?! No?! Don't do it!" Shining's friends all shouted in protest, but it was too late, the deal was made.

"Excellent!" Tirek laughed with triumph. "Now, let's not waste anymore time. Give me your magic, Prince Shining Armor."

But Shining immediately said to Tirek in reply. "Not so fast, Tirek! I won't let you fool me the same way you fooled Discord! Let my friends go first, all of them, and make sure they're unharmed. Otherwise, you won't get a single _drop_ of my alicorn magic!"

"You're trying to make demands of me?!" Tirek roared in protest. "How do I know you won't go back on your word once I release your friends? Why shouldn't I just take your magic now and be done with it?!"

"You don't exactly seem trustworthy, you're far more likely to break your promise than I am," Shining commented, glaring at Tirek. "Besides, if you really wanted to drain me, you'd have done it by now. It's the thrill of the hunt, isn't it? You enjoy an opponent you can't just overpower with sheer strength. Draining me would be too easy, you want to make me suffer first."

Tirek laughed in surprise. "Seems you know me better than I might have expected, prince. But very well, I suppose I'll humor you and give you your friends." And one by one he popped the bubbles holding up Shining's friends and placed them on the ground next to Shining.

However, Shining noticed that there was still one bubble that Tirek hadn't popped, Discord's. "I said _all_ of my friends, Tirek," He said to the centaur. "That includes Discord. Let him go, now!"

"What?! Even after everything he's said and done, you still consider him a friend?!" Tirek remarked, as if surprised Shining was suggesting that.

Shining nodded. "You truly don't understand friendship, Tirek. I know Discord didn't willingly betray us, you tricked him. And besides that, I believe in second chances. So let Discord go, or the deal's off!"

Tirek hesitated for a moment, and only for a moment, before he furiously popped Discord's bubble as he growled. "Fine, take him! But he's of no use to you! I made sure to drain all of his magic as well, so if you were hoping to use him against me, think again!" Tossing Discord carelessly towards the others, Tirek snorted, and then in an oily tone of voice he added. "There, I kept my word, prince. And now it's time for you to fulfill _your_ end of the bargain. Cough up the alicorn magic to me, now!"

Realizing that a deal _was_ a deal (even if it had been made with the likes of Tirek), Shining reluctantly turned towards Tirek, and sighed, gritting his teeth. "Fine! You want all the alicorn magic in Equestria so badly, take it! I hope you choke on it!" And then he stood as still he could, while Tirek effortlessly drained every last drop of alicorn magic from Shining Armor.

Once the last drop of alicorn magic had left Shining's horn, Shining's eyes faded in color and his cutie mark vanished, a lone tear dripped down from his cheeks. " _Princesses, please forgive me. I had no choice. Tirek made me an offer I couldn't refuse._ " He thought to himself.

* * *

As the alicorn magic coursed through his veins, Tirek finally managed to break the chains around his arms, as he grew to colossal size. "FINALLY!" He bellowed in a thunderous tone of voice. "EQUESTRIA IS MINE, ALL LIVING THINGS NEAL AT THE FOOT OF YOUR NEW MASTER!" Then he cackled with sinister delight, before he began to channel magical energy between his horns! "AND NOW, EVERYTHING BURNS!" He proceeded to torch the landscape with his magical fireballs, laughing all the while.

All of Shining's friends huddled around him, unsure of what else to do. It seemed like all hope was lost.

Discord looked up at Tirek, and sadly commented. "This is all my fault, I caused this. If I'd only done as Princess Celestia had asked of me and sent Tirek back to Tartarus the second we met, none of this would've happened," To Shining Armor he commented. "You really shouldn't have stuck your neck out for me, I wasn't worth it. I know that nothing I have now could make up for what I say or do, but at the least I believe you deserve this more than I do," He gave Shining the same pendant that Tirek had given him earlier. "Tirek lied to me when he said that this was a symbol of his trust. But, now, hopefully, I can give this to you as a sign of the friendship we once had."

As soon as the pendant was tied around Shining's neck, it gave off a rainbow colored glow that restored Shining's eyes to normal! Everyone saw that.

"You think that's the final key we've been waitin' for?" Big Macintosh asked Shining.

"Only one way to find out!" Shining firmly replied, a new sense of energy having washed over him. "Come on, we've got to get to the Tree of Harmony while there's still an Equestria left to save!"

Shining and his friends all took off as fast as they could, barely paying attention to the burning landscape around them, as they raced toward the Tree of Harmony! More specifically, the six sided chest that rested at the trunk of said tree.

" _Okay, here goes,_ " Shining thought to himself, as he approached the chest and moved the pendant close to the empty key slot. " _I hope this works!_ " Sure enough, the pendant was enveloped in a glow, and transformed into a key that had the Element of Magic carved onto its tip. Now, all six keys had been found, and the chest could be opened!

"Alright, looks you're finally gonna see what's inside that chest!" Soarin cheered. "Go ahead, Shining. Open it and use whatever's inside to teach Tirek a lesson!"

But Shining looked back to his friends and shook his head. "No, this isn't something I'm meant to do alone. I think we were all meant to do this together, that's why there were six keys. One for each element bearer. Together, _we_ can stop Tirek! So, are you with me?!" He asked them.

"Eeyup!" Big Macintosh nodded.

"Absolutely!" Braeburn shouted.

"Of course!" Thunderlane cheered.

"You bet!" Soarin added.

"Indeed!" Fancy Pants agreed.

"Then let's do it!" Shining encouraged, as his friends approached their respective keys, and all six stallions turned them at the same time! The chest opened, and a blinding flash of light enveloped all six of them, forcing Discord to shut his eyes!

Inside the flash of light, the six stallions were encased in bubbles, and one by one they began to transform! Their manes and tails were extended outward, and their bodies were coated with the colors of the rainbow, some of their mane and tails were even stylized to look noticeably different. "This is incredible! This is just what we needed!" Shining commented, as he observed how he and his friends looked. "Come on, guys, let's show Tirek that, the bigger they are, the harder they fall!" And they flew off together, as Discord looked on in amazement.

"Wow, I don't believe it! What will they ever think of next?!" Discord pondered to himself.

* * *

Tirek was most surprised to see Shining and his friends suddenly appear before him, and looking quite different! He blinked and rubbed his eyes, no, Tirek wasn't seeing things. "WHAT?! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Tirek demanded. "I took away all of your magic, you have NOTHING!"

"You're wrong, Tirek!" Shining protested. "I may have given you my alicorn magic, but I have within me a magic more powerful than any other! A magic you could never understand! The magic of friendship!"

"Friendship is magic?! Pah, what nonsense!" Tirek growled. "I'll just have to take this new magic from you as well, and use it against you!" He opened his mouth, preparing to drain the new magic from Shining and the other stallions.

"You want it?! Well you can have it, ALL OF IT!" Shining shouted, as six streams of rainbow colored energy flew into Tirek's mouth!

Tirek just kept his mouth wide open, and continued to drain and drain. But he soon noticed that the flow of magic wasn't stopping, or even slowing. And neither did Shining and the other stallions seem to be showing any signs that their magic was being depleted! Meanwhile, Tirek felt himself filling up to capacity! "What's going on?! Why isn't it stopping?!" Tirek cried in horror.

"It's the magic of friendship, Tirek! It's a magic that no one individual can possess! The very magic _you_ dismissed!" Shining explained. "This is the magic that makes up the foundation of Equestria! And now, you're about to have more than you can handle!"

Tirek could feel his muscles bulging outward, trying desperately to make room for more magic! "No! No! NO! STOP! Have mercy, I BEG OF YOU!" He pleaded.

"You don't deserve mercy! You've exploited, manipulated, and betrayed everyone who's ever reached out to you!" Shining shouted in defiance. "Go back to Tartarus, where you belong! And this time, DON'T COME BACK!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Tirek screamed at the top of his lungs, as the magic overwhelmed him completely! He quickly reverted back to his weakened state, as he was flung back into Tartarus and deposited in a reinforced, extra thick and sturdy, steel cage.

Discord had watched the entire thing from a distance, he was amazed! In fact, he couldn't stop himself from leaping up and down with joy! "Yay! They've done it! They've done it! Tirek's history! Equestria is saved!" He cheered!

"Well, guess that's that." Braeburn commented, as the six stallions hovered triumphantly over the Castle of the Two Sisters.

"Not quite, guys," Shining said seriously. "We've still got to restore the magic to all of Equestria. Come on, we've got no time to waste!" And the six stallions then flew off to return the magic of unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies, and even the alicorns.


	95. Chapter 95: New Castle, New Mission

The six stallions took off, traveling all across Equestria and occasionally splitting off as needed. For example, Braeburn went off alone to Appleloosa, in order to give the earth ponies there their magic. And Soarin and Thunderlane went to Cloudsdale to give most of the pegasi there, their magic.

Before long, there was only one place left to stop to return all the magic, the city of Canterlot. The princesses had been freed from Tartarus, but they were still without magic. To say nothing of the few royal guards that had remained in the city even after losing their magic.

At last, all the magic in Equestria was back where it belonged, and the six stallions returned to Ponyville as their new forms wore off.

"Whew, what a trip!" Braeburn happily exclaimed. "I guess those new forms of ours are gonna be our new last line of defense. Just hope we can figure out how to call on 'em again."

"I hope so too," Soarin added, then frowned a bit. "But you know, that was a little too close for comfort. Don't get me wrong, it's great that we stopped Tirek and all. But think about it, if that necklace had been anything else, we wouldn't be standing here, having this conversation right now."

"Oddly enough, I had the same feeling as you, Soarin," Fancy Pants nodded in agreement. "We were really flying by the seat of our pants back there. I mean for those of us wearing pants, but my point still stands. Even if Discord had sent Tirek back to Tartarus right away, how do we know for sure things would've worked out okay? This time I think we _really_ got lucky, more lucky than we did with any other threat before."

"Which is why I think we need to develop some kind of back-up plan, in case we can't call on those rainbow forms. We trusted perhaps too much to luck this time around, and it bit us in the flanks in a major way. It was only by a major miracle that trusting so much to luck didn't doom us all!" Soarin commented. "Who knows what could've happened had any of the events played out even a little bit differently?"

"Well, I'll see if any of the princesses know anything about those rainbow forms," Shining commented with a sigh. "And perhaps, Twily might be interested in studying those forms, assuming we can call upon them at will. But for right now, those plans will have to be on hold."

"What do you mea-oh!" Thunderlane realized all of a sudden. "You're talking about the library, aren't you?"

Shining nodded, a few tears forming in his eyes. "For Twily, it was practically home. And for me, it was a home away from home. And now it's gone, thanks to Tirek. A shame too, we were finally going to set aside an appointment to make the place feel more like the home of royalty. But now, I guess Twilight and Spike will have to move into the Crystal Empire with Cadence and I, at least until a new home can be built here," Then he added. "Even if time travel spells weren't forbidden, there's no way I could go back in time and stop the Golden Oak Library from being destroyed. The rules of time travel make it very clear you're not supposed to go back to any time you already existed, doing so could lead to a time paradox that could destroy all of existence. I suppose it couldn't be helped though, seems like every major victory has come at a high price for me."

"But, you'll still come back to Ponyville just to visit us, right?" Big Macintosh asked Shining.

"Hopefully, yes," Shining replied, wiping away his tears. "Poor Twily though, her friends are gonna really miss not seeing her around every day. And I'm gonna miss them too," Turning around he sadly added. "Guess I'd better go inform her of the arrangements, and start clearing things up with Cadence. I know she'll be glad to be living with Twily."

* * *

But just as Shining was about to trot off, the ground began to shake and rumble! Shining turned around, worried that Tirek might have escaped again. However, what he saw instead, nearly made his eyes pop out from widening in surprise! A gigantic castle made of crystal, and in the shape of a tree, rose up from out of the ground! In a lot of ways, it looked like the Tree of Harmony itself had transformed into a castle, and a rather magnificent one at that!

"Is that a mirage?" Braeburn commented, rubbing his eyes.

"Looks as real as real can be if you ask me," Fancy Pants replied and turned to Shining Armor. "You think it's meant for you?"

"Perhaps, there's only one way to know for sure though," Shining said firmly, as he raced ahead. "Come on, let's check it out."

The six stallions approached the magnificent crystal structure, amazed at how much more attractive and appealing it was up close. "It's a castle fit for royalty!" Thunderlane exclaimed.

"Indeed, and I doubt anypony could dispute who it's meant for." Princess Celestia commented, touching down on the ground in front of the castle, alongside Princess Luna and Princess Cadence.

"You really think it's intended for me?" Shining asked Princess Celestia.

Celestia nodded. "Not just for you, but for your sister, and for Spike as well. I can sense that this castle is a gift from the Tree of Harmony."

"No doubt a reward for all your hard work," Princess Luna concluded. "You should feel privileged, I was most surprised to find that upon my return, the old castle my sister and I ruled in the Everfree Forest was no more. Instead, Equestria's capital had been moved to Canterlot, and the plans for a new castle that been discussed just prior to my banishment, had been made a reality."

"At least you had a castle to call your own, Auntie Luna," Princess Cadence remarked. "When I first became a princess, my entire empire was still gone and had yet to return. Someponies said I wasn't a real princess, since I had no throne or kingdom to call my own."

Just then, Twilight came rushing up to the castle, with Spike following close behind. She took one look at the crystal castle, and immediately hung her head as she complained. "It's all wrong! It's so bright and shiny, it looks nothing like the Golden Oak Library!"

Shining immediately trotted over and hugged his sister. "I know, I know. But we can't make it like the Golden Oak Library, not even if we wanted to. The Golden Oak Library is gone and never coming back. So that just means we'll have to do the best to make this new castle feel like a home," And with a smile he added. "And I think your friends can help us with that."

"Well, that'll have to wait, at least until we've settled in to the new castle." Twilight replied, feeling slightly more cheerful now.

"Speaking of which, what are you all waiting for?!" Discord spoke up, appearing before the group in a flash of light. "Come on, let's go inside! I wanna see if the new castle's bigger on the inside!"

* * *

Everyone in the group made their way through the front doors of the castle, soon amazed at just how vast it was. Long hallways filled with red carpeting, and similarly looking doors greeted the sights of the group. They explored up and down quite a bit, finding that the castle contained a great deal of rooms, including the usual bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, and dining room. But what _really_ caught the eye of everyone, was a room that lay on the other side of a door, at the far left end of the hallway.

Six large thrones (and a seventh smaller one) stood around a gigantic circle, each designated with the cutie mark of one of the elemental bearers (with the exception of the smaller throne, which displayed three thick green scales. Shining concluded that throne represented Spike).

Upon looking at the thrones, Celestia smiled, and turned to Shining Armor as she said to him. "Cadence told me that you've been wondering what you're meant to do as a prince. Do you know now, Prince Shining Armor?"

Shining Armor nodded. "No doubt about it, I see now that as prince, I am to spread the magic of friendship across all of Equestria. It's not just the role I'm meant to have, it's the role I _choose_ to have!" Turning to his friends, he added. "But I didn't defeat Tirek on my own – it took all six of us to unlock that chest!"

Celestia nodded. "Then it is unlikely you are meant to take on this great task alone. It is with great pride that I hereby dub you, Shining Armor, the prince of friendship! And what would the prince of friendship be without his friends?"

"So then, we're officially his royal advisors?" Fancy Pants asked Celestia.

"Not just that, your role is far greater," Celestia explained. "All of you will aid Shining Armor on his mission to spread friendship across the land, wherever that may take you."

"But, I could see no better fitting fate for you all," Luna added with a smile. "You were the ones who taught Shining Armor about the magic of friendship to begin with. And it was with his help that you freed me from being Nightmare Moon, and defeated Discord."

"Not to mention the help you provided when Twilight saw through Queen Chrysalis' trap at my royal wedding," Cadence commented. "Or your assistance in aiding the crystal ponies during King Sombra's return."

"And of course, without you, I doubt Shining Armor would've become an alicorn prince in the first place, or would've saved the Tree of Harmony," Celestia finished. "Fate brought you all together for a reason, and now your destinies are intertwined with that of Shining Armor's. From this day forward, ponies and even nonponies will look to you for advice and guidance on all matters of friendship."

"But what about Discord?" Spike asked, looking at the rather unhappy looking spirit. "Discord played a big role in the defeat of Tirek as well. He was the one who gave Shining Armor the final key. And from what I heard, he even stood up to Tirek when the centaur betrayed him. Shouldn't he get a throne too?"

However, Discord shook his head, and glumly sighed. "Alas, despite my reasons, I still betrayed you all to Tirek. My magic has returned, but I sense that few ponies will ever truly trust me again, not that I blame them," He snapped his paws, and a series of suitcases appeared. "I'll come back, some day. But for right now, I just... want to be alone, with my thoughts, and my reality warping powers." And with that, the depressed spirit vanished before anyone could stop him.

"Poor Discord," Thunderlane commented. "Tirek had him wrapped around his little paw the whole time, and he never even knew it."

"Yes, but it was I who chose to send him off alone to face Tirek," Celestia replied, as she turned to depart. "Perhaps it is for the best that the six of you have been brought together. I can sense that Luna and I are no longer meant to tackle the big threats when they first appear. We are to be Equestria's last line of defense, not its first option."

"We shall remain as we have been since my return, rulers of Equestria," Luna commented. "And if our help should be required, you know how to reach us."

"This may be the end of an era, or it may just be the beginning of a new chapter in said era," Cadence added. "Either way, things won't be the same anymore. You've all been tasked with a big responsibility, and I trust you will not abuse the powers associated with your positions."

"No sir, we won't! That, you can be sure of!" Shining replied firmly.

"Good, now we must be off," Celestia smiled. "But, be sure to call us back for the housewarming party." And then she, Luna, and Cadence, all departed from the castle.

* * *

"Well, what now?" Big Macintosh asked, looking across to Shining Armor. "Where do we go from here?"

"Wherever we must, wherever we are called," Shining replied. "In a sense, we are not unlike that mythical king and his knights of that famous round table."

"Perhaps we should call ourselves 'The Knights of Friendship'?" Braeburn teased, and everyone laughed.

But while he was laughing, Shining Armor couldn't help but think. " _I don't know what the future has in store for me, or for my friends. But I know now, that I will_ _ **never**_ _be alone! Wherever the magic of friendship may guide me, I sense that more challenges and threats will surely follow. I just hope that my friends and I will be ready, for what may lay ahead._ "


	96. Chapter 96: The Mysterious Map

It had been a few days since the defeat of Tirek, and in the time since life in Equestria had mostly gone back to normal. However, while the mystery of the six sided chest had been solved, a new puzzle plagued Shining Armor's thoughts. The mysterious castle that was now his new home in Ponyville, and the six (seven if you included Spike's little chair) thrones in that room in the heart of the castle. It couldn't just be coincidence, could it?

Well, there was only one way to find out. Shining had to call in his friends, and thankfully all of them agreed to come over.

"I still feel like there's something I should know about all of this," Shining commented to himself, looking at the thrones. "But what?"

"What else is there to discuss?" Soarin replied. "It's as simple as this: We found all six keys, defeated Tirek and sent him back to Tartarus, and this sweet new castle was the reward. There, end of story."

"For once I believe Soarin is right," Fancy Pants chimed in. "Even if it seems odd that these thrones have our cutie marks on them, I don't see anything that warrants further investigation. Besides that, you should be grateful. You don't know how many ponies would kill to be in this kind of situation right now."

"Let's focus on more important things, shall we?" Braeburn suggested. "Like when are you gonna let Pinkie Pie and I throw ya that housewarmin' party for you and your sister? If it ain't gonna be soon, I'm probably not gonna be around to help plan it. The Appleloosa rodeo's comin' up and I'm aimin' to enter, cousin Applejack's hogged the rodeo spotlight for long enough."

"I agree with Soarin and Fancy Pants," Thunderlane smiled brightly. "Just let it go, Shining. If these thrones are indeed important, I'm sure we'll know eventually."

"No offense, but I think even cousin Braeburn's right on this occasion, Shining," Big Macintosh commented. "If ya wanna look further into those thrones, do so on your own time. Me personally, I'm lookin' forward to this weekend, Spike and I are gonna host the annual hoofball card show here. Spike says he's hopin' to make a trade for that rare card of mine, but I ain't gonna give it up so easily."

"Well, let's just see what happens when we're seated in these thrones, shall we?" Shining suggested to his friends. "Just last night I had a dream where my sister and her friends did the same, and when they did something appeared in this very room. Though what it was, I couldn't tell, it was too blurry."

The stallions sighed, but decided to go along with Shining's suggestion. All six stallions were seated in the throne that matched their cutie marks. Sure enough, something _did_ happen once they were all seated. Six rays of light (each one matching the coat of the stallion seated in the mark matched thrones) shot out from the top of the thrones, concentrating on the floor in between the chairs. At the same time, the stallions cutie marks glowed brightly, as a gigantic roar shook the ground.

Suddenly, rising up from the floor, was an enormous table map of some kind! When it came to a rest after only a few minutes, it glowed brightly, and the stallions noticed that it was a map of all of Equestria!

Spike (who had been sleeping in his own chair the whole time), woke up as a result of the glow. And when he opened his eyes, he was amazed at what he saw. "Hey, is that new?!" He exclaimed. "I like it!"

* * *

The six stallions were still in a state of shock, they had never seen anything like this before.

"Well I'll be a donkey's uncle!" Big Macintosh exclaimed, looking at the map. "Guess you were right after all, Shining. Never should've doubted ya."

"Hey, it was a wild guess on my part. I certainly had no idea _this_ is what those thrones would bring forth," Shining commented. "Heck, I didn't expect anything to actually happen."

Meanwhile, Braeburn was eyeing a corner of the map. "Hey, check it out! I can see my house from here!" He shouted in delight, pointing to the dessert displayed down to the bottom right of the map. But just then, Spike inadvertently stepped onto the dessert with one of his feet, seemingly crushing the buildings of Appleloosa.

"Huh, I didn't feel a thing. This map must be a hologram or something," Spike commented, looking all around it. "So, does anyone know how to turn it off? I can't sleep with it glowing so brightly."

But just then, the stallions found their attention diverted to a small patch of land in the far west corner of the map. More specifically, the fact that all their cutie marks were hovering around it.

"What is that place? I've never seen it before in my life," Soarin pondered out loud. "Uh, Shining, you think maybe the map's broken or something?"

Shining shook his head. "Sure doesn't seem that way, everything else about the map checks out. Heck, it even displays my new castle here in Ponyville." He pointed to the very center of the map, and everyone noticed that the crystal castle in Ponyville was displayed clearly on the map.

"What does it all mean then?" Thunderlane asked with concern. "You think the map is telling us to go to that odd place?"

"Hold on just a second, we don't even know if that place exists or not!" Fancy Pants protested. "Sure, everything else about the map checks out. It even displays places I've only heard of, like Griffonstone and The Smoky Mountains. But there is still the possibility that that mysterious village isn't there. Considering its location, it could potentially be a trap."

"Well, maybe Princess Celestia will know if this village exists or not," Shining decided. "At the least maybe if she's had a vision about that place, she could give us a clue as to what might be waiting for us there, and if we should go or not."

"And if even she doesn't know about that place?" Fancy asked.

"Either way, I think we should go," Shining said firmly. "But you guys don't have to tag along if you don't want to. I won't make you go on a mission if you're not ready for it. Though, I'll have to visit with Celestia before I make any plans."

"Don't worry about me if you have to go," Spike called, as Shining rushed out the castle doors. "I can always see if Twilight, Rarity, or one of the girls need my help."


	97. Chapter 97: Celestial Permission

With a little help from his sister, Shining Armor was able to store a projection of the map for him to take to Princess Celestia in Canterlot. "I figure, if Princess Celestia could use crystals to store images of the Crystal Empire, that was a trick worth learning. Beats Zecora's memory potion." He had explained to his friends, and then he immediately had Spike send word to Celestia of his arrival. Despite the situation, Shining still intended to go through the proper channels. Nothing about this yet conveyed the sort of urgency that would justify breaking with procedure.

" _It's just so weird, what are the odds that map would surface with the castle, and that village would be the first thing it would direct us to?_ " Shining thought to himself, as he flew to Canterlot. " _Could it be the remnants of whatever magic was used to build that castle out of thin air?_ "

Whatever the circumstances, Shining was hopeful that Princess Celestia (or perhaps Princess Luna if she was awake at this time of day) might know something about that village and whether or not it was worth investigating.

Commander Silverbolt was waiting for Shining when he arrived (command of the royal guards usually fell to him if Shining or Flash was not around). "Greetings, Captain. Splendid to see you again." He formally greeted, bowing his head in respect.

"At ease, Silverbolt, there's no need for such formalities," Shining decreed, and changed the subject. "Has Princess Celestia been briefed of the circumstances for my visit?"

Silverbolt nodded. "She's waiting for you in the throne room, and per your orders she has cleared all royal duties for the time. Kibitz has been assigned the responsibility of tending to the nobility and civilians. The meeting shall be strictly confidential, as you wish."

"Thank you, Silverbolt. And how has the royal guard fared in my absence?" Shining inquired, as the two ponies walked to the throne room. "I know the Tirek ordeal came out of nowhere, but what about everything else?"

"Nothing to report, Captain Armor," Silverbolt firmly replied. "All has been quiet, perhaps too quiet."

"Maybe, but I'd rather not look this gift horse in the mouth." Shining commented, as he reached the throne room door.

"Right, but it never hurts to be vigilant, just a little," Silverbolt replied, and turned to leave. "Whatever you discuss with the princess though, I pray it will not spell trouble for Equestria."

" _I hope so too._ " Shining thought, but he thought it to himself. He didn't want to run the risk of jinxing anything. Taking a few deep breaths, he entered the throne room.

* * *

Shining didn't hesitate to immediately show Celestia the crystal displaying the projection of the map. Pointing a hoof to the town surrounded by the cuties marks of himself and his friends, he asked. "Do you recognize this town at all, Princess?"

Celestia eyed the displayed map cautiously, and examined it very carefully. For a few moments she said nothing, she stepped back and put a hoof to her chin, deep in thought. But at last, she shook her head and told Shining. "Alas, I know nothing about this town. There are no records of such a town existing, or any permits or charters that were recently brought before me. Yet I must assume that it _does_ exist, as every other city and town across all of Equestria I can see as clear as day."

"What do you make of those glowing cutie marks? Especially since the cutie marks of my friends and I started glowing the instant we sat in those thrones, and my mark at least didn't stop glowing until I left," Shining asked with worry. "The map seems to be guiding, no 'calling' us to that village. But why?"

"I wish I could help you on that, but I sense this is something you and your friends will have to find out for yourself," Celestia instructed. "I will say this much, the location of that village gives me cause for concern. As it is located right next to the mountains, it could be the perfect hiding spot for a weapon, or even a movement against me."

"But why would anypony be opposed to your rule?" Shining asked the princess. "I know you've had plenty of enemies, but it seems like we've taken care of all of them by now. Unless you're telling me there are more?"

Celestia sighed, and spoke seriously. "Even the best of ponies make mistakes, Shining. There will always be those that disagree with you, and they won't always be vocal about it. Some threats lurk in broad daylight, making no effort to hide their intentions. But others dwell in the shadows, plotting their moves in secret, and daring only to strike when they believe they have the advantage. Even some of my former students have not left me on the best of terms, as I'm sure you're aware with Sunset Shimmer, perhaps my second greatest failure."

Shining nodded, remembering his own encounters with the disgruntled mare. "But in the end, she was able to turn her life around and give up her evil ways. From what my sister has told me from her visits to the world Sunset calls home, Sunset is fast becoming a teacher in her own right."

Celestia smiled briefly at this comment. "Indeed, and it warms my heart to see a former student of mine come back to the light. And not a day goes by where I don't long for a chance to see her," Her smile faded though, as she added. "But not all stories have a happy ending. You saw with the likes of Sombra and Tirek how they chose to harden their hearts and reject the light. In all my years, I know my methods haven't been popular with everyone, and there are many who would see fit to overthrow me if given the chance."

"And you believe that's what this mysterious village is all about?" Shining inquired.

"Perhaps, but then again perhaps not," Celestia explained. "It's imperative that you and your friends answer that 'call'. Go to that village and see for yourselves what it's like. This will be a strictly off the books, covert investigation. You will go as you are now, Equestria's first alicorn prince. And your friends shall go as whatever they wish to be known as. But be careful, if you get into any trouble, neither Luna or I will be able to bail you out. And if anything leads back to us, we'll deny any involvement. I may not be thrilled with the idea of having to throw you under the bus, but without knowing whether that village is friend or foe, I dare not risk making another enemy."

"Then I guess that's that," Shining nodded in agreement, focusing his magic on the crystal. The projection soon shut off. "I won't let you down, princess! Whoever or whatever's lurking in that village, my friends and I can handle it. We haven't met a threat yet that we couldn't overcome in the end."

"I know you won't disappoint me, Shining," Celestia smiled. "From the day you joined the ranks of my royal guard, I knew you had potential. Though even I couldn't have foreseen that it would lead to this, you going off on missions on your own, and without needing me to inform you first. If you discover anything of importance, don't hesitate to inform me of the details when you get back."

"Will do!" Shining nodded, and he raced out of the throne room without another word. In the back of his mind however, there was a nagging question that wouldn't leave him be. " _Would the map truly call on my friends and if I that village was friendly to Equestria? What reason could it possibly have for telling us of that village's existence?_ "


	98. Chapter 98: At the End of the Tracks

Shining returned to Ponyville, and after ensuring his friends wanted to go, he led them all to the train station and booked six tickets for the destination shown on the map. The pony in the ticket window found it odd that anypony would want to travel to such a remote location, but obeyed without hesitation.

The train rolled along the grassy fields, and out towards the mountains, passing through several tunnels and along a bridge. At last, it reached a small station in a rather lonely part of Equestria where no one seemed to be around. The stallions disembarked as soon as the train had stopped.

"Well, the village is just up ahead," Shining commented to his friends. "Guess we're hoofing it from here."

Thunderlane gulped slightly as he said to Shining. "You know, it's not too late to back out. I mean, as far as we know that village isn't a threat."

"You're right, Thunderlane. But at the same time, we don't know for sure that it isn't," Shining immediately replied. "And I have a nagging feeling that map wouldn't have told us to come here if there was nothing to see. Something must be up, I just wish I knew what that something was."

The rest of the journey passed in silence, no one daring to say anything. After what felt like an eternity of walking, the group crossed a rope bridge dangling over a mist covered chasm, and then the faint traces of a village appeared in the distance, two rows full of identical looking houses that seemed to almost represent an equal sign if one looked closely enough.

But before the stallions could think of how to best approach the village, Braeburn zipped forward and rolled down the hill, opting to hide beneath a boulder for cover! "Come on you guys, this way!" He whispered to them.

"Braeburn, what has gotten into you?" Fancy Pants demanded.

"You'll see, now come on!" Braeburn whispered again, and motioned for the others to join him. They reluctantly did so, and then with Braeburn's help they climbed up on top of the rock, but only to the point where their faces peeked out over it.

"What exactly are we lookin' at, cousin?" Big Macintosh asked.

"Just look at the villagers," Braeburn instructed. "I don't like it, not one little bit."

"What exactly are you talking about?" Soarin asked Braeburn, while eyeing the villagers. "They do seem a bit... odd, but they look happy."

"Too happy, that's the problem!" Braeburn explained, stomping his hooves in protest. "When you've been hangin' around Pinkie Pie for as long as I have, you start learnin' how to identify real smiles and how to tell them apart from fake smiles. And let me tell ya, those smiles are as fake as can be! They're just not natural, they're way too wide and bright! They're the kind of smile you wear when you're tryin' to act innocent and make it look like you've got nothin' to hide."

Upon a closer inspection, Shining noticed two other features about the smiling ponies that stood out. One was that all their coats were dulled in color (and their manes and tails had all been more or less styled to look the same, as if someone wanted there to be no individuality among the villagers), and the other was that on each pony, where a cutie mark should be, there was instead a black equal sign. "Never mind the smiles, I'm worried about the lack of cutie marks," Shining commented. "It seems like everypony's the same."

"I know, it's so hard to look at," Fancy Pants remarked. "There's being casual, and then there's just not bothering to look even remotely presentable. On top of that, just how does one make their coat fade in color? That shouldn't be possible, even with advanced magic."

"You know, I'm willing to bet there's some great evil force or horrific monster behind all this!" Soarin exclaimed.

"What makes ya say that?" Big Macintosh asked Soarin.

"Just noticing a pattern is all," Soarin replied. "I mean think about it, it seems like every time we're together, there's always some big threat lurking, and it falls to us to stop it. First it was Nightmare Moon, then Discord, after that it was Chrysalis, and of course we can't forget the likes of Sombra and Tirek."

"But what about the pony of shadows incident in the Castle of the Two Sisters, or Fashion Week in Manehattan?" Fancy Pants inquired. "Sounds like those were exceptions to the rule, weren't they?"

Soarin nodded. "True, but they were the _only_ exceptions. And I'm getting that kind of air that tells me we're in for another one of those big adventures. The kind where we fight some monster and ultimately defeat the baddy with some kind of powerful magic. It's just too bad we don't know to summon up those awesome forms from when we fought Tirek, we're probably gonna need them to take down whoever or whatever is responsible for this sinister plot."

"Now now, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Shining advised. "Right now this is strictly a covert investigation, a good will tour if anyone asks. We don't know for sure if these villagers are a threat or being controlled by one, and I'm not about to make enemies where we could've made friends. So please, all of you be on your best behavior and no funny business, got it?!" He then added in a more gentle tone. "We don't necessarily have to approve of these villagers way of life, but it's not our place to judge them. Stay alert, but don't go looking for trouble. Now come on, let's see if these villagers are the sociable type. Maybe we'll get some useful information out of them."

The stallions all obeyed, but Braeburn commented to himself. "Those smiles are bad news. Something's rotten in... whatever the name of this town is."

* * *

The six stallions strolled right into the center of the village, and were surprised to see all the villagers turn their attention to the unexpected guests, all of them greeting in the same tone "Welcome.", which was more than enough to unnerve the stallions a bit. Fortunately, a welcoming committee soon presented itself in the form of a white coated earth pony stallion with light cobalt blue eyes and a snow white coated mane and tail, and a light blue coated unicorn stallion also with light cobalt blue eyes, and a blue and gray mane and tail. Said unicorn was wearing a tacky brown cloak around his chest.

"Ah, visitors, welcome to our humble little village," The earth pony stallion greeted. "My name is Double Diamond, and this here is Party Favor. And it's our job to welcome you to Cutie Markless Village, a place with no cutie marks and no worries."

"Cutie Markless, huh?" Shining pondered, eyeing Double Diamond suspiciously.

"If it helps, you can just call it 'Our Town' as that's what we prefer to know it as," Party Favor commented, eyeing Shining Armor carefully. "Say, I don't believe I've seen a lot of ponies like you. Do my eyes deceive me, or are you an alicorn?"

Shining nodded. "Yes, Equestria's first alicorn prince to boot. Prince Shining Armor, the official prince of friendship. And these are my good friends and trusted royal advisors: Big Macintosh, Braeburn, Soarin, Thunderlane, and Fancy Pants."

"'Prince of friendship' huh? Well, you've certainly come to the right place for 'friendship'." Party Favor happily replied.

"So, what brings you this way, prince?" Double Diamond asked in a friendly tone.

"To be honest, we're not entirely sure," Shining replied somewhat nervously. "We're here on a goodwill tour, but let's just say a little birdie told us that you might be having trouble."

"Trouble? Why, I don't think we've ever had trouble in our little village, though we have set up just recently," Double Diamond responded, turning his attention to the flanks of his guests. "Oh, and you all have your own unique cutie marks, very fascinating."

"And just why are you so interested in our cutie marks?" Shining inquired somewhat skeptically. "And just who's in charge here? If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to speak to your leader or whoever it is that has command over you."

"That would be our founder, Starlight Glimmer," Party Favor spoke up. "We'd be more than happy to introduce you to her. She just _loves_ visitors, especially those that plan to stay. Come on, we'll take you to her. If you'll kindly follow us." And he and Double Diamond led the six stallions away.

"Gosh, these ponies seem rather friendly." Thunderlane whispered, as he and the others followed their hosts.

"Too friendly, I've got my eye on them," Braeburn advised. "Between this and the smiles, I just know there's something awfully suspicious going on here."

Double Diamond and Party Favor stopped outside one of the huts, and knocked on the door. "Starlight, it's us, Double Diamond and Party Favor," Double Diamond called out. "We've some guests who'd like to speak to you. Would that be alright?"

There was no reply, the door just opened all on its own. "Guess we'll take that as a yes," Party Favor nodded to Double Diamond, and then to the other stallions he instructed. "Please step right this way. Starlight will be with you momentarily."

Once the stallions were inside, Soarin whispered to Big Macintosh. "Be ready to fight, we don't know who or what's gonna come through that door."

The door at the end of the room then opened slowly, and as it swung open a pale light grayish-purple coated unicorn mare came trotting out. Her eyes were a moderate persian blue, and her mane and tail were a two toned purple with light grayish-aqua colored highlights. The mane and tail were styled to be as evenly distributed as possible. But most surprisingly of all, where the mare's cutie mark should be, there was only the same black equal sign that all the other villagers wore. "Welcome! I'm so glad to have you here," The mare greeted in a warm and friendly tone. "As you've probably guessed, my name is Starlight Glimmer. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Soarin groaned slightly at this. " _Not sure what I expected, but somehow I thought it'd be something besides an ordinary pony,_ " He thought to himself. " _Although, now that I think about it. This mare's name and appearance remind me an awful lot of Shining's sister and that one pony who lives in that other world. That can't be a coincidence, can it?_ "


	99. Chapter 99: Our Town

Starlight turned to Double Diamond, immediately asking the stallion. "So, who are these guests you've brought before me?"

Double Diamond smiled, as he bowed. "They say their names are Big Macintosh, Thunderlane, Braeburn, Fancy Pants, Soarin, and Shining Armor."

" _Prince_ Shining Armor," Shining spoke up, offering his hoof to Starlight. "So, you're the leader of Cutie Markless Village?"

Starlight nodded and politely responded. "Indeed I am, though we prefer to call it 'Our Town'. You can understand how a name like 'Cutie Markless' would give ponies the wrong idea. Dare I ask, how did you hear of this place? We haven't received a visit from an alicorn, let alone an alicorn prince."

"It's kind of a long story," Shining nervously replied. "But let's just say, my friends and I have come here as part of a goodwill tour. We found your village on a map and thought this would be a good first stop."

Starlight smiled. "Ah, how nice of you. I must say, you have fine taste in choosing to grace our humble village with your presence. And we're more than happy to have anypony that wishes to experience _true friendship_ for the very first time."

"'True friendship?" Big Macintosh asked, eyeing Starlight skeptically.

"Oh, indeed," Starlight innocently responded. "It may be a lot to take in, but that's exactly what makes this village so unique. Around here, we don't need to flaunt our special talents, because we have none to speak of. Everypony is the same."

"That would explain those strange cutie marks," Shining commented, and then to Starlight he asked. "Has there been any sort of 'trouble' around here?"

"'Trouble'? I don't think so, certainly not since we gave up our cutie marks," Starlight confessed. "But you don't have to take my word for it. Why don't I show around and you can see for yourselves just what Cutie Markless Village has to offer? In fact, we've been working on a special song just for such an occasion."

"A song?!" Braeburn excitedly commented.

Starlight nodded, then replied. "Hope you enjoy it. Now come on, the official tour of the village starts now!" Stepping out of her hut to the sound of drum beats, she began barking out orders. "Alright mares and gentlestallions, here we go! Heads high, ponies! Marching loud and proud!" She continued to toss out instructions to what sounded like a whistle blowing. "All together now! Every one of you! No pony left behind!" And then she began to sing:

 _Life is so grand in Our Town,_

 _We're always filled with cheer._

 _We never have to look around,_

 _To know that we're all here._

All the stallions, mares, fillies, and colts in the village then began to chime in, singing:

 _In Our Town, in Our Town,_

 _We don't have to wait._

 _To find out that our destiny,_

 _Is just to emulate._

Starlight watched the procession carefully, making sure to bob her head up and down as needed so the villagers would keep the beat. Then she instructed: "Good, good. Now let's see those big, _happy_ smiles!" And then she sang:

 _Life is a smile in Our Town,_

 _Our cutie marks the same._

 _Because we do not separate,_

 _Ourselves by more than name._

Some of the villagers proceeded to sing loudly:

 _In Our Town, in Our Town._

 _We dare not compete._

 _'Cause winning only breeds the worst,_

 _Ego-filled conceit!_

"You see? Now _every_ pony wins!" Starlight proudly boasted, before she sang:

 _Life is a joy in Our Town,_

 _We're all equal here._

 _No one is superior._

 _And no one shakes in fear!_

After taking a moment to correct a villager who had not styled her mane and tail like the others (all the while the villager just stood there and smiled), Starlight turned back to the mares and stallions and watched them march side by side as they proudly sang:

 _In Our Town, in Our Town,_

 _We work as a team._

 _You can't have a nightmare,_

 _If you never dream._

" _Guess that explains why Princess Luna never found about this place,_ " Shining thought to himself. " _But who in their right mind would never want to dream? Dreams aren't something you can just shut off at will._ " But he didn't dare to say such a thought out loud, especially not when Starlight drew close and seemed to tauntingly sing:

 _Other ponies argue,_

 _And do you ever wonder_ _ **why**_ _?_

 _When you think your talent's special,_

 _You don't see eye-to-eye._

 _There's just too many differences_

 _That lead to disarray._

 _But when you learn to act as one,_

 _It's like a holiday!_

During the song, Starlight stepped in to correct a mare dancing differently than the rest, but no one seemed to pay attention to it. Thunderlane actually found himself bobbing his head along to the beat, until Braeburn gave him a stern look and shook his head in protest. Even so, the villagers just went on singing:

 _In Our Town, in Our Town,_

 _We don't complicate._

 _But when_ _ **you**_ _learn to simplify,_

 _Then life is oh, so great._

 _Join in our utopia,_

 _And come out of the dark._

 _Banded by equality,_

 _By our cutie mark!_

The song ended with the villagers parting into the formation of an equal sign, and a few pegasi flew past carrying a banner.

* * *

"So you see?" Starlight smiled, as the song concluded. "That is what our humble town is really all about. A life of cutie marks leads only to heartache. So, rather than allow those ridiculous symbols to dictate our lives, we choose to live without them."

"You expect us to give up our cutie marks?" Soarin remarked. "No offense, but I say we've been just fine with our marks as they are. You don't hear _us_ complaining."

"Maybe, but it's not our place to judge now is it?" Thunderlane commented. "We may be fine with a life of cutie marks, but that's no reason to say these villagers are wrong for being without them. Besides, they seem to be satisfied with their decision."

"Don't believe their smiles, Thunderlane. They're not real!" Braeburn whispered harshly.

Starlight didn't seem at all bothered by any of the odd looks or complaints she was getting, she just innocently replied. "We have no judgements here in our village. Each of us was confused once as well, blinded by the false promise of our cutie marks. That's why we founded Cutie Markless Village."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a second here," Soarin spoke up, pointing to Starlight. "Is she for real? Cutie marks are a part of who you are, why would you ever want to get rid of them? Don't you know it's the pony who determines what the mark means, not the other way around?"

"Soarin, please, let's not make a scene here," Shining advised, though a part of him had to admit Starlight's logic seemed fishy at best. But then again, Shining had heard lots of ponies complain about their cutie mark at some point, so maybe Starlight was onto to something? Deciding it best to defuse the tension, he apologized to Starlight and told her. "When we came to this village, we assumed we were going to help you in some way. But, well, it doesn't seem like you need any help. And as far as you know, there's been no trouble here?"

"None at all," Starlight smiled back. "And did you ever consider that perhaps you were drawn here for a reason? Maybe _we_ could help _you_?"

Now Shining was certain something was up, Starlight was acting way too friendly and seemed ignorant of any complaints or remarks directed at her. " _She's hiding something, I just know it,_ " He thought to himself. " _I just wish I knew how to nudge the conversation in that direction without prying, for all I know she could have a valid reason to run her village without cutie marks._ " But all he said in response to Starlight's offer was. "Whatever do you mean?"

Continuing to smile, Starlight explained. "It's simple. Nopony has ever come to our village and wanted to leave. Why should _you_ be any different?"

"Is that a threat, Miss. Glimmer?" Shining commented, raising an eyebrow in concern. "I may not technically rule a kingdom, but I still very much have royal authority. If you're thinking of holding me or my friends here against our will, think again."

"Oh, I harbor no such intentions, you can be sure of that," Starlight innocently answered. "You're free to leave this village at anytime. But I do hope you'll stick around, there's still so much that 'Our Town' has to offer. We're all quite fond of our little slice of Equestria. And I have no doubt you'll be as well, once you've had a chance to truly see what it has in store. Double Diamond, please help our guests with whatever they might need for the duration of their visit."

"Of course, Starlight. Your wish is my command." Double Diamond happily replied.

Starlight smiled. "Always nice to have ponies who know how to follow orders, I knew I made the right choice in recruiting you as my right hoof stallion. As for you, Party Favor, I sense we won't be needing your services any longer. So you may go."

"Thank you, Starlight!" Party Favor grinned, eagerly dashing away.

Starlight then trotted off, content that Double Diamond could manage the six strangers to her village. When she was certain no one could hear her, she said to herself. "This is working out better than I could've imagined. Just when my cause is most in need of a boost, one's practically dropped into my lap. And when the rest of Equestria finds out that the only alicorn prince gave up his cutie mark to join us, then they'll all _finally_ understand just what _I'm_ trying to accomplish."


	100. Chapter 100: Sugar Belle, A Bitter Baker

Double Diamond led the six stallions through town, pointing various areas of interest to them. All the while, various villagers kept saying, "Welcome." over and over again.

"Something's definitely going on here," Shining commented to the others. "Cutie marks are a representation of who you are and make up the foundation of Equestrian society. They're also not something you can just remove at will. How is it possible to-"

But just then, Fancy Pants interrupted with a gasp, as he looked across to a chestnut colored stallion and exclaimed. "What in the name of Equestria is _that_?!"

The stallion apparently didn't mind the comment, he just politely replied. "Welcome! Care to sample some of the local fashion? I'm the only clothes salespony in town, and this month we're carrying cloaks!"

Fancy Pants turned away and seemed to gag, before he politely said to the stallion. "Ooh, er, perhaps another time, good sir, thank you," When he was certain he was out of ear range he commented. "Well, no wonder nopony's wearing anything aside from that Party Favor guy. Those cloaks look tacky and probably itchy too. I should know, they look like my first sewing attempts. The results weren't pretty."

"Maybe, but that's not a reason to get on their case," Thunderlane replied in a hushed tone. "Even if it's weird that they've given up their cutie marks, who are we to tell them they've made the wrong choice? For all we know, they chose to give them up of their own free will. And if so, that's no reason to be rude."

"Trust me, that's not what _I'm_ worried about," Soarin commented. "Just look around, Thunderlane. They're all staring at us! Not sure about you, but last I checked it was considered impolite to stare at others for no good reason!"

"Do you need something?" Double Diamond asked, turning around to face the stallions.

"Oh no no no, we're fine." Shining quickly responded, opting to defuse any possible tensions.

"Very well then, but if you need anything at all be sure to let me know," Double Diamond smiled. "Now please, have a seat. Our baker will be with you shortly." And he trotted off.

* * *

"I think I'm starting to see why the map may have called us here," Shining commented to his friends, as they sat around a table outside one of the cottages. "And I have a funny feeling that Starlight Glimmer is connected to all this, somehow. Did you notice that she was the _only_ one who didn't have her coat dulled and had her mane and tail styled differently than the others?"

"Maybe, but that could just be a coincidence. Or she may have chosen to do that to solidify her position as leader of this village," Big Macintosh grumbled. "Not sure 'bout you, Shinin', but I'm startin' to think we rushed off to the end of Equestria before we even knew what we were gettin' ourselves into!"

Braeburn chuckled. "Come on, guys. We're not at the end of Equestria! If we were, we'd be sitting on a big old 'A'! Get it?!"

"Braeburn, while I usually don't mind your jokes, this is hardly the time for them," Fancy Pants remarked. "We've come all this way here, and for what?!"

"Perhaps, but we're here now, and it sure feels like something's wrong," Shining commented in a whisper. "I can't put my hoof on it, but something about this place feels off."

"That and two bits'll get you a cup of cider. It'd be nice if we knew just _what_ we're supposed to be lookin' for." Big Macintosh grumbled in reply.

The stallions were too busy arguing to take notice of a light gray coated unicorn mare with a dark gray mane and tail, wearing a white smock tied together by a rope, and moderate purple eyes. "Excuse me, is this a bad time?" The mare politely asked, but her words went unnoticed.

"Look, we shouldn't be bickering in front of the villagers. Especially not when we know nothing about this situation," Thunderlane protested. "Honestly, Big Mac, you're almost as bad as Soarin!"

"Hey, don't be dragging me into this!" Soarin protested.

"Sorry to interrupt. Is your friendship ending?" The unicorn mare asked, finally commanding attention.

"Now what would give you that idea?" Braeburn commented, looking at the mare. "Who are you, anyway?"

"Uh, well, my name is Sugar Belle and I'm this village's baker," Sugar Belle smiled, introducing herself. As she used her strong cyan colored magic to hold up a notepad. "Now, what can I bring you? We have: muffins..."

"And?" Shining asked, as Sugar Belle took a long pause.

"And nothing, just muffins," Sugar Belle replied. "We don't get a lot of visitors."

Shining sighed. "Okay then, guess we'll take half a dozen muffins."

"No, make it a dozen!" Braeburn protested, and when everyone looked at him he protested. "What? I'm hungry. I didn't exactly have time to eat before we left and I didn't pack any snacks."

"Braeburn, you didn't need permission to bring snacks!" Shining remarked, face hoofing.

Sugar Belle didn't mind. "Twelve muffins it is, I'll be right back." And she slipped away to retrieve the aforementioned items.

Once Sugar Belle had left, Shining said to his friends. "Look, guys. We've got to stick together. It doesn't matter what happened before, we're here now. We'll get to the bottom of this soon enough."

"Guess you're right," Big Macintosh replied in an optimistic tone. "And the sooner we figure out why we were called here, the sooner we can go home." Everyone nodded in agreement.

Just then, Sugar Belle returned with the muffins and with a confused look on her face she commented. "Forgive me for overhearing, but just a moment ago you were disagreeing, and now it sounds like you're... agreeing. "

"That's exactly what just happened. Is there a problem?" Big Macintosh asked.

"Well, it's just... you had such differing opinions – and cutie marks." Sugar Belle commented, eyeing the six stallions carefully.

"You make it sound like a bad thing. We have differing opinions all the time, Sugar Belle." Fancy Pants replied.

"Yet, you look like you're friends? I don't get it." Sugar Belle remarked, her tone of voice indicating hints of curiosity and confusion.

"That's because we _are_ friends," Shining announced in an affirmative tone. "A simple disagreement wouldn't change that. Not after everything we've been through."

Sugar Belle seemed to shrink for a moment, as she apologized and explained. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm just having a hard time understanding it all. Starlight always says: 'Different talents lead to different opinions, which lead to bitterness and misery.' So... why aren't you bitter and...?"

But just then, Braeburn (having taken a bite of one of the muffins), gagged and dramatically spit out what he'd just eaten. "Blech!" He remarked, a bit too loudly. Hoping to save face he quickly and sheepishly added with a smile. "I mean... Mmmm... good..."

But surprisingly, Sugar Belle only replied. "It's all right. I know I'm not a very good baker. But at least, I know I'm not any better than anypony else in the village," She seemed to suddenly become filled with fright as she looked at Double Diamond and saw him slam down a newspaper in dramatic fashion. Hastily, she backed away and added. "Well, I... hope you enjoy our little village, for as long as you choose to stay!"

Braeburn continued to hack and cough at the bitter taste of the crusty old muffins, despite his best efforts to make it seem like he enjoyed them.

Just before she disappeared back into her hut, Sugar Belle hastily whispered to the stallions. "Come inside before you go! Meet me downstairs! And make sure nopony follows you!"

"Well now, that was _definitely_ weird," Soarin commented. "What do you suppose _that_ was all about?"

"I don't know," Shining replied in a hushed tone. "But let's just sit here, eat these muffins, and act normal. I think we're being watched."

"You think?" Soarin remarked, eyeing the villagers who had all seemed to be observing the commotion earlier and hadn't turned away since.

Shining shook his head. "No, not like that!" He protested in a whisper. "I mean, somepony probably doesn't want us talking to Sugar Belle." He pointed a hoof at Double Diamond, who ominously took a bite of his muffin, then went back to reading his newspaper.

"Right, so we gotta make sure we don't draw attention to ourselves," Big Macintosh realized, then a light bulb went off in his head. "I have an idea on how we can do it," He whispered. "But you're gonna have to eat all of them muffins, Braeburn."

"What?! Me?! Why me?!" Braeburn complained, barely able to keep his voice down to a whisper.

"You're the one who said he was hungry, and let's be honest, you've got a pretty strong stomach," Big Macintosh said to his cousin. "Stronger than just about anypony I've met, besides Pinkie Pie. That mare in there just might be our best chance at findin' out what the hay is goin' on round here."

"Come on, Braeburn! You can do it!" Thunderlane encouraged.

Braeburn eyed the muffins skeptically, they tasted pretty bad from what little he'd sampled of them. But if Sugar Belle really knew something about the village, then eating those muffins was probably the best way to go inside and talk to her without attracting unwanted attention. With a reluctant sigh, he whispered. "Fine, I'll do it. But you guys owe me **BIG** for this!"

* * *

Braeburn found it hard to force himself to stuff the foul tasting muffins down his throat, but somehow he managed to do so. By the time he was done, his face was turning green around the gills. " _Ugh, never again!_ " He mentally vowed.

"I can't believe you ate all our muffins, Braeburn!" Big Macintosh exclaimed, trying to sound surprised. "Guess we'd better go inside and order more!"

The six stallions then slowly got up from the table, and after making sure that Double Diamond was occupied, they slipped inside Sugar Belle's hut and made their way down the stairs. "Nice work, Braeburn. You took one for the team." Shining encouraged.

"Thanks, but those muffins tasted horrible!" Braeburn gagged. "They're gonna stick with me for a while! Guess it could be worse though, Pinkie told me she once ate cardboard by accident, the results weren't pretty to say the least."

"Here, let me help you with that," Fancy Pants replied, as he took out a bottle of water from his saddle bag. "Drink up. It'll at least hopefully wash out the taste."

Braeburn accepted the drink without question, the water helped to force the muffins down his throat and into his stomach. He felt much better now, though he was pretty sure his appetite wouldn't come back anytime soon.

"Hello? Sugar Belle? You down here?" Shining called out to the inky darkness of the basement.

Sure enough, Sugar Belle emerged into the dim light. "Thank you for coming! I'm glad you're here! You weren't followed, were you?!" She asked the stallions.

Shining shook his head. "Nope, we made sure of that. But why did you ask us to meet you down here?"

"So nopony could see what's about to happen of course," Sugar Belle said seriously, as she suddenly turned back to the darkness and called out. "Okay, you can come out now, the coast is clear!"

"You sure, Sugar Belle? Can we really trust these strangers?" A male voice asked with worry.

"What if this is all a ruse by Double Diamond to catch us redhoofed and rat us out to Starlight?" A raspy female voice added.

"It's okay, we're not with Double Diamond, or Starlight Glimmer," Shining reassured the voices. "Please, just step into the light so we can see you. We come in peace."

The owners of the voices did so, the stallions recognizing the unicorn that emerged as Party Favor. But the identity of the pegasus mare with light blue eyes, a white and light gray mane and tail, and a grayish blue coat, remained unknown.

"You all know Party Favor, don't you?" Sugar Belle smiled, then pointed to the pegasus mare. "And this is Night Glider, a friend of ours."

"But isn't Party Favor working with Double Diamond as one of Starlight's servants?" Shining asked, eyeing Party Favor suspiciously.

"Only when the situation calls for it, which is usually only if we get visitors," Party Favor explained. "I've been pretty good at keeping both Starlight and Double D as I like to call Double Diamond, in the dark."

Immediately, the three villagers started asking the visitors a ton of questions. "Are you actually the Prince of Friendship?" Party Favor asked Shining.

"Do you know Princess Celestia?" Night Glider chimed in.

Sugar Belle grabbed Braeburn's flank and exclaimed. "I _love_ your cutie mark! It's so beautiful!"

"But how can you even be friends with such different talents? Don't you ever end up hating each other?" Night Glider asked, clearly sounding confused.

Sugar Belle, meanwhile, looked at the cutie marks of all of Shining's friends and made comments such as, "Oh, look at this one!" and. "This one's great too!" She then longingly sighed. "I'd love to have my special talent back even just for one day! Make something besides those disgusting muffins..."

"Then's what stopping you? Go get your cutie marks back!" Soarin encouraged.

"Well, daydreaming is one thing," Party Favor nervously protested. "But you mean actually having it put back on? That seems kind of extreme."

"Why? If you really miss your cutie marks so badly, then why don't you take them back?" Soarin suggested.

Sugar Belle's lips seemed to quiver briefly, as she nervously commented. "I'm not sure Starlight would like that. She wants us all to be happy in our sameness. After all, that's why she founded this village in the first place."

"Just how do you take somepony's cutie mark away anyway?" Shining wondered out loud. "I thought that was impossible."

Night Glider shook her head. "It's possible, alright. The cutie unmarking is a beautiful experience! Starlight uses the Staff of Sameness to magically take them away and replace them with these." She and her friends pointed to the black equal signs on their flanks.

"It's actually not as painful as you might think," Party Favor commented. "For me at least it kind of tickled, but don't tell Starlight I said that."

Shining was most concerned by all of this! "But nopony should keep you from your cutie mark. It represents such an essential part of who you are. Besides, cutie marks are like magic, you can't just make them disappear!"

"And indeed they don't, in fact we're never kept from our marks at all," Night Glider explained. "They're stored in a big vault up in the cave nearby. And we can visit them any time we like to remind us of the heartache of a life with special talents. It's Starlight's hope, that one day ponies from all over Equestria will make a pilgrimage here and have their cutie marks removed as well."

"Could we possibly have a tour of this cave? I'd like to get a closer look at that vault." Shining commented.

"You'd have to run requests by Starlight first, and she'd surely ask what your interest in that vault is if you're not gonna have your cutie mark removed," Party Favor warned. "However, from what Double Diamond tells me, Starlight goes up to the vault every day on her own. And she keeps the Staff of Sameness there too."

* * *

That night, as the six stallions settled in at the hut provided for them, Shining discussed his plans. "That vault of cutie marks and that mysterious staff sound very suspicious. I'll tail Starlight from a distance when she goes up to the cave tomorrow, then once she leaves I'll see if there's any way to inspect the staff or the vault and find out what Starlight's intentions are."

"You think maybe she could be a threat?" Thunderlane asked with concern. "I mean, it does seem like she could have something to hide. But for the most part it seems like everypony's satisfied with their life without cutie marks."

"Yet Sugar Belle, Party Favor, and Night Glider asked to meet us in secret. And they specifically warned us not to tell Starlight where we heard about the vault," Shining replied. "Look, when I first joined the royal guard, I was on the bottom of the totem pole. But Captain Gleaming Shield saw potential in me and took me under her wing. She was a hard task master, and she really put me through the wringer, but I learned a lot from her. One of the most important things she taught me, was to trust my instincts. And my instincts are telling me that Starlight Glimmer is at the center of whatever it is that the map called us here for."

"Then, we'll go with you!" Soarin offered. "Heck, we could probably keep Starlight distracted and give you some time to examine everything in that cave."

Shining only shook his head. "No, that's too dangerous, Starlight would surely suspect something. We can't let her know we're possibly onto her, or there's no telling what she might do. She could even kick us out of the village! I will go alone. The rest of you will stay in the village to talk to the villagers, there could be more that are not satisfied with their lives as they are. If any of them ask why I'm not with you, tell them I left in the middle of the night. But aside from Sugar Belle, Party Favor, and Night Glider, trust nopony. It's very likely that Double Diamond isn't the only one serving as Starlight's eyes and ears."


	101. Chapter 101: Trapped!

Shining was up bright and early the next day, and after making sure he wasn't being followed, he ducked into a bush near Starlight's hut. He waited for her to come out, and as he did he thought to himself. " _I sure hope that Party Favor was telling the truth about Starlight. Otherwise, things could get ugly._ "

But sure enough, as if on cue, Starlight came trotting out of her hut with a big smile on her face. She did a quick inspection of the village, then set off towards the cave. Shining saw this as his chance to move, he emerged from the bush and carefully followed Starlight from a distance. " _Okay, Miss. Glimmer. Show me that vault of yours, let me see what you're up to._ " He thought to himself, though a part of him hoped that maybe Party Favor was exaggerating. After all, why would anyone want to keep a vault full of cutie marks? And in a cave no less? That was way too much secrecy for just one pony.

Weaving along a winding mountain path, Shining tailed Starlight, hiding behind rocks and boulders as needed. At last, he saw Starlight enter a gigantic cave that had a strange glow to it. But Shining hesitated just before the entrance. " _What if Starlight spots me?! I don't know if there's any places to hide!_ " He anxiously thought, then he spotted a small crevice higher up, and he got an idea. Flapping his wings, Shining entered the crevice and slowly pushed forward until he could see into the cave. His eyes lit up, as he saw an enormous vault filled with all sorts of cutie marks! Resting on a small stone podium, was a gigantic, two pronged staff. Shining realized that was probably the Staff of Sameness Night Glider had mentioned. " _So, those villagers were telling the truth!_ " He thought to himself. " _But just what is Starlight Glimmer up to? Why would she want to convince these ponies to give up their cutie marks? And now that I think about it, why does it seem like she's the only one not affected by whatever those black marks are? I don't like this, something is_ _ **definitely**_ _wrong here!_ "

Seemingly unaware of the presence of an outsider, Starlight picked up the staff with her magic and remarked to herself. "Ah, hello my old friend. I'm sure I'll have need of you again soon. To think it was so easy to fool those ponies into thinking that this was the ninth enchanted item of the great Mage Meadowbrook. But I can't take all the credit, I really should send a thank you card to that pony studying for her rocktorate. If not for her, I would've never come across the stone needed to store all the cutie mark magic. It won't be long before I'll be able to expand this village and its mission beyond the reaches of these mountains! I'll show them, show them all how evil cutie marks can be! Then I won't be alone in my suffering!"

Shining unintentionally gasped (which was not a very smart thing to do if you were trying to stay hidden)! And to make matters worse, as he tried to back away, he ended up losing his hoofing! He slipped and fell, barely able to keep himself from crash landing thanks to his wings! But as he picked himself up and dusted himself off, he found himself face to face with Starlight herself.

"Well, well, well," Starlight cackled in a sinister tone. "It seems I have a nosy little rat snooping around, sticking his nose where it doesn't belong."

Trying to slowly back away, Shining hastily apologized. "I'm... very sorry, ma'am. I-I didn't see a thing, promise! I'll uh... just... be on m-my way."

"Please, how naive do you think I am?!" Starlight mocked, rolling her eyes. "Now that you've seen what you've seen, I'm afraid I can't just let you leave! Though I'm curious, usually I'm the one that has to mention the vault, and that's when I believe somepony's ready to join 'Our Town'. So, just how did the subject of the vault come up? Who told you about it? Somepony unsatisfied with their cutie markless life perhaps?"

"If it is, it's none of your concern!" Shining protested. "And you shouldn't be forcing your will onto others, that's not the hallmark of a good leader! A good leader steps up and takes charge, but listens to those they rule over! A good leader works to bring change for the better, not force others to conform to bad standards!"

Starlight only laughed, as she picked up the Staff of Sameness. "Oh, but don't you see? I _am_ a good leader! I'm freeing these ponies from the horrible atrocities that a life of cutie marks and special talents ultimately brings!" Pointing the staff at Shining, she added. "I don't think it's coincidence that you showed up here, and suddenly I'm learning that there are those who wish to conspire against me and ruin everything I've worked so hard to accomplish. You and your friends inspire all sorts of free thinking, and I can't have that in my village!"

Shining dodged a blast from the staff, as he tried to back away. Regardless of his magical power, he didn't dare risk taking Starlight in a straight up fight, not while she wielded a staff that could take away his cutie mark! "Enough of this madness, Starlight!" Shining retorted. "There's a perfectly good four letter word that describes your way of thinking, and you're full of it!"

"Oh my, such vulgar language!" Starlight scolded. "We'll have to fix that temper of yours, prince."

"Try it, you won't succeed!" Shining snorted. "You just wait til I get out of here! The Princesses won't be pleased to hear about this, and as luck would have it they're both more powerful than I am! I'd give up right now if I were you."

If Starlight was at all worried by this comment, she didn't show it. Instead, a smirk formed on her face as she replied. "Figured you were up to no good, somepony had to have sent you."

"Actually, I came here of my own free will, and I'm glad I did!" Shining said sternly. "I'm only gonna say this once, Starlight! Surrender and give back the cutie marks you stole, and I _might_ consider letting you off with just that staff confiscated!"

"You're in no position to make threats, Prince," Starlight hissed, and then she ordered. "Double Diamond, seize this intruder!"

Before Shining had a chance to react, Double Diamond leapt from the shadows, and tackled Shining, thus subduing him even as the prince tried in vain to break free. "Coward!" Shining bellowed at the top of his lungs. "Can't take me in a fair fight, so you have your underling do your dirty work!" And to Double Diamond he questioned. "Why are you serving her?! You're just her lapdog, you wag your tail at her command!"

"Got no choice," Double Diamond protested. "Starlight is quite scary when she's angry, and I'd rather stay on her good side," He then shouted. "He's all yours, Starlight! Make an example out of him!"

"With pleasure," Starlight sinisterly smiled, and then holding up the staff she pointed it at Shining as she added. "Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit. It'll hurt a whole lot, but it serves you right!"

Shining made a valiant effort to escape Double Diamond's grasp, but it was no use. He was struck by the Staff of Sameness, and despite his best efforts to fight the magic, he was unable to keep his cutie mark from being yanked off him! His blue shield surrounded by three lighter blue stars with a magenta colored six sided star inside of the shield, rested firmly on the staff. And Shining could only watch, as the cutie mark was placed into one of the boxes in the vault, the very center of the vault no less.

* * *

Just then, all of Shining's friends were forced into the cave and placed before Starlight, the villagers surrounding them and preventing them from escaping!

"It's a trap, run!" Shining cried out, but his friends were too terrified at the sight they saw before them! Shining's coat and mane and tail had dulled in color, and where his cutie mark should be there was only a black equal sign!

"Sorry, Shining, looks like Double Diamond wasn't the only villager working as Starlight's secret police," Soarin confessed, as the five stallions found themselves all huddled together. "This one mare told us she had important news about you, but as soon as we stepped inside her hut, we were assaulted, overpowered, and brought here."

"Starlight, what's the meaning of this?" Double Diamond asked, looking at the other stallions. "I thought we were only interested in Shining Armor."

"His friends are as guilty of inspiring free thinking as the prince himself is," Starlight explained, picking up the staff again. "And that means they're far too dangerous to be allowed to keep their cutie marks! We need to make an example of them too, that way all will see what happens to anyone foolish enough to think they can destroy the foundation of Cutie Markless Village!"

"But Starlight, I don't think-" Double Diamond began.

"-It's not your job to think, Double Diamond!" Starlight interrupted. "It's your job to do as I say and be my eyes and ears! But I'm starting to think maybe you can't be trusted, you were supposed to report any signs of suspicious activity to me! Yet it seems a secret meeting took place, and these six ponies learned about the vault. However, since I'm such a 'generous' mare, I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself. Now stand aside and let me strip these ponies of their cutie marks, otherwise you'll end up in the same place as them!"

Double Diamond gulped, but reluctantly obliged as he replied. "Very well, Starlight."

Starlight just smiled, then pointed the staff at Soarin, Thunderlane, Braeburn, Big Macintosh, and Fancy Pants! They tried to run, but the villagers in the cave quickly blocked off their escape! With a zap, Starlight fired off a blast from the staff, and effortlessly removed the cutie marks of all five stallions, whisking said marks away into random boxes. As the black equal signs formed on the flanks of each stallion, one by one their coats, manes, and tails all became dulled and grayed.

Approaching the now powerless stallions, Starlight taunted in a condescending tone of voice. " Aw. I don't blame you all for what you tried to do here today. Who could blame you? You've spent your whole lives thinking those marks are a good thing, when in fact they were not."

"You're walking a very fine tightrope here, Starlight!" Shining warned. "Give back those cutie marks, they're not yours to posses!"

"As if I'd listen to the likes of you," Starlight replied, turning her head. "Now you'll spend the rest of your lives here with us! And we'll gladly teach you just how much better life can be _without_ your cutie marks! It's like I said: 'Nopony has ever come to our village and wanted to leave.'"


	102. Chapter 102: Plan B

Shining and his friends were escorted from the cave, and quickly tossed into a hut, Starlight delighting in locking the door with her magic. "You just need a little time to conform to my ideas," She taunted. "I'll come back to check on you troublemakers first thing in the morning. Hopefully by then you'll understand why I do what I do."

"Starlight, this is your last chance!" Shining groaned, narrowing his eyes at the unicorn. "Let my friends and I go, or you'll suffer the wrath of the princesses of Equestria, one of which happens to be my wife! And let me tell you, she's scary when she's mad!"

Starlight only rolled her eyes. "Let them come, let them try to stop me. I've got you, and you'll make an excellent bargaining chip. One way or another, I _will_ spread my vision across all of Equestria! Don't bother trying to stop me!" And then she left.

The stallions soon discovered that the hut Starlight had locked them in, was a brainwashing hut. Nothing but books with equal signs, and a loudspeaker that kept blaring out propaganda such as: "In sameness, there is peace. Exceptionalism is a lie.", "Free yourself from your cutie mark. Choose equality as your special talent.", "Difference is frustration. To excel is to fail.", and "Be your best by never being your best."

Soarin immediately tried to break down the door, but despite how hard he kicked it wouldn't budge.

Meanwhile, Shining was trying his best not to lose his cool. "We've got to find a way out of here!" He grumbled. "I swear, that voice sounds far more condescending and mocking than Starlight herself. I don't know how much more of this I can take!"

"Well, this is another fine mess we've gotten ourselves into," Fancy Pants remarked. "I swear, it seems like trouble always follows us wherever we go. And just look at where we are now, stuck in this hut that I can't even begin to describe."

"Why, the words aren't appropriate?" Thunderlane asked with concern.

Fancy Pants sighed. "No, this blasted equal sign won't let me. Everytime I try to think of something that could describe this place, that mark makes it leave my thoughts. I swear it's as evil as..." Then as if to prove Fancy's point, the mark glowed and Fancy Pants struggled to finish his sentence. "Ugh, you see?!" He complained.

Just then, Thunderlane spotted a bird perched on the windowsill. He immediately dashed over to it! "Oh, thank goodness! Can you help us out, little birdie?" Thunderlane asked, but as he tried to give out a command the equal sign mark on his flank started glowing. The bird flew off a short time later. "Oh, even tweets don't make sense any more!" He complained to himself. "Just what kind of magic could do this, and why would Starlight Glimmer want this sort of world?!"

"That's it, I've had enough of this!" Big Macintosh snorted. "Move aside, Soarin! I'm bustin' us outta here!" He rammed into the door and kicked it hard, but the door still wouldn't budge. "Dog gone it all, this here door's shut tighter than a... summer of..." He began, only to have the glowing equal mark activate and the words he wanted to say failed to form. "...uh, piglets in... shoot! Now I can't even speak country! I swear, when we get out of here, Starlight is gonna pay big time for this!"

"I'll say, this ain't fun at all," Braeburn lamented. "Heck, this mark keeps stoppin' me every time I try to have even a little fun. That Starlight's a real party pooper, no wonder those smiles looked so fake."

"There's something bugging me about that staff," Shining commented. "Twily was always fond of magical mages and wizards, she used to read anything she could find about Starswirl the Bearded, Clover the Clever, and Mage Meadowbrook. I'm pretty sure that last time she read it, she told me Meadowbrook had _eight_ enchanted objects and not one of them was a staff. I just wish I knew where Starlight found that magical rock she mentioned, and who in their right mind told her about it."

"We can worry about that later, for now I think we gotta figure out a way to escape. That is, if we can." Big Macintosh replied.

* * *

A long period of silence fell over the cottage, as the stallions tried to brainstorm a method of escape. At last, Shining declared. "I've got it! I know how we can get out!"

"You can forget about the door, Shining," Soarin groaned. "Whatever Starlight did to it, it's unbreakable. Believe me, I've tried."

"And the windows are far too small for any of us to escape, seems like Starlight thought of everything." Fancy Pants reluctantly added.

"Whoever said anything about the door or windows?" Shining said with a wink. "There _is_ a third option, one that Starlight would never think of!"

"I think I know what you mean!" Braeburn commented in delight. "Eventually the wind and the weather will wear down the walls until they start to crumble! And then all we have to do is wait for a big enough hole to form and we can just walk right on out! It's the perfect plan!" But then his equal mark glowed again and he glumly added. "I guess."

But Shining shook his head. "We don't actually have to escape. They'll just let us out when they think we've accepted their philosophy! We can then plant an agent right into their ranks and steal back those marks right under Starlight's nose, she'll never see it coming!"

"Great idea, Shining, but there's just one problem with that," Big Macintosh remarked with a frown. "They're never gonna believe that we switched over in just one night."

"Maybe not all of us, but there's _one_ of us they might believe." Shining explained.

All eyes fell upon Thunderlane. "Oh! You mean me?!" He asked, as the realization slowly dawned upon him.

"Of course," Soarin replied, realizing Shining's logic. "Look, Thunderlane, you're the one who's been all but singing these villagers praises since you got here. It's not gonna take that huge a leap of logic for them to think you'll see this as just a misunderstanding, and that you'll be glad to be part of their society."

"Well, maybe at first I thought they weren't so bad. But, after what they just did to us, I'm starting to regret thinking that way," Thunderlane gulped. "I... guess I'm the best stallion for the job and with a little bit of acting, maybe I could fool them. But what exactly do I do once I'm out?"

"Simple, you've gotta find a way to get our cutie marks back," Shining explained. "If possible, see if you can free the cutie marks of Sugar Belle, Party Favor, and Night Glider as well. We owe it to them to free them from Starlight's control!"

Thunderlane looked all around at his friends, all of whom were clearly counting on him. "A-alright," He gulped again. "I'll try to do my best."

Just then, the loudspeaker began to crackle, and the voice of Starlight called out. "Good morning!" The door was swung open by Starlight herself a second later, and despite the events of yesterday she put on a cheerful expression as she greeted. "I trust you all had a pleasant night?" Without waiting for a reply she added. "Well either way, this way, please. There are some _friends_ who'd like to see you," She escorted the six outside and stood them in front of the entire village as she announced. "Gather round, friends, gather round! We've come to ask if any of you here are ready to join us! There are so many friends to be made once you realize that you don't need your cutie marks or the special talents that come with them."

Double Diamond cheerfully expressed. "We have a welcome ceremony for new friends! The whole village joins together to build you your own cottage, it's lots of fun!"

"Not interested, thank you!" Soarin hissed. "You may have stolen our cutie marks, but you'll never break our will! Mark my words, we **WILL** get our marks back sooner or later! You can't hold onto them forever, cutie marks are an inevitable part of life!"

"Ya'll don't even understand, do you?!" Big Macintosh added. "You can't just force ponies to make friends! It don't work like that! And stealin' cutie marks to force equality doesn't work either, without special talents, society as we know it would cease to exist!"

Some of the villagers cried out. "Please, join us!" and "We love new friends!".

But Starlight just sighed and shook her head. "It's alright, everypony," She said in that sickeningly sweet tone. "This is all a perfectly normal part of the equalization process for those who haven't... quite seen the light just yet. But that's okay, we'll just try again tomorrow once you six here have had a bit more time to consider our philosophy! Now, back into the hut with you, no need to have your backwards thinking ways taint the foundations of our village!"

However, Thunderlane suddenly blurted out. "I'd like to join!"

The villagers began chattering, as Shining exclaimed. "Thunderlane?! How could you?! I thought we were friends!"


	103. Chapter 103: Starlight's Secret

"How could you betray you us, Thunderlane?!" Soarin remarked. "After everything we've been through, _this_ is what our friendship means to you?!"

"Oh, don't take it personally," Starlight taunted. "Your friend simply saw the light and opted to join the winning side. In time, you'll all see it my way."

"Sorry guys," Thunderlane apologized. "But if giving up my cutie mark means I'll be allowed to stay in this village with all these nice ponies, then I'll be glad to do it. No hard feelings, I hope you'll all join me before long." But his friends said nothing more, they gave him cold glares and looks, before they were sent back into the by Starlight and the door slammed shut with a thud.

Starlight smiled. "We have a new friend, everypony! Thunderlane has joined our ranks!" The villagers all clapped and cheered in delight. But Starlight quickly moved a hoof to shush them. "It's too early to celebrate, there's an important order of business that we need to clear up immediately. It would seem that, unfortunately, there are some in our midst who might be... dissatisfied with their life in this village," The villagers cheers turned to gasps, and if anyone had been paying attention they would've noticed three ponies start to look very nervous. "Unfortunately, it's all too true, my friends!" Starlight declared. "But not to worry, Thunderlane met with the would be traitors before he switched sides. So, Thunderlane, will you kindly tell us the names of those _ponies_ who so desperately missed their cutie marks, that they would sneak around in the shadows talking to strangers about it? Just so we can be sure your intentions are indeed pure."

Thunderlane gulped, he hadn't been expecting Starlight to ask him that. "I don't know who they were, I don't really know all your names and faces yet!" He spoke up, hoping Starlight wouldn't see through his lie.

"Names don't matter, these ponies must've spoken to you and your friends directly," Starlight explained, pressing Thunderlane harder. "Kindly point them out! We can't have traitors trying to undermine my leadership, without me this entire village as we know it would fall apart!"

Thunderlane gulped, and started to sweat! What was he supposed to say?! What should he do?!

Fortunately, Party Favor came rushing forward and confessed. "I confess, Starlight! It was me! It was _only_ me! But I only wanted it back for a little while! I swear!"

"And you're absolutely sure it was _only_ you?" Starlight asked Party Favor, as if she suspected he wasn't telling the whole truth.

"I just wanted to remember what it was like, that's all," Party Favor tearfully confessed. "I throw myself at your mercy, Starlight."

Starlight just mocked Party Favor in a condescending tone. "So you wanted your old cutie mark so badly you thought to undermine my authority and disobey my wishes? And no thought to the pain you'd cause your friends. Such selfishness. I guess maybe I was wrong to make you my servant, I thought you could be trusted."

"I'm sorry, everypony! I never wanted to leave the village!" Party Favor apologized, still weeping noticeably.

"Oh Party Favor, what _am_ I gonna do with you?" Starlight scolded. "Don't you see what your actions almost caused?"

But all of a sudden, Double Diamond stepped forward and confessed. "Starlight, if you're gonna punish anypony for what happened yesterday, punish me! I should've kept a closer eye on Party Favor and made sure his behavior would be contained before it got out of control. But I didn't, I let my guard down and he took full advantage of it. Forgive me for my blindness, I could've prevented all of this if I'd just come to you about Party Favor as soon as I suspected he was up to no good."

"Well then, if you're really that insistent on accepting the blame, Double Diamond, I guess I have no choice," Starlight remarked, frowning. "I can't believe _you_ of all ponies would disappoint me, I trusted you with all my heart!"

Double Diamond only hung his head in shame. "Don't go easy on me, Starlight. I know I've got a long way to go to regain your trust." And with that, he was forced into the same hut as Shining and the other stallions, much to the relief of both Thunderlane and Party Favor.

* * *

"So, having seconds thought about working as Starlight's right hoof stallion?" Shining asked Double Diamond, looking at the stallion skeptically. "I've dealt with scenarios like this before, ponies like you think you have it all, but in reality you're just a pawn to be disposed of when you outlive your usefulness."

"I don't know what's gotten into Starlight, honest," Double Diamond insisted, banging his head against the door. "I believed what she was saying, I was the first pony to join her cause and free myself from my cutie mark. At first it wasn't so bad, Starlight went around, looking for ponies whose cutie mark left them unhappy and bothered. Slowly but surely our village grew, but as time went on, something changed inside of her. Now Starlight's become a monster, willing to do anything and hurt anyone to get what she wants! I just wish I knew why she hates cutie marks so much."

"You mean, she hasn't told even the likes of you?!" Fancy Pants asked. "I find that hard to believe."

"She never told me anything," Double Diamond replied. "Every time I asked where her cutie mark was, or why she despised cutie marks so much, she would always change the subject to something else."

"Guess it's all up to Thunderlane, now. As for you, Double Diamond, you'd better hope Thunderlane brings our marks back soon," Soarin warned. "Because I'm not sure I can buy that you've suddenly had a change of heart. How do we know you didn't choose to be thrown in here, so you could spy on us and extract more information?"

"I know about Sugar Belle," Double Diamond confessed. "And I've known for a long time. Party Favor always told me that it was nothing and I was just being paranoid, but I sensed she and Party Favor were part of a conspiracy. I could've rated her out to Starlight and thwarted your plan with Thunderlane, but I didn't. Your plan _was_ to have Thunderlane pretend to defect, right?"

Shining nodded. "You catch on fast, Double Diamond. And it looks like so far it's working out pretty well."

"You must be crazy if you think you can fool Starlight! She's way too paranoid!" Double Diamond frantically protested. "You will all accept our ways, it's only a matter of time!" He then went off into a corner to sulk and be alone with his thoughts.

"Gee, this guy's a real barrel of laughs." Soarin dryly remarked.

"Actually, laughs don't come in barrels. They come from inside you as your body's response to delight." Braeburn flatly stated.

"So, just what are we supposed to do until Thunderlane brings us our cutie marks?" Big Macintosh whispered. "And what about old Double D over there? You think we can trust him?"

Shining looked at Double Diamond, trying to read the stallion's body language for any hints about his intentions. He couldn't pick up on anything though. "I don't know, but he brought up a good point with how he didn't mention Sugar Belle to Starlight. We'll just have to stay as positive as we can. Hopefully, if Double Diamond sees how much we really do like each other, even though we're all different, then maybe we can use him to spread our message to the rest of the village."

Just then, the loudspeaker crackled to life and began to repeat the same propaganda from the previous day.

"Let's just hope that they don't convert any of _us_ in the meantime," Fancy Pants said with great concern. "Stay strong, guys. We can't let them break us!"

* * *

Thunderlane was led through the center of the village by Starlight, all of the villagers cheerfully shouting out "Welcome!" as Thunderlane passed by.

"You're all so welcoming, it's almost unnatural. In a good way of course." Thunderlane commented, trying to stay in character.

Starlight led Thunderlane right up to a cottage on the outskirts of town. "All new friends stay with me until their cottage is completed," She explained to Thunderlane. "Let's get you settled in, and then you can enjoy all that our little village has to offer. Who knows? By the time your cottage is ready, we may have to make room for some of your friends. They don't seem particularly strong willed to me."

"You really think they'll break so easily?" Thunderlane asked Starlight.

"I've never met a pony or ponies yet that could defy me for long," Starlight smirked in delight. "Some just take a little more effort to break than others."

" _Gosh, how naive can you get?! It's like you don't know my friends at all, Starlight!_ " Thunderlane thought, though of course he knew not to say such a thing out loud.

* * *

That night, after Starlight had gone to bed and fallen asleep, Thunderlane opted to sneak out of her cottage. He tiphoofed to the front door, only to find it locked tight. " _Figures! How paranoid can you get?!_ " Thunderlane thought, looking around for any other possible escape routes. His eyes soon fell upon the chimney, and an idea came into his mind. " _It'll be just like the time I played Santa Hooves when Rumble was little._ " He thought to himself, and crept to the fireplace in the nearby living room.

A short time later, Thunderlane poked his head up from the chimney, completely covered in soot. He coughed and shivered a bit, as the cold night wind blew past him. "How Santa Hooves can do this multiple times in one night and **NEVER** dirty his coat, I'll never know," He complained to himself, and gave himself a mental pep talk. "Okay, Thunderlane. Get the cutie marks back, that's all you've gotta do. Just sneak up to that cave, find a way to break open the vault, and retrieve those cutie marks."

However, Thunderlane hadn't gotten very far, when he suddenly Party Favor come up to the front door and knock on it. Thunderlane crept across the rooftop, lowering himself down to the ground and opting to peek in through the first floor window. He could hear everything that was being discussed.

"Excellent work, Party Favor," Starlight smiled, as she accepted six jars from him. Each one holding the cutie marks of Thunderlane and his friends. "Perhaps you're still good for something after all."

"Oh, it was no trouble, I'm just glad you gave me a second chance," Party Favor bowed, even though there was a clear hint of nervousness contained within his voice. "But I don't understand why you wanted me to bring them here. Thunderlane's one of us now, surely he could be trusted with this task?"

"I need time to determine if he's truly loyal to me and me alone," Starlight explained to Party Favor, eyeing the cutie marks. One in particular caught her attention. "This shield with stars cutie mark belongs to the only alicorn prince in Equestria, it could prove extremely useful to our cause."

"But if Shining Armor becomes our friend, then why should we care about that old cutie mark?" Party Favor asked Starlight. "What if he finds out about this and tries to fake a defection to steal it back? Wouldn't it be better to just keep them stored in the vault til we know Shining and his friends are on our side?"

"Party Favor, it's not your job to think!" Starlight hissed. "It's your job to do as I tell you! So unless you want to share the same fate as Double Diamond, whose punishment I carried out against my better judgement, I suggest you keep your mouth shut! I just want to keep these marks close until everything is... settled. Got it?"

Party Favor gulped. "Y-yes ma'am!" He nodded.

"Good," Starlight smiled. "You may go, Party Favor." And Party Favor obeyed without question, the door slamming shut behind him.

"Oh no! It's as if Starlight knew what I was thinking!" Thunderlane exclaimed, only barely keeping his voice down. "How am I ever going to get the cutie marks back now? This complication could derail everything!"

But just then, there was a loud crash as Thunderlane heard Starlight cry out. "Ow!" When Thunderlane looked, he saw that Starlight had collided with a bucket of water, which had leaked onto her coat. "Ugh! Starlight, you clumsy little foal!" Starlight said to herself, and used her magic to wipe herself off with a towel. When she did so, Thunderlane was shocked to see an actual cutie mark appear on her flank! Said cutie mark was a purple and white star with two two-toned blue glimmering streams that flowed out from it almost like a kite and its strings. " _This changes everything!_ " Thunderlane thought to himself, quickly ducking down from the window (though not before he saw Starlight reapply her fake equals sign cutie mark with makeup). " _Shining's got to know about this! But how do I tell him without attracting Starlight's attention?_ "


	104. Chapter 104: Exposing The Truth

Once he was certain Starlight had gone back to bed, Thunderlane immediately rushed out to the cottage where his friends were being kept! Unable to open the door, or find any latches on the windows, he knocked on the door and whispered. "Hey, guys. You awake?"

A series of yawns and groans were heard on the other side of the door, before Soarin called out. "Well, we are now. What's this all about? Did you get our cutie marks back?"

"No, Starlight has them and is keeping them close to her," Thunderlane whispered back. "But I just discovered something that completely changes everything. Starlight's equal sign is a fake, she applies it with make-up, and it washes off in water!"

"What?!" Double Diamond gasped. "She still has her original cutie mark?!"

"You mean, you didn't know?" Shining asked Double Diamond. "Surely, Starlight would've told _you_ of all ponies. Especially after you served as her loyal right hoof stallion for who knows how long."

"I swear, she never told me and I never found out!" Double Diamond insisted. "Why would she lie to me? Lie to all of us? Doesn't she trust us?"

Shining sighed. "Alas, I was afraid of this. Don't you get it, Double Diamond? You were simply a disposable pawn in Starlight's little game. A means to an end. And when you'd outlived your usefulness, she would've dumped you at the first chance she got."

"I can't believe it!" Double Diamond exclaimed, angrily pounding his hooves on the door. "I thought Starlight and I had something special. I served her so thoroughly and blindly, yet all this time her entire village was founded on a lie! Guess that would explain how she could so easily take away other ponies cutie marks."

"We can't let her get away with this!" Fancy Pants hissed. "It's bad enough she stole our cutie marks, but the fact that she's been lying to this entire village and tricking them into giving up their cutie marks? Don't know about the rest of you, but I'd say she's gone too far!"

"But, how do we go about exposin' her?" Braeburn asked Thunderlane. "It's not like we can just waltz right up, rub off her cutie mark, and make her give back all the cutie marks she's taken away."

"I hate to admit it, but cousin Braeburn's got a point," Big Macintosh glumly added. "That Starlight's a crafty pony, she's already outsmarted us once. How do _we_ outsmart _her_ and expose her for the fraud she is?"

A long silence fell over the hut, before Shining finally whispered. "I have an idea. It's a bit of a risk, but if it works Starlight will never see it coming. However, we're going to need _your_ help, Double Diamond."

"Me?" Double Diamond gulped.

"Yes, you," Shining affirmatively replied. "So listen carefully, because here's what we're gonna do."

* * *

Thunderlane returned to Starlight's cottage, relieved to see that she was still asleep. Nopony seemed to be aware of his late night trip, so after brushing the soot from his coat he slipped back up to his room and fell asleep.

The next morning, Starlight led Thunderlane down to the brainwashing hut, and as she opened the door again she smiled. "I've got a good feeling about today! So, do any of you have anything you'd like to say?" She asked, hoping for a response. But none of the stallions bothered to say a word, with the exception of Double Diamond they just scowled at Starlight. Starlight only shook her head before she responded. "Aw, what a pity. Oh well, let's try this again tomorrow, shall we? Sorry, everypony. No new friends today, I'm afraid!" All the villagers let out an "aw" of disappointment.

Looking at Shining, Thunderlane saw his friend wink, and he knew what he had to do. " _I hope this works._ " He thought to himself, before he spoke up. "Wait! _I'd_ like to lock them in, Starlight."

Starlight clapped his hooves. "Marvelous, Thunderlane! That's the spirit! Double Diamond, would you care to join us?"

Double Diamond immediately came rushing forward, and kneeled before Starlight as he apologized. "I'm sorry, Starlight! I've seen the error of my ways! Please, give me another chance and I promise I won't let you down!"

"So, you admit to your own incompetence then?" Starlight asked the stallion, who nodded in response. "Very well then, Double Diamond! Welcome back to the light! We welcome you back with open hooves!"

"Trust me, I'm glad to be by your side again!" Double Diamond smiled, before he added. "They tried to break me, Starlight! They wouldn't stop talking about how different they are, and how that somehow makes their friendship stronger!"

Starlight shook her head. "Such backwards thinking. So pathetic and cowardly." She said in a condescending tone of voice.

"But I didn't listen!" Double Diamond exclaimed. "I knew what they were up to, and I didn't listen! Not a single word!"

"Seems there's cause for celebration after all!" Starlight declared. "Double Diamond was lost to us, yet now he has found his way back to the light, just like Party Favor!"

The villagers all clapped and cheered. "Hooray!"

But just then, Thunderlane spoke up. "Um, Starlight. I hate to interrupt such a touching reunion, but I think we might have one more friend joining us today." He stood aside, as Shining Armor trotted forward, much to gasps and looks of shock from the crowd!

"Is this true? Has the high and mighty prince finally come around to our way of thinking?" Starlight asked, eyeing Shining carefully.

"I-I think so," Shining reluctantly nodded. "But I just want to be sure. If I agree to leave my cutie mark in the vault and stay in this village, I'll really be happier?"

Starlight nodded. "Of course! Just look around you, prince! Equality has given us more happiness than you've ever known before! We'll be happy to have you join our ranks, you'll be a great asset to our cause."

"And you wouldn't let me just live here in the village with my old cutie mark?" Shining asked. "Even if I promise never to use my special talent and cover up my cutie mark?"

"Out of the question," Starlight instantly responded, her tone of voice changing ever so slightly from cheerful and confident to cautious and weary. "A pony with a different cutie mark in our midst would destroy my... I mean _our_ entire philosophy. We are all equal here!"

"Oh, is that so?" Thunderlane asked, looking at Starlight, who nodded in response. "Well then, how do you explain _this_?!" He shouted, as he picked up a bucket of water and shook it so that the water would fly towards Starlight!

Starlight dodged the direct hit, but was unable to avoid the blast radius and ended up soaked. "So, it was all a ruse, was it?!" Starlight hissed, looking at Thunderlane. "I _knew_ you couldn't be trusted, I knew you were up to something! But I convinced myself I was being paranoid," However, as Starlight spoke she didn't seem to notice Double Diamond approaching her with a towel. Frantically, she shouted at him! "No! Get away! Don't touch me!"

"Ah, what's the matter, Starlight?" Shining teased with a smirk. "Afraid of a towel? Or maybe, you're afraid of what it'll expose!"

"W-what are you talking abo..." Starlight began, then gasped as the realization dawned on her! "No, you can't possibly mean..." But her sentence was cut off as Double Diamond (with help from Party Favor), succeeded in rubbing Starlight dry. When he'd done so, Starlight's equal sign had vanished, exposing her cutie mark for all to see!


	105. Chapter 105: Crumbling Cards

With Starlight's cutie mark exposed for all to see, it didn't take long for the villagers to turn against her. But Starlight tried her best to deflect attention and regain control of the situation. "Wha... What are you all looking at?!" She hissed, frantically pointing to Shining Armor and his friends. "They're the problem, not me! Everything was going great until _they_ came along!"

"Enough with the lies, Starlight!" Big Macintosh snarled. "You're only diggin' yourself into a deeper ditch, one that'll be impossible to climb out of!"

In desperation, Starlight began to lash out at random ponies, starting with Double Diamond. "How could you betray me like this, Double Diamond?! How could you let these strangers brainwash you into siding with them against me?! After everything I've done for you, _this_ is how you repay me?!"

"Apparently, you didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth! Your entire society was built on a lie, a lie I want no part of anymore!" Double Diamond replied, glaring at Starlight. "I only regret that I didn't do this sooner. We're through, Starlight! I won't be your puppet any longer!"

"How could you lie to us, Starlight?!" Party Favor demanded. "You told us all that cutie marks were evil and no good! You said special talents just led to pain and heartache! But it was a lie, wasn't it?!"

"No, you've got it all wrong!" Starlight insisted, her anger building by the second. "You don't understand what I've been through, if you all knew what I knew about cutie marks, you'd understand why you're better off without them! Besides, are you really just going to believe these random strangers over me, the pony who freed you all from the burdens of your cutie marks and gave you _true_ equality?!"

"But then, why?" Sugar Belle asked with concern. "Why did you take our cutie marks away, but keep yours? Why did you have to lie to us and make it seem like we were all equal when in fact we weren't?"

"I... I had to, you fools!" Starlight frantically replied. "I mean, how else could I collect your cutie marks without my magic?!"

"But the Staff of Sameness has all the magic we need, you said it yourself!" Night Glider protested.

"There is no 'Staff of Sameness'!" Starlight confessed. "It's just a stupid piece of wood I found in the desert and combined with a special rock that could store the magic of cutie marks! It's _my_ magic that makes all this possible! Don't you think for a second I would've given up my cutie mark if I could've done so?! Do you think that if I despised cutie marks so much, I wouldn't try to be rid of my own?!"

"You've already lied so many times, why should we believe a word you say now?!" Double Diamond hissed.

Frantically, Starlight tried to change the subject. "Why are you all blaiming me?! Don't act like you're all innocent, the fact of the matter is you _chose_ to follow me! Sure, maybe I influenced your decision a little with my words, but I never took away your free will! All of you willingly chose to give up your cutie marks and pledge yourself to my cause, to take up the banner of equality! Why, if it weren't for me, you'd all still be living your miserable lives thinking you're better than everypony else, or that your cutie marks bring you nothing but ridicule and shame!" Desperately, she added loudly. " _I_ brought you friendship! _I_ brought you equality! _I created harmony!_ "

"But you _lied_ to us!" Double Diamond protested with a shake of his head. "What don't you get about that?!"

"So what? E-Everything else I said is true! The only way to be happy is if we're all equal!" Starlight insisted.

"Except for _you_. How can we be equal if you won't give up your own cutie mark?" Party Favor demanded. "You've given us no reason to trust you anymore. Maybe we _did_ choose to follow you, but it's a mistake we all regret. You never actually cared about us, we were just stepping stones for you to rise to power at our expense!"

"It's like I told you in the vault, Starlight Glimmer," Shining smirked. "There's a perfectly good four letter word that describes your 'philosophy', and you're full of it!"

"QUIET!" Starlight bellowed, turning towards Shining and make him recoil in surprise. It was clear to all that Starlight was on the verge of snapping, and what she'd do if she lost her temper was anyone's guess.

"You can't have a cutie mark, Starlight! That's not fair!" Sugar Belle complained. "Either we're _all_ equal, or _none_ of us are! Give up your cutie mark, or let us have ours back!"

"You'd better decide quickly, before we make up your mind for you!" Night Glider threatened. "Normally I detest violence, but in your case I'd be willing to make an exception!"

"Violence won't solve your problems, you'll just be stooping to Starlight's level," Soarin cautioned. "Though I must admit, I wouldn't blame you if you had to knock a little sense into that thick head of hers."

With much teeth gritting and horn sparking, Starlight raced off towards her cottage. "You'll pay for this, all of you!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. "You ruined everything!" And she quickly darted inside said cottage and locked the door tight.

* * *

"Come on, everypony!" Double Diamond shouted, quickly taking charge of the villagers. "To the vault! Let's go and get our cutie marks back! If Starlight's not gonna give up her cutie mark, what reason have we to let ourselves be inferior to her?! If she doesn't believe in equality, then there's no reason for us to believe in it either!"

"Yeah!" The villagers all shouted in unison, and then rushed off to the cave that housed the vault.

"Well then, I guess there's only one thing left to do," Shining concluded, and turned to Thunderlane. "Our cutie marks are still with Starlight, right?"

Thunderlane gulped as he nodded. "Yes."

"I was afraid of that." Fancy Pants remarked.

"But we've got no choice!" Shining said firmly. "Starlight's got our cutie marks, and we're not leaving until we've gotten them back! Besides, I think it's time Starlight and I had a little heart to heart about imposing your will on others through lies and half truths! If there's one thing I can't stand, it's those who build themselves up by putting others down!"


	106. Chapter 106: Cutie Re-Marked

The villagers soon approached the cave where the vault of cutie marks rested, but no matter what they did the vault refused to open.

Suddenly, Double Diamond came rushing forward with the useless stick was The Staff of Sameness. "Stand back, everypony! I've got this!" He shouted, and hurled the stick through the air with a flick of his head! The stick struck the glass, producing several noticeable cracks, and then one by one all of the villagers got their cutie marks back. And when they did, their manes and tails returned to their original style, and their coats gleamed brightly with all sorts of different shades of blue, pink, red, white, yellow, and any color you could think of.

Double Diamond watched, as the last cutie marks to be restored, were those that belonged to the three villagers who had been the least content with life under Starlight's rule. Party Favor was the first to get his mark back, a balloon animal with streamers. His coat became light blue, and his mane and tail became curly and poofy, as they regained their two tone blue color.

Next was Sugar Belle, whose cutie mark was a cherry topped cupcake with four jellybeans. Her coat turned a pinkish-purple in color, and her mane and tail took on a loosely styled curly appearance, as they became a moderate magenta in color. Sugar Belle smiled, as she used her magic to insert two blueish-green colored beads into her mane and tail. "Much better." She said to herself.

Night Glider followed, as her cutie mark was a crescent moon surrounded by two feathers. Her coat became dark blue, and her mane and tail became wavy, as they regained their colors of white and blueish-gray.

It was then that Double Diamond felt a small tingle on his flank, as he saw his own cutie mark come back to him, a trio of blue snowflakes. His coat became a bright white in color, as bright as freshly fallen snow, and although his mane and tail didn't change much in appearance, their white and grayish tones stood out more clearly now. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you all, working for Starlight for all this time and never once questioning her actions," Double Diamond apologized. "And Party Favor, I'm sorry I roped you into working directly under Starlight, in exchange for my silence about your secret meetings with Sugar Belle and Night Glider. I'll understand if you want to throw me out of the village and say Starlight and I deserve each other."

"Oh lighten up, Double D," Party Favor lightly teased. "Starlight fooled us all, who are we to say you can't stay here? Besides, you could've ratted us out to Starlight whenever you wanted, but you didn't. So you weren't all bad."

"Gosh, that really means me a lot to me." Double Diamond smiled in reply.

"Not for nothing, ponies, but now's not the time for celebrating," Night Glider interrupted. "We've got to help Prince Shining Armor and his friends, Starlight still has their cutie marks! They helped us, now it's our turn to return the favor!"

* * *

Outside Starlight's cottage, the six stallions were searching all around for a way inside. The door was locked, and without their cutie marks, Thunderlane and Soarin didn't have the ability to fly up to the roof top and enter through the chimney.

As the stallions searched, they noticed cutie marks zooming past them, no doubt in search of their owners. "Even without my cutie mark, I can tell this is beautiful!" Fancy Pants exclaimed. "I've never seen anything like it."

But Shining had only one goal in his mind at the moment, bringing Starlight Glimmer to justice. "Starlight!" He bellowed, pounding furiously on the door. "I know you're in there, and I know you can hear me! It's over, you've lost! Come out now, there's no need to drag this out any longer!"

From inside her cottage, Starlight payed Shining no attention. She was too busy dwelling on her own feelings. "After everything I've worked so hard for, these ungrateful stallions come along and ruin my work!" She grumbled to herself. "Why can't they understand?! I'm saving these ponies from the heartache and suffering I went through, all thanks to those accursed cutie marks! I should've turned them away as soon as they came here, but no, I tried to be hospitable!" Then, eyeing the six cutie marks in jars that rested on a nearby table, she added. "They think they can just come to _my_ village and disrupt _my_ way of life? Well then, let's see how they like spending the rest of their lives without their precious cutie marks! They took away everything that was so important to me, now it's my turn to return the favor! Turnabout is fair play!"

Meanwhile, outside the cottage, the six stallions' efforts to break down the cottage door were suddenly interrupted by a whistle.

Looking up, the stallions noticed the appearances of Double Diamond, Party Favor, Sugar Belle, and Night Glider. "Need some help, boys?" Night Glider offered, before she took to the skies and shouted. "Stand back, everypony! Time for a little breaking and entering!" Night Glider effortlessly kicked the door in, and the six stallions and their four friends, all charged inside.

"Leave no stone unturned!" Soarin encouraged. "We can't let Starlight get away with this!"

Thunderlane immediately rushed to the table he'd seen Starlight place the jars of cutie marks on last night, but they weren't there. He gasped, as he then noticed that Starlight had hastily left a secret passageway in her bedroom exposed. "They're gone! Starlight took off with them!" Thunderlane exclaimed.

"Then we've gotta go after her!" Big Macintosh demanded.

* * *

The ten ponies rushed through the secret passage, which took them to the outskirts of the village and towards the nearby mountains. Starlight was already a ways away, and with each passing second she seemed to be widening the gap!

"Where does she think she's going?!" Soarin wondered out loud.

"I think I might have an idea!" Party Favor replied, and blew up a couple of balloons into the shape of binoculars. "She's headed for the pass! If she makes it into those mountains, we'll never find her!" He explained.

"Why?" Braeburn asked, as he then examined the balloon binoculars. "Cool binoculars by the way, Party Favor."

Party Favor blushed at the compliment, as Sugar Belle explained. "There's a whole network of caves up there in the mountains! Your cutie marks will be gone forever if Starlight reaches them!"

"Then let's get movin', ya'll! Now's not the time for idle chit-chat, now's the time for action!" Big Macintosh shouted, but the six stallions found that they couldn't really trot (or fly in Soarin and Thunderlane's cases) fast, as every time they tried to do so the equal sign on their rumps would start pulsating and slow them down.

It didn't take long for Starlight to notice she was being chased. For safety reasons, she had opted to move the jars to a wagon that she pulled behind her. Night Glider and Sugar Belle were the first two to catch up to her and start trying to attack her. "Are you really all so willing to give up everything just because of these _strangers_?!" Starlight hissed, using her magic to shoot down banks of snow in the hopes that it might stop her attackers. "Have you forgotten that it was _I_ who took interest in you and made you feel wanted?"

"And yet you lied to us all along!" Sugar Belle firmly replied. "We gave up everything for _you_ , because we thought you were our friend! But you only saw us as your puppets, your pawns. Ponies to use as you saw fit. These stallions may be strangers, but it's clear that they care about us for who we are, not for what we can do for them!"

Meanwhile, from a distance, Soarin was commenting. "I still can't believe this is all happening, _we_ are the ones who need saving. Funny how this all turned out."

"Well, if we hadn't come here to help them out," Shining explained. "Then these villagers would still be living under Starlight's rules! We freed them from Starlight's control, so now it's their turn to help us!"

"And I know they can do it, nopony likes being taken for granted." Thunderlane agreed.

* * *

Sensing an opening, Sugar Belle used her magic to scoop up some of the snow and shouted at Starlight. "Hey, Starlight! What do you think of my baking now?!" She then hurled the snow towards Starlight as she added. "This is my newest recipe-snow pie! Here, have some, on the house!"

The snow hit Starlight with a thud, causing the cutie mark jars to fly out of her wagon! "No you don't!" Starlight said firmly, as she used her magic to grab the jars and put them back on the wagon, then she ran across the bridge. "This is as far as you go! These cutie marks are mine forever!" She bellowed, before she used her magic to destroy the bridge completely. "Don't get in my way, just give up already!" She added in a jeering voice, then rushed ahead as fast as she could.

Fortunately, Party Favor was able to use his balloon skills to construct a makeshift bridge. Surprisingly, a balloon bridge was quite sturdy, as pony after pony bounced across it without incident. But the delay still allowed Starlight to further increase the distance between herself and her pursuers.

"She's gonna get away!" Soarin shouted, as he saw Starlight was drawing close to the caves. "Somepony do something, quick!"

Just then, Double Diamond noticed a pair of blue colored skis sticking out of a snowbank. He realized at once why they seemed so familiar to him. "Whoa! These are my old skis! This is where I first met Starlight!"

"Maybe you can reminisce another time! She's almost to the caves!" Night Glider insisted.

Double Diamond smirked, he had an idea. "Hey, Night Glider?" He asked. "Feel like an air drop?"

"It's crazy, but it just might work! I sure hope you know what you're doing though, Double Diamond!" Night Glider replied, before she scooped him and his skis up, carrying stallion and skis high into the air.

Starlight, unaware of any of this, could see the entrance to the caves just up ahead. " _I've done it! Now I can slip away and let those stallions see just how it feels to be inferior to everyone else!_ " She thought to herself, as she took the jars ou of the wagon. But then suddenly, Starlight heard a shout.

"Cowabunga!" Double Diamond yelled, as he descended from above, heading straight for Starlight.

"What?! Oh no! Stop!" Starlight bellowed, but Double Diamond payed no attention.

"End of the line for you, Starlight! Consider this payback for all the times you used me for your own goals!" Double Diamond snarled, as he turned away from Starlight, thus avoiding a direct hit.

"Fool, you missed by a mile!" Starlight taunted.

"Wasn't aiming for you!" Double Diamond smiled, before a massive snowbank tumbled down and buried Starlight! Without Starlight's magic, the jars had nothing to hold them up. They fell to the ground and shattered, the cutie marks stored within them zipping back towards their rightful owners and returning them to normal.

"Yee-haw!" Big Macintosh proudly proclaimed. "Alright, finally I can buck like a five-bit snake herder in an Appleloosa ranch house again!" Then he blushed and gasped as he realized what he'd just said. "Oops, don't know how that slipped out!"

"Well, at least ya got your countryisms back, cousin Big Mac," Braeburn chuckled. "And don't worry, I know you're not that kind of pony. I ain't either, I only found out about it 'cause of that one time Sheriff Silverstar and I worked undercover as bouncers at one of them ranch houses." No one said a word.

* * *

The six stallions rushed to join the four villagers, and just as they did so they saw Starlight emerge from the snowbank, her eyes filled with rage. "That does it, no more miss nice pony!" She bellowed, steam blowing out of her nostrils. "Up 'til now, I've refrained from striking you all directly! I've tried to be nice, I've tried to reason with you all! But if you'd rather see me as the bad guy, well guess what, wish granted!" She fired off a tremendous magic blast, aimed directly at the four ponies responsible for thwarting her attempt to make off with six cutie marks!

Fortunately for all involved, Shining Armor charged forward with his horn sparking to life! He quickly conjured up a protective shield that eventually managed to push back and dispel Starlight's offense strike.

"Wh– I studied that spell for years!" Starlight complained. "My emotions power me, and in all my life I've never been as angry as I am! My anger should've given me the edge! How did you-"

"While I may not be as magically gifted as my sister, I still studied a good deal of my magic to join the royal guards," Shining explained to Starlight. "But eventually I came to learn that there's a magic far greater than any spell or spell caster, the magic of friendship. It's that magic that allowed me to ascend to alicornhood, and it's that magic which brought me here and led to your defeat. And for the record, Miss. Glimmer, shield spells are my speciality. But then, you probably should've guessed that, seeing as my cutie mark is a shield."

"Bu-bu-bu..." Starlight stuttered, unable to comprehend this turn of events. She was slowly reduced to growls, as she glared at the six stallions responsible for ruining her life's work.

"It's over, Starlight!" Shining said firmly. "You've been beaten! But, since I'm a forgiving pony, I'll give you a choice. Surrender and come with me peacefully to Princess Celestia, and I _might_ be able to get you a reduced sentence. Or resist me, and I'll be forced to subdue you by whatever means necessary. It's your choice, but I suggest you go with the former, we don't have to be enemies! Whatever caused you to hate cutie marks, it doesn't have to define who you are!"

But Starlight only rolled her eyes. "Now who's full of it?!" She remarked. "Spare me your sentimental nonsense, 'hero'! I gave these ponies real friendships they never could've had otherwise!"

"How do you know that?! You never even gave us a chance!" Double Diamond hissed.

Starlight only narrowed her eyes and grit her teeth, as she added. "I promise you, this isn't over! You may have won the battle, but I _will_ win the war! One day, you'll all see, see just what kind of misery and heartache cutie marks can bring! And when you do, don't come crying to me!" Shining could've sworn he saw a few faint tears form in Starlight's eyes, even as she charged up her horn and disappeared in a blinding flash of light!

"She went into the caves!" Soarin realized. "We've got to go after her! She couldn't have gotten far!"

"No!" Double Diamond protested. "We'll never find her in there, I know those caves well enough to know Starlight could be anywhere! We could end up on a wild goose chase!"

"So, that's it then? We let the bad guy get away?" Soarin complained.

"We have no choice. For all we know, Starlight didn't _actually_ run into the caves," Shining explained. "It could've all been a clever ruse to distract us. She could've easily teleported somewhere else. The only thing we can do, is prepare for whenever she comes back. And hope that, when she's had a chance to think it over, she realizes that you all _have_ taught her something." He said to the villagers.

"Oh, but it's _you_ who have taught _us_ something," Party Favor replied with a smile. "Something very important. We all came to this village because we were searching for something that was missing from our lives. We thought Starlight had given it to us when she stripped us of our cutie marks, but now... now it seems it was in front of us all along. It's us!"

"I take it that means you'll be staying in the village?" Shining asked them. "I could inform Princess Celestia of your situation, I'm sure she could find homes for all of you, places where you'd belong."

"But that village, _is_ our home!" Night Glider insisted firmly. "I'm not going _anywhere_ , and neither is anypony else."

"This is the chance of a lifetime, a chance for all four of us to truly get to know each other again for the very first time!" Double Diamond affirmed.

"And I finally have a chance to bake something besides terrible muffins!" Sugar Belle added, before everyone laughed.


	107. Chapter 107: For Next Time

When Shining and his friends returned to the village, they were greeted by thunderous applause, cheers, and whistles. Everypony in the village had quickly set to work on a festival to celebrate their liberation, and clearly it served the purpose of also honoring those who had liberated them from Starlight's iron hoof.

However, Shining spoke up and immediately hushed the crowd. "You all deserve to know the truth," He announced. "My friends and I lied to you, or at least _I_ lied to you," Everyone in the village gasped! Shining sighed, he'd anticipated such a reaction, but he knew he had to be truthful. "My friends and I didn't come here on a mission of goodwill, we came here because we saw your village on a map with symbols of our cutie marks hovering over it. We had no idea if you were friendly or hostile to Equestria, thus we kept secret the real reason for us being here."

"Hey, that's okay," One of the villagers replied with a smile. "At least you freed us from Starlight's lies, and you captured Starlight, right? We don't have to worry about her anymore."

But Shining confessed with a shake of his head. "I'm sorry, Starlight escaped, presumably into the caves. At the moment, she remains at large. I have no idea when or if she'll come back here, so I urge you all not to let your guard down. Go about your lives as usual, but be on the lookout in case Starlight comes back."

"We will," Double Diamond agreed, stepping forward. "We'll take it upon ourselves to set up an early warning system, and find a way to establish contact with you if she _does_ show up around here."

"Then, you are free to live your lives in peace, so long as you bear no ill will to Equestria." Shining said firmly.

"You have our word, we are friends to Equestria, not foes," Party Favor replied, smiling brightly. "Now if you've got nothing left to say, let's have a party! I haven't thrown one in forever!"

"Now that's a real smile, right there," Braeburn commented, looking at Party Favor. "And all around me I can see similar smiles."

Just then, the cutie marks of the six stallions started to pulsate and glow brightly.

"Don't know if I'll ever get used to that." Big Macintosh, staring at his flanks.

"Oh, I think it's divine, actually," Fancy Pants commented. "Though I hope it doesn't happen while I'm attending to customers, don't know how I'll explain it to them."

"But what does it all mean?" Thunderlane asked, looking across to Shining Armor. "Is the map calling us somewhere else now?"

"No," Shining said with a shake of his head. "I have a feeling it means our work here is done."

"Then I owe ya an apology, Shining Armor," Big Macintosh apologized. "The map _did_ have a reason for sendin' us here. We brought real friendship to these here ponies. Guess that's why you're the _Prince_ of Friendship."

"That may be, but the map didn't just send me," Shining replied to Big Mac. "It sent _us_. You're a part of me, all of you. And there's no doubt you're a part of my mission to spread friendship too, wherever that may take us." Everyone had a good laugh.

Then Braeburn spoke up. "Hey, this feels like an endin', but it doesn't have to an endin', right? 'Cause that Sugar Belle can _bake_!"

"Braeburn's right, it would be a shame to waste all this effort the villagers put into this party." Soarin added.

"Oh, very well, we can stay for a little bit longer," Shining agreed. "I have arrangements I need to discuss with Double Diamond related to the security of this village. It seems like, at least for the foreseeable future, Double Diamond will be in charge around here."

"You do that, Shining," Big Macintosh encouraged, as he turned his attention to Sugar Belle. "I've got somethin' I need to clear up on my own. The rest of ya can go ahead and enjoy the party though, hopefully I won't be long."

* * *

And so it was that, while Shining Armor was busy with Double Diamond near the cottage Starlight had formerly occupied, Big Macintosh and Sugar Belle were having a private meeting in Sugar Belle's bakery. The mare had a pretty good idea of what it involved though.

Big Macintosh sighed and took a few deep breaths, this was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do. "Sugar Belle..." He began, struggling to find the right words. "I... couldn't help but notice you were uh 'lookin'' at me from the moment I got here. I didn't really have much time to notice, since I was occupied with other things and all, but it still wasn't hard to think about it. And, I have to admit, I kind of felt somethin' between us too."

"Oh, you did?" Sugar Belle asked, sounding surprisingly unhappy about such a thing.

"Eeyup," Big Mac firmly nodded. "And ya know, ya kind of remind me of my mother, just a little bit. She and my pa passed away unexpectedly while I was still a teenager, stung somethin' fierce I'll tell ya."

"I'm sorry to hear that, really," Sugar Belle apologized. "I wish I knew what that was like, but I have no family to speak of. My parents divorced when I was just a foal, and my father, well let's just say he was a real piece of work. He always disapproved of what I wanted to, and he disowned me the day I got my cutie mark. That's kind of what drew me to this village and to Starlight in the first place."

"Anyway," Big Mac spoke, changing the subject. "This... is hard for me to say, but... I just don't think it'd work out between you and I. I'm just too tied down to Ponyville to up and leave, besides I still ain't really used to the idea of talkin' 'bout what's on my mind. I've warmed up to the idea around my friends and even kind of my family, but the last time I was so talkative and opinionated, I had a hard time listenin'. Then of course, when my folks passed, I figured it was kind of expected of me to just be silent 'bout the pain and let my actions speak for me. I don't know if I could bring myself to change all that, just to be with you. And somethin' tells me you ain't lookin' to move to Ponyville anytime soon."

"It's like you can read my mind," Sugar Belle sighed unhappily. "This village was the first place that truly made me feel welcome and wanted, I just don't think I can leave that all behind. Besides that, my heart already kind of belongs to somepony else."

"It's Party Favor, ain't it?" Big Mac guessed. "I saw the way you two looked at each other, and how close ya seemed to be. Wasn't hard to assume you were more than friends."

"Yeah, we were sort of unofficially a couple," Sugar Belle confessed. "We kept quiet about it, but I think most everypony here in Cutie Markless Village knew. We bonded over our dissatisfaction with Starlight's rule and her forced equality. When Double Diamond found out, he tried to drive a wedge between us by forcing Party Favor to work with him and be one of Starlight's servants," Then she added. "I'm sorry that Double Diamond broke Night Glider and had her trick you and your friends. The funny thing is, Night Glider seemed to have feelings for Double Diamond, but we all suspected Double Diamond was secretly pining for Starlight."

"You think maybe they'll hook up now that Starlight's gone?" Big Mac teased.

"Who knows for sure?" Sugar Belle replied, then changed back to the original topic. "I'm sorry it had to be this way, Big Mac. I really wish we could be together, we could at least try to send each other letters."

But Big Mac shook his head. "I don't think a long distance relationship is what either of us are lookin' for. Besides, I'd have to break up with my current marefriend first, and you'd have to break up with Party Favor. But, I do hope we can at least be friends."

"Of course we can," Sugar Belle nodded firmly. "And you know, you could always stop here by from time to time to deliver some apples. I've been itching to try and expand my baking talents, and I'm fascinated at the number of treats you can make with just apples."

"I'll have to talk with Granny Smith and my sister, not to mention Shining Armor," Big Macintosh commented. "But if I can, I'll try to manage at least one delivery a month, not that it'll change anythin' between us. We're just friends, and that's all we're gonna be."

"It's for the best," Sugar Belle agreed. "Now, you should probably get going. I've kept you for longer than I probably should have."

* * *

Big Macintosh returned to the party, just as Shining Armor got back from talking with Double Diamond. A few minutes later, it was time for the six stallions to head to the train station and head back home.

"Not sure about the rest of you guys, but I'm actually looking forward to getting back to that crystal tree in Ponyville," Shining commented. "After everything that's happened, the peace and quiet of those long, empty halls feels strangely welcoming. Plus, I know Twily's gonna be happy to see me."

"You gonna tell her about Starlight Glimmer?" Soarin asked. "'Cause I know I'm gonna be telling Spitfire about what happened here. I doubt very much that Starlight would try to sneak her way up to Cloudsdale, but you just never what some ponies might do if they're desperate enough. Besides, Night Glider told me that her sister is Fleetfoot, so I've gotta ask why the hay Fleetfoot never told me she had a sister before."

"Your guess is as good as mine about the sister thing," Shining replied, then he told Soarin. "And to answer your question, I probably will, just so Twilight can be ready," He paused, before he added. "But, there's something that's really bothering me about all this. At first I thought Starlight's heart would have to be as cold as ice to do what she did to other ponies, but then I saw something just before she disappeared."

"What?" Shining's friends all asked at once.

"Tears," Shining explained. "Genuine tears, and not crocodile ones. A heart of ice couldn't have shed such genuine tears. I don't know what it is, but I suspect that deep down Starlight's a very trouble mare. She's likely been through a traumatic experience of some sort, and whatever it was broke her spirit and drove her to commit such heinous acts. I feel like I should've been able to reach out to her, to save her."

"You can't save everyone, Shinin'," Braeburn commented. "It's an unfortunate truth, but some ponies just don't learn their lesson and never see sense."

"I know, I know," Shining sighed. "But I feel like that isn't the case with Starlight. If I'd maybe emphasized certain things better, or worded my offering differently, maybe I could've at least gotten her to surrender. Then perhaps I could've learned what made her what she is. And what, if anything, could be done to get her to come back to the light. My first true test as the Prince of Friendship, and I failed to show somepony just how great the magic of friendship is."


	108. Chapter 108: Go Go Griffonstone?

Just a few weeks had passed since the trip to Cutie Markless Village, and Starlight remained at large. Shining had sent word to Princess Celestia, and also informed his sister, but other than that he'd spent what free time he had trying to study the mysterious table map in his castle. Surely, it couldn't be coincidence that it displayed every city and town in Equestria, and was surrounded by six thrones containing the cutie marks of him and his friends, right?

Well, the map refused to yield any of its secrets, which frustrated Shining and Twilight to no end. Then, one day, the map did something unexpected, it lit up again and this time it displayed just two cutie marks. It soon turned out that the map was calling on Soarin and Braeburn. Their destination: The city of Griffonstone.

"Griffonstone, eh?" Soarin commented, leaning back in his throne. "I've heard of that place a couple of times. Spitfire's been trying to get us to perform there, but all her requests have mysteriously never been returned, not even one."

"I've never even met griffons before, I was out of town when that last griffon showed up," Braeburn added, eyeing the map for a moment. Looking across to Soarin he asked. "Didn't Rainbow Dash ever talk about that griffon she used to be friends with? What was her name? Grizelda or somethin' like that?"

Soarin shook his head. "Rainbow Dash doesn't like to talk about it. Whenever anypony brings it up, she changes the subject."

"Well, hopefully the griffons in Griffonstone will be friendlier," Shining spoke up, instructing his two friends. "I'm not sure why the map has only called the two of you this time, but I suspect it's similar to the reason why it called all six of us to that little village near the mountains. This could also be a chance to learn more about Griffonstone, all the information we've currently got on it is several decades old!"

"Aren't you gonna come with us?" Braeburn asked Shining. "I mean, I'm only now gettin' over that sprain hoof that had me laid up while the Appleloosa Rodeo was takin' place. And you haven't left this here castle for weeks, even your sister at least planned the Grand Gallopin' Gala."

Shining only shook his head. "While I don't intend to trust the map's judgement on every case, at least until I can be certain of its intentions, the fact remains that not much is known about Griffonstone. And if Soarin's comment earlier is anything to go by, the nation may not exactly be welcoming of outsiders. Rather than send an entire envoy and risk an international incident, I'll be sending you two of your own free will. Think of yourselves as friendship diplomats. If you can, try to speak with King Grover or whoever it is that's succeeded him."

"King Grover?" Braeburn and Soarin both asked at the same time.

Twilight smiled, as she came trotting into the throne room and placed a huge book on the table. "I've been doing a little bit of research on griffons and Griffonstone," She happily beamed, opening up the book. "In ancient times, griffons were known to be as greedy as dragons, always hoarding their bits and other treasures. But all that changed when King Grover found the mysterious golden Idol of Boreas. Legend says the Idol of Boreas was made from the dust of golden sunsets, blown across the mountains by the north winds. Possessing the Idol of Boreas filled the griffons' hearts with pride. It's said that that one great treasure is responsible for turning Griffonstone into the most majestic kingdom of all the land," With noticeable hints of jealousy in her voice she then added. "I wish I could go with you, if my research is anything to go by, Griffonstone is a lovely place, especially at this time of year!"

"But the map didn't call you, Twily," Shining reminded. "Besides, you're going to be planning Cranky and Matilda's wedding in a few days. You'll need to be ready for that, especially since there's the royal summit in Canterlot not long afterward, and then we're going to be busy trying to negotiate a peace agreement between Ponyville and YakYakistan. It's imperative you stay here and be well rested, I'm going to need your help just to make through all the important events," Then to Braeburn and Soarin he encouraged. "I'm sure you two can handle whatever it is the map has summoned you for. Oh, I almost forgot," He presented a small paper book of some kind, giving it to Soarin. "This may be useful to you."

"It's a guide I made to help you two on your way," Twilight beamed with pride. "You don't have to follow it to the letter if you don't want to, but I think it will prove useful in helping you avoid any troubles."

Soarin examined the guide, or rather skimmed through it a little. His eyes widened in surprise! "Whoa, Twilight! This guide is super detailed! It's like you in book form!" He joked.

Shining tried not to laugh. He just maintained his composure as best he could, as he told Braeburn and Soarin. "Alright you two, you'd better get going. I'm not sure if Griffonstone is accessible by train. But even if it is, you'll have a long ride ahead of you."

* * *

As it turned out, Griffonstone was indeed accessible by train, though the ticket salespony seemed surprise that anyone would wish to order tickets there. "No one's wanted to travel to Griffonstone in years, all communication with the nation has been cut off." She'd told Braeburn and Soarin, yet still gave them their tickets anyway.

Soarin spent most of the journey reading through Twilight's guide for any helpful tips. One of the most important ones read as follows: "Always carry plenty of bits. The griffons are sure to help you as long as you share the wealth."

At last, after a long train ride, the two stallions arrived in Griffonstone. Soarin read aloud from the guide: "Upon arriving in Griffon Gorge, be sure to pause and cast your eyes northerly, up the Hyperborean Mountains, taking in the breathtaking beauty of Griffonstone. Once in Griffonstone proper, go immediately to the palace and introduce yourself to the king. The only book I could find on Griffonstone's history was 'Bygone Griffons of Greatness' and it ends with the coronation of the fourteenth king of the griffons, King Guto. I have no idea who's in charge now. Please inform the king, queen, or whatever soverign ruler currently exists that you've been sent by the Prince of Friendship, and you're there to help with some sort of problem. If the ruler or any of his or her associates can't help for some reason, then I'd try the Griffonstone library next. It's a little known secret that if you befriend a librarian, you can usually find out anything. Plus, as a bonus, there's a statue of King Grover outside! Oh, and don't forget to sample some famous griffon scones if you get the chance. They're supposed to be the _best_."

"You know, it would've been nice to have Shining Armor and Twilight accompany us here," Braeburn said to Soarin, as they approached the entrance to Griffonstone. "Then they could see that Griffonstone is really..." But the rest of his sentence was cut off, as the two stallions observed Griffonstone proper. They saw that it was completely rundown and full of neglected and shady looking houses. The entire city limits looked as if they'd fallen into decay and no one had bothered to care for them.

"You sure we're in the right place?" Soarin asked Braeburn, as they looked all around. "This seems more like a ghost town than a thriving nation. And if our job is supposed to be restoration, that map must be on the fritz or something, that's a job for Fancy Pants and not us!"

"Well, I see griffons all around me," Braeburn commented. "But maybe this is just an outpost or colony?" He rushed up to an old, gray feathered griffon and asked him. "Excuse me, sir? This _is_ Griffonstone, right?"

"None of your business!" The griffon snapped, and flew off.

"That wasn't very nice." Braeburn muttered.

"But I suppose this _is_ Griffonstone," Soarin concluded. "Kind of looks like a run down version of what was described. Guess we'll just go to the palace and talk to the king."

* * *

But just then, a screechy female voice called out. "We have no king! In fact, we have no leader." The voice soon revealed itself as a griffon with a bluish-gray coat, white feathers on her chin, light gray markings on her face, dark gray wings, and brilliant gold talons.

"And how do you know that, Miss..." Soarin began.

"Gabby," The griffon replied, sounding noticeably unhappy. "And I'm afraid it's true, our last king vacated the throne years ago, and since then we've had no one ruling over us. Exactly why are you guys here? We don't really get visitors anymore."

"We're here to help Griffonstone!" Braeburn boasted. "I'm Braeburn, and this is Soarin. The two of us have been sent here by Prince Shining Armor, the Prince of Friendship! Or rather, a table map in his castle if you wanna be precise."

"Help?" Gabby asked, eyeing the two stallions. "Exactly what are you supposed to help with?"

"That... we don't know," Soarin confessed. "But, if you have no leader, then could you at least tell us where the Idol of Boreas is?"

Gabby sighed, and hung her head. "That old thing? It's gone, it was lost to us long ago and now most griffons have forgotten it even exists. I should know, I've been working here as a mail carrier for some time now. And every griffon I've been lucky enough to talk to, doesn't remember anything about the idol," But then she put a claw to her chin before she added. "Well, except for one griffon. But he's pretty old."

"I ain't _that_ old, you whippersnapper!" A wheezy voice cried out in a cough. Suddenly, a door swung open, and out trotted a brown feathered griffon with a black eye-patch over his left eye, a small scar across his right eye, and a red merchant's hat resting atop his head. "I tell ya, that there idol was the best thing to ever happen to us griffons!"

"Grandpa Gruff, now's really not the time for this," Gabby said to the old griffon. "I've heard your stories countless times, I can tell them just fine myself."

But Grandpa Gruff only shook his head in protest. "That's what all you hatchlings say, but I know what you all _really_ think of me. You all think I'm old and crazy, but I tell ya my stories are as true as can be."

"You know about the Idol of Boreas?" Soarin asked the old griffon.

Grandpa Gruff nodded, and held out his paw as he explained. "I'll gladly tell ya the whole tragic tale, for a couple of bits."

Soarin sighed, but forked over the bits anyway. "Okay, now talk!" He demanded.

"As you wish, but like I said it's a tragic tale," Grandpa Gruff replied, then began his story. "The first griffon king, King Grover, united our kind like we've never been united before or since! And he did it all with that incredible Idol of Boreas he found. I tell ya, that idol brought pride to the heart of every griffon that saw it! From one king to the next, Griffonstone had our golden idol, and we were the envy of all other species. It held us together – it gave us an identity – right up until the reign of King Guto that is."

"Why? What happened?" Braeburn asked with worry.

"I was just getting to that, no need to rush me!" Grandpa Gruff complained, then resumed his narration. "One fateful day, the dreaded Arimaspi came to steal our griffon treasure! King Guto tried to fight him off, but Arimaspi managed to get away with the idol! Or so he thought, just as he reached the outskirts of the city, lightning struck the path he was on and sent him and the idol plummeting into the Abysmal Abyss, Arimaspi was never seen again! They say that when our treasure fell into the Abysmal Abyss, our pride went with it. King Guto was the last king of Griffonstone, he was too ashamed to ever show his face in our presence ever again, and we all lived miserably ever after. The end!"

Braeburn couldn't help but tear up at the very end. "I think that was one of the saddest stories I ever heard." He commented.

"Aw, well... _Tough tailfeathers! No refunds!_ " Grandpa Gruff stubbornly replied. "But now you know the sad history of our once proud nation. Make of it what you will, and don't bother me again."

"No wonder Twilight's book ended with the coronation of King Guto. Who would want to record a history that sad?" Braeburn realized.

"I can't believe King Gruto would just up and leave like that and not name a successor!" Soarin complained. "That's poor leadership right there! Even if the griffons would never trust him, he could've at least appointed someone to lead the country. At least then maybe we wouldn't have our work cut out for us."

"It is what it is, I'm afraid," Gabby commented. "We griffons used to be the pride of Equestria, and now we've been lost and forgotten to time. Not that it matters, the outside world never seemed to be bothered when we cut off all contact with them. My mail deliveries remained confined to just this nation."

"You know what, Braeburn?" Soarin realized. "I think I know why the map sent us here. We need to find the Idol of Boreas and bring glory and pride back to Griffonstone!"

"But it can't be that simple, can it?" Braeburn asked. "I mean, didn't Twilight's guide suggest we try to search for answers at the library?"

"Look, these griffons seem exceptionally proud, but they also don't seem all too welcoming towards outsiders," Soarin explained. "If finding that idol is the fastest way to restore this place to its former glory, then I say we do it and leave. If these griffons want to wallow in self pity and get by on their own, then I'm afraid we'll have to let 'em. Sometimes, you can't help someone who refuses to help themselves. I don't like the idea, but I feel like it may be the best we can do in this situation," Then, flapping his wings he added. "Feel free to search the library to your heart's content, Braeburn. Maybe you'll find something of value there. But it seems like that idol means everything to those griffons, so I'm gonna go down to the Abysmal Abyss, and find the Idol of Boreas no matter what it takes," To Gabby he asked. "Why don't you help me? With two heads we could probably make more progress.

But Gabby shook her head. "I'm not going to risk losing my job, I'm late for work as it is. If you want my advice, find a tour guide and buy some exploration equipment from a reliable merchant," She somberly suggested. "And if you go down into that abyss, you'd best know what you're doing. They say no one's ever gone into that abyss, and lived to tell the tale." And with that, the young griffon flapped her wings and flew away.

Braeburn looked at the fluttering off griffon, and then to Soarin, as he said. "You go ahead and look for the idol, Soarin. I can't shake the feelin' that Gabby's the key to all of this. I know she's different from the other griffons, I can feel it."

"Well, good luck with your hunch. And wish me luck on my quest." Soarin replied, and the two stallions split off.

* * *

Soarin spent a bit of time asking around, before he at last found a store that seemed to sell gear of at least decent quality, and had someone willing to take him to the abyss. "I'm here to find your missing idol and save Griffonstone!" He told the merchant, expecting some kind of reply. But there was none, so he then added. "I'll need some rope, a grappling hook, and I was told you could take me down to the Abysmal Abyss."

"Of course I can," The merchant nodded in reply, she was a brown feathered griffon with dark brown wings, two shades of light brown on her face (including some spots), and sported a blueish-green cap. "But I'll need some bits. I an't running a charity, you know."

"Name your price, just try not to be too stingy. After all, I _am_ your only customer at the moment." Soarin cautioned.

"Then today's your lucky day," The merchant replied with what seemed like a smile. "Consider all this stuff on sale, though I _will_ charge extra for the trip to the abyss."

Meanwhile, Braeburn had managed to find his way to the library. But he found that, just like everywhere else in Griffonstone, the building was run down and abandoned. Clearly, he would find no useful information there. Moping in front of the stone statue of King Grover, he lamented. "This can't all be just because of a missing hunk of gold and a lack of leadership. That idol wasn't magical. I just wish I knew how to make the griffons see that."

Leaving the library, Braeburn soon bumped into Gabby. "Oh, we meet again," Gabby commented. "You find anything useful in that old library?"

"No," Braeburn replied with a shake of his head. "But you know what, I don't need some book to tell me what's goin' on 'round these parts. The problem ain't that ya lost that idol and your king flew off, at least not entirely. Lucky for you though, I know just what Griffonstone needs! A song, one that'll make even the grumpiest of griffons grin!"

"Well it'll do you no good around here I'm afraid," Gabby protested, pointing a claw to a sign that indicated singing was not allowed. "Trust me, I learned the hard way that the 'no singing' rule is heavily enforced around here. Now if you wouldn't mind, please just leave me alone and let me deliver the mail in peace. It's the only thing that brings me any joy around here."

"Gabby, you're not like the other griffons," Braeburn commented, trotting alongside the griffon. "Deep down, I can tell that you want nothin' more than to smile and be all cheerful. So what's stoppin' ya? Ya don't need permission to be happy, and in fact happiness can be contagious. I'll bet if ya let out your inner joy, it'd spread from griffon to griffon soon enough."

But Gabby just shook her head. "Don't you think I tried? No griffon has any reason to be happy anymore, it's all about survival. We don't have time for things like singing, dancing, or parties. Heck, we don't even have a bakery."

"Well, that just takes the cake!" Braeburn exclaimed. "Or muffins! Or griffon scones! Or whatever it is you serve around here as treats!"

"Gilda serves scones, why don't you go ask her?" Gabby asked, pointing a claw to a brown feathered griffon with a white chin with pale grayish edges, and eyes a faint brilliant amber in color. "We griffons have taken on any jobs we can get that will earn us money. Gilda wants to make enough money to leave this town and strike out on her own, bet your bits would make her very happy."

Braeburn trotted over to Gilda's cart, and said to her. "Hey, Miss. Gilda. You sellin' scones, right? I'll buy one!"

"Bits first if you don't mind!" Gilda grumbled. "Just don't try any tricks!" Braeburn tossed over a few bits and bit into the scone. "Well, you like it? It's my Grandpa Gruff's secret recipe."

Braeburn winced, the scone tasted incredibly hard and bitter. "Ow! I think I broke a tooth!" He complained.

"Well, whatever. No refunds. I don't even care anyway." Gilda retorted with a snort.

"Hey, if you wanna sell these scones, you're gonna need my help," Braeburn replied, spitting out the scone. "I've got somethin' that'll make your scones taste a whole lot better."

* * *

While Braeburn was busy helping Gilda with her scones, Soarin found himself staring down into the Abysmal Abyss. Gulping, he turned to the merchant turned guide beside him as he tightened the strap on his helmet and asked her. "So how deep is this abyss?"

"Depends. How deep are your pockets?" The merchant asked Soarin.

"Excuse me?!" Soarin remarked, hoping he had misheard.

The merchant only laughed. "Only joking. But seriously, why do you think we call it the Abysmal Abyss? No one in their right mind has ever wanted to go down into that place. If you do so, you're doing it at your own risk."

Meanwhile, Braeburn was adding his own personal ingredient to Gilda's scones. "You've got a pretty good recipe, Gilda," He told the griffon. "But it's missin' somethin' important, somethin' no baker worth their salt should be without."

"Don't tell me, it's 'friendship' isn't it?" Gilda remarked with a roll of her eyes.

"Uh, no, actually," Braeburn replied and explained. "It's bakin' powder. Lucky for you, I borrowed some of this from Pinkie Pie the other day and I decided to bring it with me," He proceeded to sprinkle the powder on the next batch of scones as he instructed. "Now just pop those in the oven, and you'll have griffon scones worth their weight in gold!"

Sure enough, when the scones were ready, Gilda found lots of griffons wanted to buy them. And upon sampling them they had nothing but nice things to say about the taste. Even Gabby found them irresistible.

"Wow, these scones are delicious! It's been forever since I've had a chance to sample something so good!" Gabby exclaimed, her eyes all a glow. To Braeburn she then commented. "But I don't get it, why did you help Gilda out even after she was so rude?"

Braeburn laughed and smiled. "It's called 'friendship', Gabby. And I can see that it's brought out the real you, the cheerful and bright side lookin' kind of griffon."

"Well, maybe it has a little. But better tasting scones aren't going to suddenly turn this place around you know." Gabby protested.

Braeburn was about to reply, when he heard a familiar voice cry out faintly "Help!". Braeburn gasped, he knew who that was! "Oh my gosh, Soarin's in trouble!" He shouted, and rushed towards the Abysmal Abyss, as Gabby watched.

* * *

Soarin had quickly found out that just flying straight down into the abyss was impossible. Strong but sudden gust winds of prevented any such possibility. Thus, Soarin had to scale down the side of the abyss, using a rope. "Okay, just gotta find that idol and get out of this place," He said to himself. "No problem."

But Soarin had spoken too soon, for at that very moment there came a loud snap and the rope broke in two! Soarin screamed as he went into a free fall, before a gust of wind caught him and tossed him up and onto a ledge, causing him to smack into a wall! "Ow!" He winced, as he landed hard on the ledge. He knew for sure his right wing had been damaged, and climbing back up was out of the question. "Help! Throw me another rope!" He shouted, but his voice couldn't be heard above the roaring winds of the abyss.

Fortunately, Soarin was able to bandage himself with a gause stored in his saddle bags. But even if his wing recovered, the young co-captain of the Wonderbolts knew he couldn't hope to fly out of the abyss, not with the winds blowing so strong and fierce.

Just then, Braeburn came rushing up to the scene. "Soarin!" He shouted, in order to make himself heard. "Where are ya, buddy?!"

"Down here!" Soarin shouted back. "My wing's broken, can you throw down a rope or something?!"

"I don't see any ropes!" Braeburn shouted, as he looked all around. "We're gonna need help, and I know just the griffon to ask! Don't go anywhere!" And he took off as fast as his hooves would let him.

" _Not like I could if I wanted to._ " Soarin mentally grumbled.

* * *

Braeburn rushed back to Griffonstone, and he didn't stop running until he bumped straight into Gabby! "Gabby, am I glad to see you!" He frantically cried out. "Soarin's stuck on a ledge and I need _your_ help to save him!"

"Why do you need _my_ help? He knew what he was getting himself into," Gabby insisted. "Besides, I'm just a mail carrier. I can't leave my job now, not even to help a stranger in need."

"Gabby, Soarin's life could be in danger! How would you feel if something happened to him because you weren't there to help?!" Braeburn demanded.

"But my job! I'll lose my job for sure if I follow you, and it's all I have to make ends meet," Gabby protested. "I'm sorry about what happened to your friend, but surely any other griffon would do."

Braeburn shook his head. "I told you before, Gabby. You're not like the other griffons," Then he added. "You remember earlier when you asked about friendship?"

"Yeah. What does that have to do with any of this?" Gabby asked.

"You'll never understand what it's like to experience true friendship if you don't help me out!" Braeburn pleaded. "You have a chance to make friends with ponies, somethin' that no other griffon can lay claim to! And a friend in need is a friend in deed! So, are you gonna help me or not?!"

"I... I want to help, I really do," Gabby commented, a few tears forming in her eyes. "But every time I try to be helpful, others just tell me to buzz off and mind my own business. They say I just get in the way and make things worse."

"Well, think of this as a chance to prove them all wrong! Prove that you CAN be helpful!" Braeburn said firmly. "Now come on! The longer we sit around here talkin', the less likely we are to save Soarin's life! So, you gonna help me or what?!"

Gabby looked at Braeburn, then at the letters she had yet to deliver, then back to Braeburn. At last, she said to him. "A-alright, I guess I'll try. I just hope my boss won't be too hard on me for this."

* * *

After finding a sturdy rope, Braeburn and Gabby rushed back to the Abysmal Abyss to rescue Soarin.

"Hang on, Soarin!" Braeburn shouted, once he was certain the rope between him and Gabby was fastened securely. "Ready, Gabby?!" He asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be! I just hope you know what you're doing!" Gabby nervously replied, as she tied one end of the rope around a small peg in the ground. Braeburn then quickly descended towards Soarin's location, using the sound of Soarin's screams as a guide.

But just as Braeburn reached Soarin, the peg holding Braeburn and Gabby's rope broke, and sent Gabby falling down into the abyss! Gabby panicked for a moment, before she was able to use her wings to slow the descent, and eventually grabbed hold of the edge of a ledge further down in the abyss. "Hold on, you two!" She shouted at the stallions, before she saw something shine amidst a collection of bones and a skull. Her eyes narrowed in on the object, and when she realized what it was she gasped! "The Idol of Boreas! I've found it!" She cried, and tried to reach out for it as it dangled precariously on its ledge.

However, at that moment Soarin cried out. "I'm slipping!" And indeed he was, for he and Braeburn were only supported by Gabby's rope, and they had little to hold onto.

Gabby found herself very conflicted. The idol meant everything to the griffons, bringing it back would surely restore Griffonstone to its former glory. But in the process, she'd likely let Soarin and Braeburn fall to their demise, an act that would haunt her conscience for years to come. " _What am I supposed to do?!_ " She thought to herself, weighing her options. Maybe there was still a way to retrieve the idol AND rescue the two stallions supported by her rope.

Alas, Braeburn and Soarin couldn't wait! They began to slide further down the side of the abyss, unable to cling onto anything to slow their descent.

Gabby made up her mind! Using all the strength she had, she pulled the two stallions up onto the same ledge as her, even though the Idol of Boreas fell farther down into the abyss, likely never to be seen again. It disappeared with a clink!

"Oh no, the idol!" Soarin gasped, as he saw the idol fall into the darkness below.

"You're both more important to me than some dumb chunk of gold." Gabby protested, pulling both Braeburn and Soarin into a tight hug. But just then the ledge started to crumble.

"Huggin' later, climbin' _now_! We're not out of the woods yet!" Braeburn shouted in reply.

* * *

Several tense minutes went by, before Gabby finally managed to carry herself, Braeburn, and Soarin all to safety. The trio rested for a moment to catch their breath, then made their way back into town.

"I'm sorry we didn't get your idol back," Soarin apologized to Gabby. "We were supposed to solve Griffonstone's problem."

"And I think we have," Braeburn replied with a smile. "Don't ya see, Soarin? The map didn't send us here just to find the lost Idol of Boreas. It sent us here to replace it with somethin' much better!"

"But nothing's better than gold to us griffons, especially nowadays." Gabby protested.

Braeburn shook his head. "That's not true. If it was, you'd have left us for dead to retrieve the idol back in the Abysmal Abyss. But you saw it for yourself, didn't you? Friends are more valueable than the finest gold."

"I... don't know what you're talking about." Gabby commented, scratching her head.

"I think I get what Braeburn's trying to say," Soarin told Gabby. "If you can all just learn how to care about each other again, then Griffonstone could be a mightier kingdom than it ever was before! And you don't need some golden idol to do that. You just need each other."

"So, you want me to start making friends?" Gabby asked the two. "I don't know if that's possible."

"You'll never know 'til ya try," Braeburn encouraged. "Go on. Why not try it with Gilda? Maybe you could offer to buy some of her new and improved scones?"

Gabby went off towards Gilda, and reluctantly she did so. But then she noticed a griffon that looked almost similar to Gilda, except for the fact that she had light green edges around her eyes. The griffon seemed alone and distant, so Gabby approached the griffon carefully, and offered her one of the scones. The griffon accepted it after a few odd looks in Gabby's direction, and a wide smile broke out across her face. She seemed to say something to Gabby, before she flew off.

"Who was that, Gabby?" Braeburn asked, when Gabby came back a moment later. "Ya know her?"

"Her name's Greta, she and Gilda kind of know each other," Gabby explained. "But, you saw that, right? You saw how she was really weirded out until I gave her the scone? She told me that it's the nicest thing anygriffon's ever done for her, and that she thought the scone tasted good. I don't think anygriffon's ever been that kind to me when I try to do something nice for them. But I think you were right after all, I _am_ different from all the other griffons."

Just then, Soarin and Braeburn's cutie marks began to glow simultaneously. Soarin's eyes lit up. "Whoa, Braeburn. I think you were onto something all along. I guess that really was the problem we needed to solve," He realized, and then apologized. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to your advice earlier, I so eager to be done with this job that I didn't think about what these griffons really needed, I was only thinking about myself."

"Your heart was in the right place, Soarin," Braeburn replied with a chuckle. "I think anyone would've assumed the idol was the key to all of this. And it was, just not in the way we thought. Besides, never underestimate the power of baking powder!"

"Well then, we'd better get going," Soarin commented. "This injured wing is definitely gonna leave me out of comission for a while."

But Gabby suddenly called out as the two stallions turned to leave. "What? Y-Y-You want me to spread friendship here all by myself?! How am I supposed to do that?! I mean, I haven't even made one single friend yet!"

"Of course you haven't," Soarin smiled. "You've made at least two, possibly three or four depending on how you see things with Gilda and Greta."

"But you'll come back and visit, right? There's so much about pony culture I'd love to get to know." Gabby pleaded.

"You can always write to Twilight," Braeburn suggested. "She's Shining Armor's little sister, and I'm pretty sure she'd be thrilled with the knowledge you could give her on Griffonstone. I'd be happy to give you her mailin' address."


	109. Chapter 109: A Disgruntled Magic Student

It had been a rough couple of days for Shining Armor, fresh off the trouble of the royal summit in Canterlot, he was tasked with hosting Prince Rutherford of Yakyakistan in the hopes of forging a peace treaty with the nation. A task that proved to be easier said than done, due to one detail Rutherford laid out upon his arrival: "If things not perfect, yaks destroy. Yaks always destroy if things not perfect."

True to word, the prince proved almost unreasonable in his demands. And every time something wasn't exactly to his liking, he and the yaks accompanying him would destroy something. It got to the point where it seemed like the only thing that could keep the yaks content, was a party. And as if she had a sense for bad timing, Pinkie Pie up and vanished as the time of the party drew near.

It all worked out in the end though, as Prince Rutherford and the yaks were most impressed by the party Pinkie ultimately organized and hosted. "Now yaks happy, no declare war." The yak prince announced for all to hear, even Princess Celestia who had stopped by to see how the peace negotiations were going.

Shining Armor gave a nervous smile, as he turned to Princess Celestia. "Uh, funny story actually," He nervously replied, hoping his unkempt appearance didn't betray how exhausted he was. "Long story short, Prince Rutherford is hard to please. Fortunately, Pinkie Pie came through with this party at the last minute. And some sheep wandering onto the track definitely helped."

"I still can't believe Pinkie Pie has her own party plannin' cave!" Braeburn exclaimed. "I seriously need to study it and set up my own. We could sure use one back in Appleloosa."

Shining just gave a weak smile, and yawned a bit. "I'm just glad I can finally have a chance to unwind and not have to worry about anything," He admitted. "Between studying the map, dealing with the bug bear crisis during Cranky and Matilda's wedding, the royal summit, and of course the peace treaty with Yakyakistan, sleep hasn't come easily to me."

Celestia nodded. "I can see the pressure is getting to you, just a little, Shining Armor. You've definitely been working hard these past few weeks, maybe a little too hard. I think some time in the Crystal Empire with Cadence will do you well, rest and get your strength back."

"But what about that map?" Shining asked with concern. "Who's gonna take over trying to study it?"

"Oh relax, B.B.B.F.F, I can do that no sweat!" Twilight insisted. "I've been more than ready to take over for you, you just won't let me," Then she added. "Though, without you, the castle is going to feel kind of lonely."

"Well, that's why you've got friends, isn't it?" Shining replied. "And of course you've got Spike."

"I know, but things won't be the same without you," Twilight said with a sigh. "But I suppose it can't be helped, you've got your own life now and your own royal responsibilities. As do I. Be sure to say hi to Cadence for me, feels like it's been forever since we've seen each other."

Shining nodded in approval. "I will, Twily, don't worry," Then to his friends he asked them. "You can hold down the fort while I'm gone, right? You'll keep me up to date on all the important events?"

"Of course, it'll be like you're still here!" Soarin firmly replied, patting Shining on the back. "You worry about yourself, and we'll worry about everypony else."

"Ponyville will be in good hooves on our watch, of that you can be sure!" Fancy Pants vowed.

"Thanks, guys," Shining smiled. "I knew I could count on you all."

Celestia smiled as well, then lead Shining away to talk to him in private. "While I am sending you back to the Crystal Empire to rest and recover, there _is_ something I'd like you to do for me while you're there."

"Anything, princess!" Shining eagerly commented, then asked. "What is it?"

"I have recently learned that the Crystal Empire is now home to one of my former students," Celestia explained. "You already know that your sister was not my only student, and you are well aware of the fate that befell Sunset Shimmer, correct."

"Yes indeed," Shining nodded, memories of his visits to that other world still fresh in his mind. "I am glad to hear she's turning it all around now. But what does she have to do with any of this?"

"Though Sunset Shimmer was not my first student, she was my most promising up to that point," Celestia told Shining, her voice tinged with regret and sadness. "I took her under my wing, and when she ran off, against my better judgement I almost immediately yearned for a replacement to fill that hole in my heart. I believed I had found one in the form of a colt named Sunburst. He showed a lot of promise, he could recite even the most complicated of magical theories with ease. But..."

"But what?" Shining asked, worried about the direction this story would go.

"But he could not put his theories into practice, for whatever reason he couldn't perform much beyond the basics, even though he absorbed the knowledge like a sponge," Celestia told Shining. "The ridicule and embarrassment he received as a result, took its tole on him. It wasn't long before he announced he was no longer able to be my student, and that he was withdrawing from my classes. For years I haven't heard a peep from him, yet now I've been informed he has made his new home in the Crystal Empire."

"And you want me to talk to him?!" Shining realized.

Celestia nodded. "You may not remember, but the two of you did cross paths in high school. It is my hope, that there is something of a spark between you two that can be rekindled. I unfortunately lack the time to fly halfway across Equestria, just to reconcile with a student I haven't seen in years, and I don't know where he lives or how much resentment he still carries. At the least, I hope you can lure Sunburst back out into the open, so that I may learn just how bitter he still is."

* * *

Shining was consumed with thinking about Celestia's orders and her explanation about why she was selecting Shining to reconcile with Sunburst. He couldn't remember much about him, he barely even remembered the color of his coat, orange.

Shining focused so much on this, that he was taken by surprise when upon landing, Flash Sentry approached him and announced. "Excuse me, Captain Armor. There are some ponies who wish to speak with you."

"Can't they wait until tomorrow?" Shining asked, taking notice of his own appearance. "I'm not really in the state to be entertaining visitors right now, Flash."

Flash only shook his head. "I told them that, captain, but they refused to listen. The insisted they speak to you as soon as possible, and they won't take no for an answer. Please, forgive me."

Shining just sighed, using his magic to loosely comb his mane and tail to look halfway decent, nothing could be done about the bags under his eyes though, but there wasn't any time to worry about that. "Alright," He sighed, getting out of his carriage. "Please, lead me to them, Flash." In the back of his mind he mentally pleaded. " _Please let it be a quick visit, I've got a lot on my plate as it is. Entertaining guests in my current condition is only gonna complicate things further._ "

Shining's mood changed however, upon entering the throne room. Three very familiar ponies were there to greet him! From left to right they were: A brownish-gray coated pegasus stallion with grayish-violet eyes, a pale two tone light blue mane and tail styled similar to Thunderlane's, and a cutie mark depicting a blocky alien looking creature. A light brown coated unicorn stallion with moderate green eyes, a slightly brighter shaded green mane and tail that loosely reminded Shining of Rarity's, and a cutie mark depicting an eight sided die. And a light grayish-amber coated earth pony stallion with moderate blue eyes, a dark grayish brown mane and tail styled nicely, a green bow-tie with a few white lines, glasses the same color as his mane and tail, and a cutie mark depicting a robot. He recognized them at once as his old role playing buddies, 8-bit, Gaffer, and Gizmo (who everyone called Poindexter)!

"Hey, Shining Armor!" 8-bit greeted, waving a hoof. "Long time no see! I gotta say, you've got a sweet pad here!"

"Yeah!" Gaffer joked. "Sounds like that prediction of yours we always teased you about came true after all. That is, unless you're not married to Princess Cadence."

"Very funny, guys," Shining lightly remarked. "For your information, Cadence and I have been married for about a year now. In fact, we just celebrated our anniversary about two weeks ago."

Poindexter pushed the glasses on his face up, as he replied. "We're quite aware of the fact, we heard all about in the papers. And of course every major event in your life has made headlines all over the world. Our own lives have been going good though, even if we haven't had much time to get to know each other. We were hoping you might be interested in a game of _Ogres and Oubliettes_ just like the good old days," Taking notice of Shining's appearance he then added. "However, it seems now would not be the best time."

"Unfortunately, yes," Shining sighed. "As you can plainly see, I've been very busy lately and I'm going to be for at least another day or two. I'm sorry, guys, I'd love to play with you, but duty comes before games. Oh, and Poindexter, you're looking a little... different. What happened to your eyes? I seem to remember them being orange colored when we were attending Canterlot Academy together and playing in your mother's basement."

Poindexter beamed. "Ah yes, I was wondering when you'd notice. These new glasses have special lenses that change the color of my eyes. Observe." Poindexter removed his glasses, and everyone quickly took notice of the fact that his eyes changed from moderate blue to dark orange. When the demonstration concluded, Poindexter put the glasses back on and his eyes went back to their moderate blue color.

"It's too bad Cherry Fizzy couldn't make the trip with us," 8-bit commented. "But I guess it's a good thing he's not here to see you like this."

"Wait?! You guys know Cherry Fizzy?!" Shining exclaimed. "He was the first friend I met when I joined the royal guard, but I never told any of you about him, after high school we all went our seperete ways."

"You didn't have to, I met him while he was on duty in Canterlot following your leave of absence," Gaffer explained. "He and I are great friends. We go out of our way to see him whenever we're all together in Canterlot, or the rare occasions where he's off duty and comes to Ponyville."

"Ah, that explains it," Shining realized, then a thought struck him. "Say, do any of you guys remember a pony named Sunburst? Like at all?"

"Sunburst? Wasn't he that pony who kept saying he was gonna be a big, important wizard, and always reminding us that he was the student of Princess Celestia?" 8-bit recalled. "Always thought he was a bit full of himself, but at the same time Princess Celestia had to have seen _something_ in him."

"I seem to recall we tried to reach out to him a couple of times, but he'd always decline because he had something else to do," Gaffer added, scratching his head with a hoof. "Though I seem to remember him saying he was gonna throw a big party and use his connections to rent out the castle ballroom. You didn't attend though, Shining, you were too busy dating Cadence."

"Oh." Shining replied, feeling guilty. Suddenly, a memory he'd long forgotten came creeping back to him:

It was back when he was a student at Canterlot University. Shining was in his junior year, and by now he and Cadence had been the most talked about couple in school. The only thing that occupied Shining's mind more than that sweet mare, was his plans to hopefully enroll in the royal guard once he graduated from high school. He hoped to follow in the hoofsteps of his grandfather, Gallant Armor, who had always regaled Shining at family reunions with tales about his glory days as a member of the royal guard.

But the royal guard wouldn't be interested in recruiting someone who slacked off in school and got bad grades. Shining always made sure to get his homework done on time and in the best quality possible. It helped that doing so would leave him with free time to spend with Cadence, whether it was taking long walks in the park, visiting Donut Joe's for treats, or even enjoying a carriage ride to the outskirts of the city and back.

It was a fine Spring day, and class had just let out for the day. Shining was already looking forward to his planned date with Cadence, and he was hoping to work up the courage to introduce Cadence to his parents. However, homework came first, and he had a lot of it! He'd have to buckle down to business when he got home if he wished to be done by the time he was to meet Cadence.

Shining hadn't gotten far though, when Gaffer called out to him. He was currently standing with 8-bit and Poindexter. "Hey, Shining. Been looking all over for you." He called.

"You know Sunburst, the princess' student?" 8-bit asked, as Shining turned around. "Well guess what? He's gonna throw a big party in the castle, even rent out the castle ballroom! Lots of our classmates are going to be there!"

"You're gonna be there too, right?" Poindexter inquired, hopefully.

Alas, Shining shook his head. "I'd love to, really I would," He answered, slowly backing away. "But, I've already got plans for the evening and... I don't wanna back out on them. Besides, I've got a **TON** of homework to do and I don't even know if my parents would want me going to a party like that... M-maybe I'll swing by if I have the time!" And with that, he hastily took off.

* * *

That unfortunate memory ended up causing Shining a lot of trouble that night and he found it difficult to sleep. He tossed and turned in his bed, thinking about the many "What If?" scenarios that plagued his mind. "What if I _had_ gone to that party after all? What if I'd tried to reach out to Sunburst and try to befriend him, or at least get to know him? What if I'd thought to include Sunburst as part of my group of role playing buddies?" He asked himself, even though he knew he would get no answers.

At last, Shining drifted off to an uncomfortable sleep. But he woke bright and early the next morning, feeling only slightly refreshed and ready!

"Goodness!" Cadence exclaimed, as she watched her husband practically scarf down his breakfast of eggs, toast, and hay bacon. "You're in an awful big hurry today!"

Shining barely had time for a response. "Sorry, Cadence, but I need to find Sunburst right away! I've got a lot of explaining and apologizing to do! I just hope I can find his residence, a lot of the houses here look the same!" And after downing his cup of coffee, he raced out the door and onto the streets!

Cadence just sighed, as she looked down at herself. " _I was hoping to break the news to him today,_ " She thought to herself. " _Guess it'll have to wait 'til this whole Sunburst thing blows over. I just hope he doesn't blame himself too much for what happened._ "

As luck would have it, Sunburst resided in a modest two story house in the shape of a wizard's hat, a good distance away from the palace but not completely on the other side of the empire. So at least he seemed to be doing well for himself, which was hopefully a good sign. Gulping a bit, Shining approached the door and knocked on it lightly with a hoof.

"H-hello?" A somewhat shy sounding voice called out, as an orange coated face with a white streak on the muzzle accompanied by a pair of dark cornflower blue eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses, and the faint traces of a disshelved mane colored two shades of vermilion, poked out from the door.

"Uh, hi, Sunburst," Shining greeted, trying to sound composed. "You know who I am, right?"

It took Sunburst but a moment to recognize his unannounced visitor. "O-oh, Prince Shining Armor, of course!" He exclaimed, though it was possible to detect what sounded like a faint hint of malice, or at least mild resentment. "I... should've expected the Prince of Friendship and the Crystal Empire to show up eventually, though I would've expected more fanfare."

"Not my style really," Shining replied, hoping to maybe break the ice a bit and lighten up the mood. "I... uh..." He paused, trying to think about whether he should reveal the real reason behind his visit or not.

Fortunately (or unfortunately as far as Shining was concerned) Sunburst guessed for him. "Princess Celestia sent you, didn't she?"

"Yeah, she did. Though I also kind of came here of my own accord," Shining explained. "I just wanted to apologize for not making more of an effort to try and reach out to you when you clearly needed a friend."

"Whatever, I don't really care now. Friendship doesn't mean much to me anymore," Sunburst said with a shake of his head. "And you can tell Princess Celestia I'm not mad with her, I broke off our teacher/student relationship on my own terms. I tried my best in magic school, but my best just wasn't good enough, I saw no point in pretending I could be that big, important wizard I vowed to be. There, mission accomplished." And lighting up his horn, Sunburst enveloped the door with his light yellow colored aura and shut it.

" _Huh. That could've gone better,_ " Shining thought to himself. " _What am I supposed to do now?_ "

* * *

Sunburst sighed, as he retreated to his study he'd set up on the first floor. "A good book is the only friend I need, nopony really cares about me anymore and I'm fine with that. Friendship may work for some ponies, but I'm not one of them." He said to himself, as he set down a big book about Starswirl the Bearded, one of his favorite ponies to read about. He was always fascinated by the wizard and had longed to grow up to be just like him.

But as Sunburst flipped open the page and began to read, he was suddenly startled by what appeared to be an ink drawn version of Shining Armor that spoke to him. "Hello, Sunburst!"

"Gah!" Sunburst cried, before he blinked and removed his glasses to rub his eyes. No, he wasn't seeing things. As he pushed his glasses back into place, he could still see that ink drawn version of Shining Armor, and it was moving of its own free will.

"Sorry to startle you," Shining apologized. "But I couldn't think of any other way to talk to you, what with you being so shut off from everypony and all. I just wanted to say, I'm sorry if anything I did or didn't do caused you to give up on friendship. Trust me, I've been down a similar path. I once thought my path in life would prevent me from making friends, and I learned that wasn't true. I've come to learn that nothing's more important in life than having good friends, it's how I became the pony I am today."

But Sunburst only grew annoyed. "Look, Shining Parlor!" He hissed.

"Armor." Shining corrected.

"I tried friendship, it didn't work out for me," Sunburst went on, his eyes narrowing. "I just want to be left alone with my intellectual pursuits, and be allowed to go through my life without worrying that some crazy pony is gonna try and make friends with me. What part of Ex-Magic Student don't you understand?"

"Fine, your loss I guess," Shining reluctantly replied. "You're missing out, but I'm not going to force you into friendship against your will. That's not who I am." He then turned and trotted off to another page.

"Wait, hang on a second!" Sunburst exclaimed. "Just how did you even get into my book in the first place?"

Shining turned and said with a grin. "Haycartes' Method, my sister taught me the spell. Of course, I was kind of taking a risk with an unpracticed spell. But I think I can make my way back out." Sure enough, he popped out a second later, albeit with a great deal of straining on his part.

Sunburst's eyes lit up, he was completely amazed by what he'd just seen! He was at Shining's side in an instant, immediately begging and pleading! "Please, you must teach me! I've been dying to learn Haycartes' Method since I got my cutie mark!"

Sensing an opportunity, Shining grinned ever so slightly. He proceeded to tell Sunburst. "I'll teach you, on one condition."

"I'll do anything, anything! I mean it!" Sunburst insisted, perhaps a bit too eagerly.

"I'm going to be hosting my old Canterlot friends at a dinner tonight," Shining told Sunburst. "I'd like you to attend. You don't need to dress up or anything, just come as you are. I think you'll really get to like this friendship thing if you give it a chance."

* * *

That evening, Sunburst kept his word. He showed up to the castle dressed only in a blueish-green cape with a series of stars stitched onto it, and a light green brooch surrounding the white collar area.

"So glad you could make it, Sunburst!" Shining exclaimed, happily pulling the stallion into a massive hug.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Sunburst sighed as the hug died down. It was obvious from his tone of voice that he wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the dinner. He just trotted past Shining as he said in that same tone from earlier in the day. "Look, I'm giving this a try. But that doesn't mean I'm going to go in there and suddenly come out of it with a friend or two. I'm only doing this to be polite. I don't know why Princess Celestia is suddenly so worried about me, or why she would send you of all ponies to talk to me."

"Just promise me you'll at least give this a try, please!" Shining insisted to Sunburst. "I really think if you just let your mane down a little and lighten up, you'll find that it's not that hard to make friends."

Sunburst simply in reply. "No promises." And with that he trotted into the dining room and took his seat (he sat next to Shining Armor on his left, and next to Gaffer on his right). As Sunburst sat down, he could've sworn he counted an extra head at one point, but he shrugged it off as his mind playing tricks on him. " _It can't possibly be her,_ " He thought to himself. " _I haven't seen her in years. And how could I ever look her in the eye after I boasted I'd come back as a big, important wizard? Assuming she even remembers me, which I doubt._ "

"Well, doesn't this bring back fond memories from days of old?" Gaffer commented, looking around at the five stallions seated at the dining room table.

"It sure does," 8-bit fondly recalled. "All we'd need is some nachos, a few cans of soda, and of course an O&O board with all our custom characters, and it'd be just like old times."

"Don't forget about all those special dies," Poindexter added. "They were needed for just about every action in the game. They determined if your quest was a success or a failure. Though everypony knows, the only real threat for dedicated O&O players, was the lady of the house of the host, a.k.a my mother."

Everyone had a good laugh at that, except for Sunburst. Hoping to draw Sunburst into the conversation, Shining cleared his throat and nudged Sunburst. "So, Sunburst, did you ever play _Ogres and Oubliettes_?"

"No," Sunburst bluntly replied, though he then added. "I preferred my own game. As a colt I used to play this game with... another random pony. We'd stack books up as high as we could go, and the winner was whoever didn't have the pile topple over on them. I... may have let that pony win a couple of those games. I couldn't find anypony to play it with after I got my cutie mark though."

"So, what do you like to do for fun? You know, besides reading?" 8-bit inquired of Sunburst. "Any hobbies or interests?"

"Magic, real magic," Sunburst replied, only briefly elaborating. "I have no real interests not related to that and reading. I did once, but that was a long time ago."

"O...kay?" 8-bit nervously responded, unsure of what else to say.

Sunburst just sighed, pushed his chair outward, and stood up as he declared. "You know what, this is a mistake! It's not gonna work out! I'm sorry guys, I just don't get why you're interested in me now. I'm nothing anymore, just forget about me!" And he rushed out of the dining room without another word.

Shining rushed after Sunburst, teleporting in front of him to block his escape. "Sunburst, wait! Please don't run away!" He pleaded in desperation! "I know what you're going through, you don't have to face it alone!"

But Sunburst only swatted Shining's hoof away and stared deep into his eyes as the former magic student told the prince. "Do you really?! This may come as a surprise to you, considering how fortunate you were, but not all of us get everything we want hoofed to us on a silver platter!" He complained. "Your family was among the upper class of Canterlot, you got into the royal guard and rose up to the rank of captain, and of course you became a prince and later ascended to alicornhood, not to mention that shining castle you got! And don't get me started on all the friends you've made! As for myself, I had no friends when I moved here! I wanted to make something of myself, but I had to really work for it and in the end it didn't matter since I couldn't do what Princess Celestia expected of me! My life became irrelevant, I'd already pushed away anypony who wanted to be my friend, and who in their right mind would want to be friends with a washed up, has been, disgraced former magic student?!"

Shocked and rendered speechless, Shining just stood there and watched as Sunburst ran off. Those words had stung to the very core. Now that he thought about it, he really _didn't_ know what it was like to be in Sunburst's horseshoes.

* * *

These concerns, coupled with Sunburst's words, kept Shining awake that night, long after his friends had left. "What if Sunburst is right?" He said to himself, pacing back and forth in his room. "What if I've truly gotten everything I've ever wanted hoofed to me on a silver platter? I got promoted to captain because of Princess Celestia, and made an alicorn because I was close to her. Not to mention the castle, and this empire."

"Shining, please, you mustn't doubt yourself." Cadence advised, she hated seeing her husband worry.

"But what if it's true?!" Shining retorted. "It seems like I always get rewarded when I'm the most content with my life as it currently is! I never asked for any of this, yet what if this was all secret desires I didn't want to admit, even to myself?!"

"I'm sure Sunburst didn't mean what he said, he was just upset at being pressured and lashed out," Cadence replied. "Now please, come to bed and stop worrying so much, dear. You already know what happened the last time you let your fears and doubts get the best of you. Do you really want to repeat that?"

"No, but I can't live with myself if I'm living a lie!" Shining stubbornly protested. "And right now, I'm beginning to think that's what all this is! None of it matters! Sure, maybe I worked to some extent for some of the things I have, but for the most part look at all the things I've been given without even needing to ask for them: Promotion to Captain of the Royal Guard, ability to stay captain even after my many failures that included a Discord driven mental breakdown, ascension to alicornhood even when it was clearly meant for my sister instead, and of course that castle in Ponyville and an official title as the Prince of Friendship. Do you know how many ponies would kill to be even one tenth as lucky and fortunate in life as I have been?!" He ended that last line by stomping his hooves down in fury.

Cadence sighed, and rose from her bed, turning on the lights. She'd wished now more than ever that she'd attended that dinner with Shining's old friends, especially since all that she'd done for the past couple of days was sort out minor problems or give love advice when asked. "Shining, please look at me!" She instructed. Shining slowly turned and obeyed, and when he had done so, Cadence spoke firmly but kindly. "All those things didn't just _come_ to you, you were chosen for them because of the choices you made in your life! You got your promotion to captain, not because Aunt Celestia pitied you, but because you took action when Nightmare Moon returned and in the process saved Equestria. You chose to cast the incomplete master spell of Starswirl, and thus when you sorted it out you received the reward intended for whoever solved it. And your title would've been granted with or without a castle," She then added. "I'm not sure what exactly happened to Sunburst or why he's so bitter, but I know my aunt wouldn't have picked you to be the pony to approach him, if she didn't think you were the best one for the job. Don't focus on the 'What Ifs?' of the past, focus on the 'What Can Bes' of the future!"

"But how am I supposed to convince Sunburst to give friendship a second chance and make him see that he has more self worth than he realizes?" Shining asked Cadence. "I mean, it's not like I can just throw a party similar to the one Sunburst threw all those years ago, and invite him to it!" But just as he'd spoken those words, a light bulb went off inside his head and he realized what he had to do! "That's it! Why didn't I think of it before?!" He exclaimed with a gasp, and he raced away quick as a flash.

Cadence sighed again, this time out of relief and happiness. " _Guess the announcement will have to wait til tomorrow night,_ " She thought to herself, giggling. " _I can't wait to see the look on his face when I break the good news to him._ "

* * *

The next morning, Gaffer was surprised when he didn't find Shining Armor anywhere in the confines of the crystal palace. And when he asked Princess Cadence, she refused to say for sure if she knew where he was or where he'd gone.

However, just as Gaffer was meeting up with 8-bit and Poindexter to decide if maybe they should talk to Sunburst on their own, there came the distant sound of giggling. Looking up to the sky, the three stallions soon took notice of the appearance of Shining Armor, and was it his imagination or did he seem to have somepony in tow? Namely, a pink coated, earth pony mare, with a mane and tail that looked strangely like cotton candy for some reason.

The three didn't have to wait long to find out, for soon Shining came barreling towards them and ended up plowing right into them! Fortunately, no one was hurt, and all picked themselves up from the ground a few seconds later. Meanwhile, the earth pony mare was flying about, using her tail as a make shift propeller. "That, was, AWESOME!" She happily exclaimed. "We've really gotta go flying more often, Shining!"

"Guys, I'd like you all to meet Pinkie Pie, one of my first Ponyville friends," Shining Armor spoke up, introducing his guest. "She's a party planner of the highest regard, at least where she comes from."

"Yup. Though if you wanna get technical about it I'm not _the_ best party pony in all of Equestria, yet," Pinkie replied, as she then said to Shining. "You know, you're lucky you got me when you did. Just a day ago, I'd have been unavailable. I just got back from helping Twilight reconnect with some of her old friends from Canterlot, and one of them is Minuette."

"Oh yes, I remember her," Shining nodded. "Cadence insisted on making them her bridesmaids, and I was wondering why they were so familiar," Then, clearing his throat, he instructed. "Anyway, Pinkie. I've brought you here to help with something kind of similar to that."

"Say nomore, I know just what you need!" Pinkie explained, producing a giant cannon of some kind. "Lucky for you, I never leave home without my party cannon! You just say the word and 'Boom!' instant celebration!"

"Well, you won't be working completely alone this time, Pinkie," Shining laughed. "8-bit, Gaffer, and Poindexter here are going to help you. Because this party needs to be similar to a party held long ago. And I should mention, there will be a guest of honor, Sunburst."

Gaffer, 8-bit, and Poindexter all seemed surprised at Shining's statement, while Pinkie was wondering who this "Sunburst" was. "You really think you're gonna get him to come out into the open for a party?" Poindexter asked Shining. "Sunburst seems pretty content to just be holed up in that house of his for the rest of his days."

"Don't worry, guys," Shining said with a grin. "I've already got that covered. You just work on getting the party set up with help from Pinkie Pie, and I'll make sure the guest of honor shows up. Trust me, this will work."

* * *

Sunburst was quite surprised to hear a knock at his door for the second day in a row. He groaned, and tried his best not to be too grumpy. " _I swear, if it's Shining Armor again, I don't know what I'm gonna do. Can't he take a hint? I'm not interested in friendship, I'm fine being alone._ " He thought to himself.

But when Sunburst opened the door, he found that Shining Armor wasn't standing outside, waiting for him. In fact, there wasn't anypony to be seen for miles and miles around. Wondering if perhaps he had just imagined the knock, Sunburst was about to turn around and head back inside, when something caught his eye. Namely, a brightly yellow colored book laying on his doorstep. He looked all around to see if somepony might have dropped it, but there was still nopony in sight. So Sunburst picked up the book, which just so happened to be a biography on Equestria's first king, King Michael.

Stuffing the book inside his saddlebag, Sunburst was going to turn around and head back inside, when he noticed a trail of books scattered across the ground in front of him. " _Somepony must've had a broken saddlebag or something. It must be that old librarian._ " Sunburst thought to himself, as he followed the trail of books, picking up each one to examine it. Their covers were an assortment of different colors, and each of them covered different topics, history, plants, animals, medicine, magic, you name it!

If Sunburst at all expected anything as he followed the trail of books, he didn't show it. He just stopped every few steps to pick up another book for what seemed like a long time. But at last, the trail ended. Without even noticing it, Sunburst had found himself inside the crystal palace, namely what appeared to be the ballroom. And now that he had a chance to look all around, he could see that it had clearly been redecorated. "What's going on here?" He asked in confusion.

Suddenly, from a massive cake that had been wheeled next to Sunburst, a pink coated earth pony mare sprang up and shouted "Surprise!", as she proceeded to stuff a party blower into Sunburst's mouth.

Sunburst spit the party blower out in surprise. "Wha-" He began, the words slow to form.

With a broad smile on his face, Shining stepped forward and said to Sunburst. "I wasn't there for your last party, Sunburst. And I don't know how well it turned out, but what I DO know, is that you have more self worth than you'll ever give yourself credit for. Just look around you, look at how many ponies came to this party, just because they wanted to get to know you."

"But... but..." Sunburst stuttered, struggling to comprehend this whole thing. At last, he found the words he wanted to use. "But I'm not Princess Celestia's student anymore, or a big, important wizard. I'm a nopony, just a washed up hasben and magic school reject." He insisted.

Shining shook his head. "You think anypony cares about any of that, Sunburst? Friends don't care if you're famous or not, true friends care about you for who you are as an individual, not because of what you may be to the rest of the world. Besides, how many ponies do you know who can claim to have be a student of one of the princesses?"

"I... don't know what to say," Sunburst commented, tears forming in his eyes. "After I pushed everypony away and tried to become something I ultimately couldn't become, I thought for sure nopony would ever care about me again. I thought my life wasn't important to anyone anymore."

"Well, it is now," Shining smiled, approaching Sunburst and putting a hoof around him. "I'm sorry if I wasn't there to support you the first time you put yourself out there for all of Equestria to see. But I'm here for you now, and so are all your friends. 8-bit, Gaffer, and Poindexter, they never gave up on you, even when you did. And I guarantee you that Princess Celestia feels the same way. She cared about you so much, she worried that you might harbor resentment or hard feelings over your time together as teacher and student."

"Well, you can tell her... that's not true!" Sunburst said firmly, tears flowing from his eyes without stopping. "If anything, you can tell her I'm sorry that I made her worry. Thank you, Shining. Thank you for not giving up on me!" Then, after embracing Shining in a hug he said proudly. "Now come on, everypony! Let's party! Right?"

"Right!" Pinkie happily replied, shooting off her party cannon!

* * *

The party lasted for several hours, with tons of party games, lots of music and sugary confections, and of course a lot of fun that was had by all involved. Eventually, however, the party came to a conclusion, and all involved dispersed.

Shining was the last one to do so, but even though it was late at night and he should feel tired, he felt lighter than air. He doubted there were a lot of moments where he truly felt as good as he did now.

" _I won't have any trouble falling asleep tonight. I'll write that letter to Princess Celestia telling her the good news, first thing tomorrow._ " Shining thought to himself, as he approached the bedroom, ready for a good night's rest.

However, upon entering, Shining was most surprised to find Cadence waiting for him with a massive grin on her face. "I've been waiting to tell you this for a while now, Shining. It's a very big surprise. Can you guess what it is?" She asked her husband, staring at him with a look that could rival even Pinkie Pie's in terms of excitement.

Shining shook his head, he was terrible at these guessing games. "Just tell it to me straight, Cadence," He insisted. "I've got a lot on my mind as it is."

Cadence just smiled, and hugged her husband tightly, as she proudly exclaimed. "I'm pregnant, we're going to be parents!"

"Oh, is that all? And here I thought it was something important." Shining teased.

"Oh, you're no fun!" Cadence teased back. "Aren't you excited at the idea of us having a little pony of our own to take care of? A little bundle of joy that we'll be able to tell stories to, and play games with."

"And all the inevitable headaches parenting will bring," Shining joked a bit. "I'm happy, Cadence, really I am. But I'm also worried."

"Why is that, Shining? You think something's gonna happen to me during childbirth, or that our child is gonna turn out wrong?" Cadence asked with concern.

"No, no, no, nothing of the sort," Shining said with a shake of his head, and he then explained. "It's just that, I've made a lot of enemies over the years. And I mean a **LOT**! I'm worried that one of them may inevitably try to get to me, by hurting you, or our child, or you and our child. And if that ever happened, nothing would stop me from defending my family! I just have to hope that, despite our lives, and despite the enemies I've made, our child will be able to grow up and have something of a normal life."

Cadence giggled, playfully ribbing her husband. "Relax, I'm sure we'll have nothing to worry about. We've been through a lot together as a couple, parenthood should be a piece of cake to say defeating the likes of Queen Chrysalis and King Sombra," Then she put a hoof to her chin as she wondered. "So, how do we go about breaking the news to everypony, including Twilight?"

"You just leave my sister to me, I'll break the news to her in my own way." Shining said with a wink.


	110. Chapter 110: Manehattan Mystery

Twilight was practically beside herself when she heard the news about Cadence's pregnancy, in fact she jumped up and down repeatedly as she happily exclaimed! "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, YES! I'm gonna be an aunt! Auntie Twily!"

"Settle down, Twily," Shining had cautioned. "Cadence won't be due for several months still. In fact, we don't even know if it's gonna be a boy or a girl yet."

But Twilight didn't get her enthusiasm under control for several weeks. In that time, a lot happened. Rarity opened up a second boutique in Canterlot, Rainbow Dash got a chance to fly with the Wonderbolts, and another Sisterhooves Social came and went (with quite the unexpected development when Applejack was called away to Manehattan just a day prior). And of course, plans were already well under way for Nightmare Night celebrations, the Apple family volunteering to take charge of the annual haunted corn maze.

Amidst all of these and many other happenings, Shining had very little time to be worried about the map, or trying to understand it. He had enough on his plate as it was just worrying about Cadence, and about himself. " _I should probably talk to Mom and Dad sometime in the near future. They might be able to give me some parenting advice,_ " He thought. " _If nothing else, they might have some old foal supplies they'd be willing to part with. And some interesting stories to share._ "

Then one day, as Shining was busy sorting through his mail (including updates from Cadence on how the pregnancy was coming along), he heard his sister calling out. "Shining, you'd better come take a look at this."

Shining rushed to the source of his sister's voice, which just so happened to be the map room, or the throne room as it had come to be called. Upon entering, his eyes soon discovered what had prompted his sister's call.

The map was lit up, and surrounding the city of Manehattan, were the familiar cutie marks of Big Macintosh and Fancy Pants. "Another map mission already?" Shining commented. "Seems like the last one wasn't all that long ago. I guess time flies when you've got stuff to occupy your mind."

"I'll say," Fancy Pants commented in reply, as he and Big Macintosh entered the room, cutie marks glowing brightly. "Seems like I just got done sorting things out with Sassy Saddles after Canterlot Carousel's opening, and now I've got this to worry about."

Big Macintosh seemed a bit more excited, at least in regards to location. "I was hopin' I'd get the chance to unwind for a bit after my stint as Orchard Blossom at the Sisterhooves Social. The things I do for the sake of my little sister."

Fancy Pants had a good chortle at the comment. "Ah yes, that was quite the 'performance' you put on and you really didn't need to do so. Had I known, I'd have gladly filled in for Miss. Rarity and run the social with Sweetie Belle. A pity she and Fleur had to help Sassy with an unexpected surge of customers. Still, why would the map call ponies like you and I to Manehattan of all places?"

Big Macintosh smiled. "I can't speak for you, but when I was younger my folks would often take me on trips to Manehattan to seem some of my cousins, especially the Oranges. In fact, we often joked about Manehattan bein' 'The Big Apple' 'cause so many Apple family members lived there," To Fancy Pants he then asked. "Why aren't you happy about bein' called to Manehattan? I thought a pony like you was right at home in a big city like that."

Fancy Pants shook his head. "Although I was born and raised a city pony, I've always felt myself to be more at home in the countryside and humble little towns. Even my dear wife Fleur was part of that. I met her on a trip to a village in Eastern Equestria, a very beautiful place. There, she was a princess among her fellow ponies in all but name. Yet since we were married, she's been a social butterfly, blending in nicely with the uppercrusts of Canterlot with little trouble. Whereas I've had to struggle just to maintain an image of tranquility in their faces. A city like Manehattan is just as off putting to me as Canterlot. Still, I suppose we've been called and it would be irresponsible to decline the invite."

"You guys go ahead," Shining Armor encouraged. "I'd like to go, but I'm booked for the next several days. I'm going to be gone to Canterlot to see my parents and help train some of the newest members of the royal guard. Then I'm going to go back to the Crystal Empire to be with Cadence while we get everything set up for the baby. I probably won't be back in Ponyville for at least a week if not longer."

"That's probably for the best anyway," Big Macintosh agreed. "We don't know where exactly in Manehattan our help's gonna be needed. Best we don't potentially make a bad situation worse."

"Then it looks like it's off to Manehattan for you and I," Fancy Pants added. "Fitting, I can't remember the last time we were together on our own, but I'm sure it's been quite long. Wonder if we'll run into any familiar faces or anything?"

* * *

Unsure of where in Manehattan to begin their search, Big Macintosh and Fancy Pants decided it would probably be best to start their search from the train station, and scour the city district by district until they found what they needed. Big Mac would even make arrangements with some of his cousins to let him and Fancy stay the night, in case they didn't find the friendship problem on their first day.

The locals were of little help, they all had the same answers. "I'm far too busy to worry myself with somepony else's friendship problems.", "I have no problems with any of my friends.", or even "In a city like this, who really has time for friendship?"

To be fair, some of the locals were friendlier, but even they had no knowledge about any disturbances or friendship problems anywhere in the city. Assuming there even _was_ one.

Hours ticked by slowly with no progress, and both stallions found themselves baffled. "You don't suppose there's a chance the map could be wrong, do you?" Fancy Pants pondered to Big Macintosh, as the sun began to set in the west. "We've been up and down several inches of the city, and we've nothing to show for it."

"We can't give up, not til we've searched every inch of the city at least twice!" Big Mac vowed. "I have a feelin' the answer's starin' us right in the face and we just can't see it yet."

"But where could it be?" Fancy Pants wondered aloud. "It's not as if the friendship problem is just gonna be dropped into our lap!"

But almost immediately after saying that, Fancy Pants ended up nearly bumping into a familiar white coated earth pony mare with a pale light cyan mane and tail with light opal stripes, and eyes an innocent light cyan in color, not to mention the familiar cutie mark of a pink feathered hat. Accompanying her was a familiar light grey coated earth pony stallion about the same size as the mare, along with a plain grey mane and tail, and pale blue eyes, not to mention a cutie mark depicting two silver bits. "Oh, hello again, Mr. Fancy Pants, sir," The mare greeted with a smile. "What a coincidence running into you here."

"Coco Pommel!" Fancy gasped. "It's been a while! I trust you're no longer working for Suri, correct?"

Coco nodded. "Please, just Miss. Pommel will do, thank you," She instructed, shaking Fancy Pants' hoof. "And this is my new assistant and trusted partner, he told me his name is Silver Shill."

"Silver Shill?!" Big Macinotsh exclaimed. "I hope you're workin' for an honest pay and an honest cause now."

Silver Shill nodded, and his smile seemed to be brimming with a confidence he hadn't displayed when last he and Big Mac had talked. "Indeed I am. I reckoned I needed a fresh start, and Manehattan was just the place to do so. After all, it _was_ my home before I went on the road with that 'fake tonic' stuff I regret."

"We were just in the process of hoofing out flyers," Coco explained, as she pulled one out from her saddlebag. "It's to promote the grand return of _Charity Kindheart's Late Night Charity Theater_. We're hoping to raise money to fix up the old park and the surrounding neighborhood, it's fallen onto hard times."

"When I came back to the district after all my time spent traveling with Flim and Flam, the whole place was falling apart," Silver Shill added, his tone of voice indicating one of deep sadness and regret. "The buildings haven't been renovated for over a decade, and most of them are old and crumbling. A lot of ponies are finding it hard to just put food on the table. The street lights don't work. And even something that used to reliable like the trash collecting, has become less and less frequent. If not for Miss. Pommel here taking me on as the secretary for her business, I'd still be looking for a job."

"Many of my earliest Manehattan experiences were working directly with Charity Kindheart herself," Coco added. "She seemed to embody the heart of this city, even in its darkest days. But when she retired to spend more time with her grandkids, there was nopony there to take up the mantle and continue what she'd started. Until now, that is!" With a firey passion in her eyes the young mare explained. "I'm hoping to get the Method Mares to participate in the play tomorrow night, a dramatic recreation of Charity's earliest years in this big city. But my flyers have been up for at least two days now, and they haven't attracted a single volunteer."

Big Macintosh and Fancy Pants looked across to each other. Could this be the big friendship problem they'd been called to solve?

After some hesitation, it was Fancy Pants spoke quite firmly. "Well, consider _us_ your first volunteers, Coco. I hope you won't mind me calling you that. Miss. Pommel is a nice, formal name. But to me, you'll always be Coco."

Coco smiled, and shook Fancy's hoof. "Oh, thank you! Thank you both! You have _no_ idea how much this means to me! I promise you, you won't regret this!"

"I'm sure we won't," Big Macintosh agreed. "And I reckon I can get some of my cousins around these here parts to pitch in too. I remember hearin' stories from 'em 'bout Charity Kindheart, heck I think there was this one time she payed a visit to my folks while we were stayin' here for the winter. No doubt about it, you bet our boots Fancy Pants and I are just the volunteers you need!"

"Oh, I don't actually wear boots," Coco replied with an innocent smile. "I find that they chafe my calf when I walk, very uncomfortable."

Even Silver Shill tried hard not to groan. "You _do_ realize that's just an expression, right?" He asked Coco.

Coco blushed, trying not to look too embarrassed. "Oh, I knew that. I did. Really." She insisted. Nopony said a word.

* * *

With Fancy and Big Mac agreeing to be volunteers, Coco allowed them to stay the night at her apartment. It was a simple two story structure, with a balcony overlooking the park and the surrounding streets. Just a simple glance out the window was enough to indicate that the landscape had fallen into disarray. The park was full of overgrown roots, neglected grass, and a stage that looked ready to collapse at a moment's notice. The surrounding buildings were full of chipped or faded paint. It looked like the life had gone of this city block, and the few ponies out and about this late at night seemed to reflect it with their looks of anger and discontent.

Coco sighed. "This place has been my home for so long, and it pains me to see it so void of the bright colors and friendly faces it used to have. Booking the Method Mares was a long shot to begin with, if I can't get the park ready for them by tomorrow evening, all of my work will be nothing."

"Now Coco, it doesn't do good to dwell on the negatives for so long," Silver Shill cautioned. "We've already got two eager volunteers, and more will be on the way. Right, Big Mac?"

Big Mac nodded firmly. "Eeyup," He confirmed. "I just got a letter back from my cousin Babs Seed, she's sure her folks and her big sister will happy to help, as will she. And the Oranges are comin' too, they wouldn't miss the revival of _Charity Kindheart's Late Night Charity Theater_ for the world!"

"And I reckon I could assist with the dresses, and the decor for the stage," Fancy Pants added. "Big Mac and the Apples can probably get the park cleaned up and the stage fixed in no time."

"Actually, I'm going to need some models for the dresses, to be sure they fit and look good," Coco cautioned. "I don't really have much of a budget, and most of what I _did_ have went toward booking the Method Mares for the performance. I've just barely got enough left to pay the rent for the next month. Part of the reason I worked for Suri as long as I did, was because being her assistant was the only thing that payed the bills. I'm just lucky I had a small investment saved up for when I decided to walk away."

Silver gave Coco a few comforting strokes on the back. "That's why you have me now, Coco. I'm here to help you any way I can. I promise, even once this production comes and goes, I'll stick by your side. I'm certain I can find a good enough paying job that'll enable us to keep doing this."

Coco found herself almost at a loss for words. "Silver, you really don't have to do that for me. I'll be fine on my own."

Silver wouldn't hear another word of that, he firmly shook his head. "Not a chance, Coco, my dear. Running into you was the best thing that's ever happened in my life, and I care too much about repaying your kindness and generosity to let you struggle on your own."

Fancy and Big Mac both smiled at this scene, it was perhaps the best glimmer of hope they had in what they were certain would be an uphill battle. But come what may, they weren't going to give up without a fight. The map had called them to Manehattan for this very reason no doubt, and they were not about to go back to Ponyville as failures. Not if they could help it!

* * *

The next day, all four ponies in the apartment woke bright and early. They knew they had less than twenty four hours to get everything ready, and they had a _lot_ to do. Almost as soon as the Apples arrived, everyone was split up into two groups. Coco and Fancy Pants stayed at the apartment with the Apples and the Oranges, in order to test model the dresses that were to be worn by the Method Mares that very evening. Meanwhile, Big Macintosh and Silver Shill headed out to the park.

"So, should we focus on the stage first, or do some gardening?" Silver Shill asked his partner. "It looks like both will take quite some time."

"The stage _is_ in pretty bad shape," Big Mac commented, eyeing the rickety wooden platform that was full of rotted wood and splintered planks, it seemed like a miracle that it hadn't collapsed yet. Then he looked at the park grass riddled with thick weeds, hastily uprooted plants, and grass that itself seemed to have gone days or even weeks with little water. "But we can't worry 'bout that right now, it'll just have to wait. What good is a stage if the landscape around it ain't any good? We need this whole place to look presentable tonight, not just the stage."

"B-but I don't know anything about lawn care!" Silver Shill protested.

"Then now's as good a time as any to start learnin'!" Big Mac said firmly. "Come on, I'll help show ya what to do! 'Two heads are better than one!' as they always say! And this'll go a lot quicker if we both do our part."

Luckily, it seemed that the park at least had _someone_ that had taken care of it once upon a time. For the two earth pony stallions soon found a shed that housed all the tools a gardener could need: Shears for cutting weeds and overgrown roots, a lawnmower to cut the tall grass down to size, and a few portable sprinklers for fast irrigation.

It was a long and exhausting process, but as the day wore on the two stallions steadily made progress in the park. Getting rid of the weeds and hastily uprooted plants, removing any litter they came across, cutting the grass short, and managing to get enough water to turn the grass back to a lush green. They stopped only for a lunch break, and an hour after they'd come back from said break, the park itself seemed better than it had ever been before.

But now came the matter of the stage, which seemed to have gone years if not decades without use or maintenance. Still, the two stallions were determined to give it their best effort. "Let's see what we can do here, maybe things won't be so bad?" Big Mac suggested.

Unfortunately, Big Mac was all but wrong. Just replacing all the wood took a very long time, and that only covered the foundation of the stage. That didn't even begin to cover the paint, curtains, and even the set pieces left over from the last production to have utilized the stage and had been abandoned and ignored.

Just as sunset was approaching, Big Mac and Silver Shill were taking a brief break from working on the stage. And at that very moment, Fancy Pants, Coco, and the Method Mares, all showed up. They took one look at the hastily held together stage, and their looks conveyed it all. They had anticipated a functioning, refurbished stage, ready for use on short notice. Instead, they saw a stage that even with new planks and a fresh coat of paint, barely seemed to be holding itself together.

Big Mac sighed. "Look, I know this looks bad, but Silver Shill and I are workin' as hard as we can." He answered, before he accidentally planted a hoof in one of the paint buckets.

"We tried Coco, really we did," Silver Shill apologized. "The park itself didn't take too long, and it looks better than ever. It's just that this stage was in worse shape than we thought. If we'd known, I'd have started working sooner to get it fixed up."

Fancy Pants just frowned. "You two did your best. With more time and effort, maybe it would've been possible to get this stage fixed up in time for the performance tonight. As it stands, we simply cannot use it. The curtains are in an appalling state, and it seems like few if any of the pull ropes and wires work."

"And I went through all this trouble of booking the Methods Mare, yet we don't even have a stage for them," Coco sighed, hanging her head in defeat. "What was I thinking? I'm no Charity Kindheart, I can't do what she did, especially not with a shoestring budget and so few volunteers! It was stupid of me to think this outcome wasn't inevitable. This district's been this way for years, there was no way I could just magically make it all better!"

Those very words stirred up very strong feelings inside Big Mac. With a look of determination in his eyes, he marched right up to Coco and said to her. "Now don't you go sayin' that, Miss. Pommel. Look at all that you've already accomplished just settin' up for this! The Method Mares are in town, the park itself is lookin' better than ever, and even this here stage is on the mend, it just needed a few more days of spit and polish to be useful!"

"But without a stage, how can I hope to put on a play? Let alone attract a crowd for a charity performance?" Coco asked with concern. "If Charity Kindheart were here, she'd already have a solution. I had no 'Plan B', this stage was the only place I could think of that would hold a charity theater on such short notice."

"And as they say in the show business: 'The show must go on!'" Fancy Pants vowed. "Stage or no stage, we're going to have a performance!"

"How are we gonna do that?" Coco asked, this time in confusion. "Without a stage, how do you expect to keep the Method Mares _and_ the charity theater?"

"Well, I reckon we've still got some time," Fancy commented to Coco. "The show isn't slated to begin until sundown. I think that's just enough time to put together a suitable stage outside the park."

"Can we actually do that?" Silver Shill asked, hopefully.

The determined look registered clearly in his eyes, Big Mac vowed. "We're sure as sugar gonna try! Now let's stop talkin' and start doin'!"

* * *

It took some effort, but with the help of the Method Mares and the remaining volunteers, the group was able to get a functioning theater assembled and properly decorated in time for sundown. Right on cue, a few curious patrons showed up and took their seats.

"Should we go ahead and start?" One of the Method Mares asked, and all Coco could do was nod.

The play unfolded, detailing the early years of Charity Kindheart in the city of Manehattan. In particular, why she'd come to the city and how she made a name for herself. "Excuse me. I'm Charity Kindheart. I'm here about the open design position," The mare dressed up to resemble Charity spoke, her tones sounding like that of a polished actor. "I brought some samples of my work. I'm sorry I'm late. I had the hardest time finding my way here," The audience watched as Charity started tearing up and proclaiming. "I just moved here from Baltimare, and I keep getting mixed up by all the street names! I had a map, but I dropped it in a puddle, which only made the street names harder to read!"

As the play went on, more ponies stopped by, including those who hadn't originally planned to be there that night. One mare stopped there with her colt when the play caught his eye. A young couple were attracted by the sounds of the performance, and learning that it was the prestigious method mares who were performing only gave them motivation to stay. Even some non ponies found their way into the audience, not that anyone seemed to mind.

As for the play, the story resumed with Charity Kindheart ultimately meeting a pony named Mrs. Pearblossom, who put Charity to work designing costumes for Bridleway plays.

"Charity, dear, is that you?" The mare performing as Mrs. Pearblossom asked.

The story saw Charity accidentally bump into Mrs. Pearblossom and knock her designs to the floor. "Hello, Mrs. Pearblossom! I didn't see—oops!" She apologized.

Mrs. Pearblossom simply replied to Charity. "Oh, let me help you, dear. Are these the costumes you've been working on?"

Charity nodded, showing off her currently unfinished works. "Yes, I was supposed to be finished by now, but there's just so much to do, and I still have a few last-minute alterations to make before opening night! I'm sorry I couldn't get enough tickets for everypony in the neighborhood," She apologized, and then added. "I hope Mr. Pearblossom wasn't too disappointed about that. I know _Trotter on the Roof_ is one of his favorites. No doubt he was hoping for a sold out crowd."

Mrs. Pearblossom only shook her head. "Oh, my dear filly, don't worry about that. We're so proud of you. And we shall be with you in spirit!"

"Thank you!" Charity responded, all but hugging Mrs. Pearblossom. "You've all made me feel so welcome here and have become like family to me! I just wish I could find a way to share this experience with you and the others!"

The story of the play went on for a while, but it ended in a way that seemed fitting for the mare it was about. "So nice of you to put on this play for the neighborhood." Mrs. Pearblossom said to Charity with a broad smile.

"Well, I couldn't have done it without everypony's help! I know it's not Bridleway, but—" Charity began, only to be cut off.

"Oh, pish-tosh! It's perfect, dear!" Mrs. Pearblossom insisted, and the play ended there amidst thunderous applause.

* * *

Coco couldn't believe it when the Method Mares called her up on the stage, and that the audience was still there, waiting to hear what she had to say. Needless to say, it was a real struggle for the mare to hold back her tears of joy. "Thank you all so much for coming, especially on such short notice," She happily proclaimed. "And I hope that through your generous contributions, we can all work together to make this a yearly thing, and bring new life to this community," She waited for the applause to die down, before she added. "I could've never done this without the help of three very special ponies, to them all I owe a great debt of thanks," One by one, Silver, Fancy, and Big Mac, all came out on the stage, and Coco introduced each one. "Silver Shill, who believed in me before anyone else did and became my first volunteer. Without his encouragement, I'd have never even gotten past trying to book the Method Mares. Fancy Pants, who helped literally iron out the flaws of my costumes, and helped put this stage together when the one in the park couldn't be restored in time. And finally, Big Macintosh, who worked tirelessly to get everything ready in the span of a day. He motivated me not to give up even when it seemed all my hard work had been for nothing. Their help and support made this play possible, I feel it's only right to give credit where credit is due."

Fancy Pants and Big Macintosh just smiled, while Silver huddled close to Coco in a passionate embrace. When the performance was finally over, and the Method Mares had gone home, both Fancy and Big Mac were surprised to see that a lot of ponies were still there, willing to talk to them. "I used to think I didn't have time to really do anything for the community," A finely dressed stallion told them. "But after seeing this spectacular performance here tonight, I've come to realize that I _can_ make a difference!"

"Well, it doesn't have to be a big commitment," Big Macintosh replied to the stallion. "Even simply donatin' money to a good cause, or volunteerin' in some of your spare time will make a difference. Maybe not as big or noticeable as what happened here tonight, but still a change for the better. Even the smallest of changes, in time, can make a big impact. For example, there's still a lot that needs to be done with the park. It could use a more reliable groundskeeper, and perhaps a new stage. At the least the old one still needs a lot of fixin' up."

"And there are plenty of drab looking buildings around here that could definitely benefit from some spit and polish," Fancy Pants added. "Speaking from experience, I can say that you'd be surprised at what a new coat of paint and a few renovations can do for a place that once seemed so void of life. All that matters is you taking the time to make a difference in your community."

"Thank you, I shall certainly do that," The stallion replied, tipping his hat. "Perhaps if more ponies like me care enough, we can turn this neighborhood around." And with that he departed.

Coco and Silver were next to approach the two stallions, and Coco looked like she'd never been happier in her life. Her eyes were all aglow, and there seemed to be this unshakeably bright smile on her face. "Seriously, you guys are life savers. That's twice now you've changed my life for the better. First in giving me the courage to stand up to Suri and strike out on my own, and now in helping to make this charity a smashing success."

"I knew you had it in you all along, Coco," Silver commented, nudging her a bit. "Though I'm glad you got that confidence boost from these friends of ours. It's like you've got an impeccable sense of timing or something."

Fancy and Big Mac laughed while shrugging the backs of their necks with their hooves. If they told Coco and Silver about their glowing cutie mark signals and the table map, the two doubted they'd be taken seriously. "Well, I guess it was just a happy coincidence," Fancy answered, trying his best to keep a straight face. "And it seems you two have a promising future together. I think you'll be very happy in your relationship."

Silver and Coco blushed bright red, as Silver nervously laughed. "Uh, it's a bit early to be thinking about all of that. For now, we're just content to be good friends. But if we ever _do_ get engaged, you two will probably be the first ones to know."

"R-right, Silver," Coco stuttered, her blush slowly fading. "Come on, let's go see if we can recruit any volunteers for our next community project."

As soon as Coco and Silver were out of sight, Big Mac and Fancy could feel a tingling sensation on their flanks. They turned to look (after making sure no one else was around to see them do it) and when they did they saw that their cutie marks were indeed glowing. "I still can _never_ get used to this," Big Mac commented to Fancy. "But it looks like our work here is done."

"Indeed it is," Fancy agreed. "And I must say, I've actually grown to quite like a big city like this. I'm thinking that if business does well enough for Fancy and Rarity Enterprises, we might just have to establish a third boutique here." And then the two stallions set off to see if they could book a train back to Ponyville. If not, they'd have to wait until morning.


	111. Chapter 111: Feud Between Families

Just days after his little brother and his friends the Cutie Mark Crusaders had gotten their cutie marks, Thunderlane was paying a visit to Zecora. As it turned out, the zebra's old hut had been burnt to the ground during Tirek's rampage, everything inside it had been a total loss. But although she hadn't been granted a crystal castle as a replacement, Zecora was able to eventually find a new tree that was serving as her new hut.

Thunderlane was currently helping Zecora unpack some boxes, which contained what few important items Zecora had been able to salvage when her old home was destroyed. "I'm really sorry about what happened, Zecora. We were so caught up in our victory over Tirek, none of us thought about what he'd laid waste to during his brief rampage," Thunderlane apologized to the zebra. "If we had, maybe we could've been able to do something to save your hut, instead of you having to move into a new one."

Zecora only shook her head. "What happened when Tirek attacked was very tragic, but I am just glad he didn't get away with all Equestrian magic. All that I lost, I can replace. I am relieved to know his rampage you helped to erase."

"Still, I really wish there was more we could've done," Thunderlane said sincerely. "What if you'd been hurt, or worse? We really should've been there for you, but all we could think about was ourselves."

"There was nothing that any of you could do," Zecora told Thunderlane. "Just be glad that only the library was destroyed too. With time I have moved on from my plight, and I sense the same shall help ease your fright."

Thunderlane sighed, but he knew Zecora made a good point. "I guess you're right, Zecora. Tirek's in the past, and now he's back in Tartarus where he belongs. I should focus on the future, 'cause it's looking brighter than ever. Not only is Discord finally back to his old chaotic self again, but now my brother has his cutie mark, and yours truly is a Wonderbolt reserve. And of course, Shining Armor's gonna be a daddy soon. Cadence should be due in another month or two he says."

Just then, Thunderlane's cutie mark began to glow, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Zecora. "Thunderlane, what is happening to your cutie mark? It's glowing so brightly, it could light up the dark?" She asked with concern, which was something that the zebra rarely showed.

Thunderlane looked at his flank, and sure enough it was glowing brightly. "Oh, that," He said with a laugh. "Don't worry about that, Zecora, it's perfectly natural. It just means the map's calling me somewhere and I must answer. Sorry I can't stay and chat." And with that, Thunderlane took off.

* * *

Shining Armor was waiting for Thunderlane when he arrived, and eagerly showed off his glowing cutie mark as well. "Isn't this exciting?!" He happily exclaimed! "You and I, on our first ever map mission together!"

"Oh, so _you_ were called by the map too? Thank goodness," Thunderlane said with a sigh of relief, as he accompanied Shining to the throne room. "So, where are we off to? Not that I have any preferences or anything but if possible I'd like it to be somewhere where I can keep in touch with the Wonderbolts, just in case something comes up and they need a reserve."

"Actually, I haven't checked yet, my cutie mark just started glowing a few minutes ago," Shining explained. "Come on, let's not waste anymore time."

The two stallions entered the throne room, and they found their cutie marks circling over a mountain rage off towards the southeast. "Hey, I think I know that place," Thunderlane suddenly spoke up. "If I'm not mistake, those are the famous Smokey Mountains."

"Indeed they are, I've been reading up on them since I saw them on the map," Twilight proudly beamed. "The mountains are surrounded by a fertile valley that's blooming with flowers and practically overflowing with wildlife."

"Doesn't sound like it's very occupied, how could there be a friendship problem there?" Thunderlane wondered aloud. "Seems more like Fluttershy's kind of place. I do like nature, but I can't speak to animals the same way she does."

"Well, the map's calling us and nopony else, and it hasn't been wrong before," Shining commented in reply. "Considering how out of date the information about Griffonstone was, there's probably a good chance we'll find traces of civilization in the Smokey Mountains. Otherwise, why would the map call us?"

"Hope you don't, I took the liberty of packing your supplies for the trip," Twilight said with a smile, as she ushered the two stallions over to two pairs of heavily stuffed saddle bags. "I made sure to include all the necessities."

"And by necessities you mean-" Shining began.

Twilight blushed before she explained. "Snacks, books, blankets, books..."

"Wait, you just said books twice." Thunderlane corrected.

"That's because there are a lot of books," Twilight sheepishly replied. "You don't _have_ to take them all with you if you don't want. It's just, I really wish I could go along with you guys. It seems like I don't get to do much of anything with you anymore."

"You mean like when Queen Chrysalis trapped you and Cadence in the caves beneath Canterlot?" Shining pointed out.

"Or when you had to put up a barrier to keep King Sombra out of the Crystal Empire?" Thunderlane added.

"Well, okay, so maybe not something like _that_ ," Twilight corrected. "But all the same I haven't been on an adventure in a long time. And it seems like those map missions are always so exciting, Griffonstone and the Smokey Mountains especially since they sound like such wonderful places to visit."

Shining tried his best not to notice the longing face his sister was projecting, it just made him feel guilty. "Tell you what, Twily," He told his sister, lightly stroking her mane. "Once the baby arrives and I'm sure Cadence has everything under control, you and I can go on an adventure of our own together. Think of it as one of our sibling bonding activities we used to do when we were little. Okay?"

"Okay, B.B.B.F.F," Twilight nodded. "Now, you and Thunderlane should probably get going. According to the books I've read, the Smokey Mountains are best accessed via hot air balloon."

* * *

Shining and Thunderlane were glad to find that the only hot air balloon in Ponyville wasn't in use when they borrowed it, though both considered themselves fairly good flyers, neither of them were willing to exhaust themselves flying all the way to the Smokey Mountains.

But when they approached the mountains, both stallions were shocked and dismayed at what they saw! The beautiful landscape they'd expected to see was all but gone, most of the land seemed to have fallen into decay and there didn't seem to be many animals out and about for what was supposed to be just before noon. "What happened here? This isn't at all like Twilight described it." Thunderlane commented with concern.

"I have a feeling the answer's down there, look!" Shining exclaimed, pointing a hoof. His attention was drawn to two enclosures resting on the top of hills on opposite sides of the valley. On the left side was what looked like a farm, complete with straw roofs and stick buildings. On the right side was what appeared to be a giant fortress, made mostly of stones but with a wooden fence surrounding the property.

Suddenly, there came a shout, and a pumpkin could be see hurling through the air! It appeared to have been launched from the left side of the valley, and was heading straight towards the right side of the valley. A retaliatory response soon followed from the right side, aimed at the left side. And it wasn't just pumpkins that were being tossed about, all sorts of fruits and vegetables were being thrown back and forth like some kind of food fight.

"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Both Shining and Thunderlane wondered out loud. And then, to make matters worse, a stray pumpkin crossed their path! Both stallions ducked, as the pumpkin whizzed past their ears! A second pumpkin however, struck the side of the balloon, somehow managing to open up a hole in it!

Reacting quickly, Shining and Thunderlane bailed out and flew to safety, as the balloon crashed to the ground! "Well, there goes our only ride back home." Thunderlane remarked unhappily.

"We can't worry about that right now, Thunderlane, we've gotta get out of this food fight and figure out just what the hay's going on!" Shining instructed, as they both landed on the ground near the hilltop on the left side of the valley.

A whole bunch of earth ponies were out in front, many of them sporting coats various shades of brown, and manes and tails various shades of red. One pony in particular who stood out, was an elderly mare with a dusty brownish-white mane and tail styled somewhat poofy. She had dull blue eyes, two buck teeth sticking out, a cutie mark depicting a pumpkin, a red scarf, and a dull blue shirt with a white collar and sleeves. "That's it, Hooffields, show 'em we're not to be trifled with! We're gonna paint their hilltop red with tomatoes, that'll teach 'em not to mess with us!"

"Uh, excuse me," Shining spoke up, clearing his throat. "Whoever you are, your fighting caused the balloon my friend and I were traveling in to crash."

"And we were hoping you might be able to tell us what's going on here and if there's any sort of friendship problem anypony might be having," Thunderlane added. "If you wouldn't mind telling us, that is."

Surprisingly, it was the old mare who turned around to greet her guests. "Hooffields, hold your fire, we've got guests!" She then grumpily introduced herself. "Name's Mama Hooffield, head of the Hooffield family. Whadya two want? Make it quick, will ya? As you can see, we're in the midst of pumpkinin' and tomatoin' our neighbors. Those McColts will be beggin' for mercy by the end of the day, I can guarantee ya that."

"What?!" Both Shining and Thunderlane exclaimed together.

"Hm, you sure don't act like spies, and ya stick out too obviously to be spies," Mama Hooffield remarked. "Just who in sam hill are ya? Ya ain't from around these here parts, or are ya?"

"We're Thunderlane and Prince Shining Armor," Shining Armor introduced, bowing to Mama Hooffield. "We're terribly sorry to intrude. madam, but as I said you kind of caused our only method of transit to crash. If you wouldn't mind, could you tell us why you're hurling fruits and vegetables at your neighbors?"

Mama Hooffield snorted. "I'll tell ya, why, prince. Those blasted McColts disgraced our family name long ago, and they ain't ever apologized for it! Our great, great, great, great grandfather trusted those McColts and they stole all his crops. And that was just the beginin', since then we Hooffields have been fightin' to get those McColts to pay for their insults. We've bombarded 'em with everythin' we can grow here, but they just come back and smash up all our buildin''s. Course, we Hooffields are farmers, not builders, so it's not like it takes much to knock down what we build, but that just makes them McColts even more cowardly. Today's gonna be different though, we've got a bumper crop on our hooves, and we're about to make it rain!"

"So, you and your neighbors have been locked into a feud with each other for generations?" Thunderlane asked Mama Hooffield. "Seems a tad bit silly to me. I know I didn't always get along with all my neighbors, and heck I like to hold a grudge for a good couple of minutes every now and then. But even I don't see the point of fighting nonstop like this."

"That's just the kind of sissy talk I'd expect from outsiders like you two," Mama Hooffield remarked. "Look, I'm real sorry 'bout your balloon, boys, really I am. We Hooffields always aim to hit the McColts, but never innocent bystanders, not that we've ever had bystanders before. The McColts on the other hoof, they're the ones who might pull that kind of dirty trick. The pumpkin came from _their_ side of the valley. Why don't you go take it up with them and leave us Hooffields to feud in peace?"

* * *

And that's exactly what Shining and Thunderlane did (though not before Thunderlane rescued a couple of mice that had wandered into one of the pumpkins that was about to be fired, none of the McColts had seemed to be aware of it). Soon they were on the other side of the valley, approaching the fortress that housed the McColt family. In fact, fortress was more accurate a term than either stallion would've liked. Two guards with coats of alternating dark, dull blue stared down at the stallions and said sternly. "Halt! Who goes there? Friend or foe of the McColts?!"

"A-actually, w-we're not either, s-sirs," Thunderlane gulped. "We just wish to speak to whoever's in charge, we mean no harm."

"But what about your friend? Why he's an alicorn? We don't get a lot of visitors 'round these here parts, and nopony we know is an alicorn." One of the guards demanded.

"I am Prince Shining Armor, the first ever alicorn prince and the official Prince of Friendship," Shining introduced himself. "My friend and I come from Ponyville, we were sent here to solve a friendship problem."

A few seconds later, the giant front doors parted and with great fanfare out stepped a scrawny looking earth pony stallion with a grayish-blue coat, eyes a similar grayish-blue, a thick dark blue beard and short, stubby tail, a greenish-gray ten gallon hat that appeared to have splotches on it for some reason, and blue overalls. "Well, well, well, outsiders come to stick their noses where they don't belong," The stallion spoke in a somewhat gruff voice. "Name's Big Daddy McColt, and as you might have guessed, I'm the head of the McColt family. But you've come at a bit of a bad time, we're in the midst of a feud with our terrible neighbors!" When Big Daddy McColt spoke those words, his voice echoed over the hills and generated sound waves powerful enough to demolish a barn on the other side. "So, ya say you ain't fer us, but are you again us?" He warned in an ominous tone of voice.

"Of course not, we're not associated with the Hooffields," Thunderlane replied firmly. "One of your pumpkins you were flinging back at the Hooffields accidentally struck our balloon and caused it to crash."

"Figures you'd believe them," Big Daddy McColt growled. "Them Hooffields are liars to the core! Our great, great, great, great grandfather believed them, and they repaid him by knockin' down his buildin''s! I suppose we should be grateful though, those Hooffields ain't too bright. They keep throwin' pumpkins and tomatoes at us, thinkin' they're gonna bombard us into submission, but we're happy to catch the crops and fling 'em back. And whatever we don't fling back, we eat. Us McColts are mighty fine builders, but we ain't the best cooks. I reckon it's those darn Hooffields who shot down your balloon like that, we'd never strike at innocent bystanders, not that we've ever had bystanders until now."

"All of this because of something that happened with your great, great, great, great, grandfather?" Thunderlane asked with confusion. "Seems a bit unnecessary to me."

"Thunderlane's right," Shining nodded. "Have you ever considered giving peace a chance? It's quite easy, just find a neutral location and talk things out. I'm sure whatever your differences are, you can come to a reasonable agreement."

But Big Daddy McColt's eyes went wide as he shouted back. "What?! No! The Hooffields would sooner throw their dinners at us than listen, and if it's a fight they want, then it's a fight they're gonna get. So unless you're gonna help us take down the Hooffields and prove us McColts are the rightful occupants of this land, get out of my sight, the McColts don't like pesky outsiders stickin' their noses into other ponies' business."

" _They both seem to think we're with the enemy,_ " Shining thought to himself. " _There must be some way to get them to see sense and listen to me. But how to reach them both at the same time?_ " Then, suddenly, an idea struck him. A simple voice projection spell should work well enough for what he needed to accomplish. Flying up and out of the McColts' fortress, the prince hovered over the center of the valley, and upon casting the spell he said loudly for all to hear. "Attention, Hooffields and McColts. I, Shining Armor, Prince of Friendship, am not on either pony's side. But I can see that all this fighting has accomplished nothing except ruining this once beautiful valley. So I invite you all to stop this silly fighting and come talk to me to discuss peace agreements."

That provoked a response alright, but certainly not the one Shining had expected. All of a sudden, a rain of vegetable projectiles began anew, forcing Shining and Thunderlane to duck into a mound of hay inside the McColts' fortress. "So much for that. I was hoping that would work." He said to himself, as he and Thunderlane dug themselves out once the attack had stopped.

"Well, I'm sure you gave it your best shot, Shining," Thunderlane encouraged, putting a hoof around his friend. "It seems like there's a lot more to this feud than we might have thought."

"That's what I was afraid of," Shining said with a sigh. "Despite being part of the royal guard, I can't stand violence, especially not when it leads to destruction and ruin. But when I joined the royal guard, I knew for a fact that being a pacifist was only going to get me so far. Yet we are what we are, royal guards. Our duty is to protect the princesses and maintain the peace in times of crisis or conflict. We're not peacemakers, and even assuming we were there's only so much that can be done when neither side's willing to listen to reason, and doesn't trust us."

"But we can't give up now," Thunderlane firmly answered. "This _has_ to be what the map called us here for, because I don't see any other ponies around. Heck, I've seen few signs of life outside these two families."

"You think maybe the animals will know what's going on?" Shining asked Thunderlane.

"Maybe, but I'll need your help to find out. Like I said, I can't speak to animals the same way Fluttershy does," Thunderlane explained. "Now, we just have to wait until this Hooffield attack dies down, and then we can slip away while the McColts are busy with their counterattack."

* * *

Shining and Thunderlane didn't have long to wait, the Hooffields ran out of vegetables to attack with in a matter of minutes. "McColts, prepare to counter attack! Show no mercy!" Big Daddy McColt barked out. "Fire the catapults!"

With the McColts busy firing back at the Hooffields, no one noticed either Shining Armor or Thunderlane as they carefully sneaked out of the fortress. But they didn't dare go back to the Hooffields, because chances were they were just going to respond in the same manner as the McColts. The only hope to solve this friendship problem and put an end to the bitter feud, was for the two stallions to find a reliable source about the feud's origin. For once they knew how it had started, they hoped they would know how to end it.

But it seemed like there was no signs of animal life to be found anywhere in the valley, even in what few fertile grounds there remained after decades, perhaps even centuries worth of fighting. Whether this was because the animals were hiding, or because they'd all been scared off, neither pony could tell.

"Where could the animals all be? I know I saw some mice earlier, and there's no way they're the _only_ critters still here." Thunderlane commented.

Shining was looking all around, using his horn to try and uncover any animal tracks that might have been covered up. So far he'd found nothing, not even a lone paw or claw print. " _How could they just vanish without a trace like this? Even if they weren't here anymore, there would surely be signs that they once existed, no?_ " Shining thought to himself, while hoping beyond hope that Thunderlane was correct in his assumption that there were animals here that knew about the source of the feud. Because otherwise, Shining was at a loss as to how he and Thunderlane were supposed to solve this problem.

All of a sudden, Thunderlane stopped in his tracks, and put an ear towards the ground. "I can hear something, something close by."

"What is it?" Shining asked, both hopeful and worried.

"I think it's..." Thunderlane began, before he suddenly paused. "...Yes, there's a rabbit's den around here somewhere."

"Where? I don't see anything," Shining commented, scanning every inch of the ground. Suddenly, a thought struck him. "Wait a minute. Maybe we've been looking in the wrong place. Any animals around here wouldn't stay above ground for long, not with all the noise and dangerous flying vegetables whizzing through the air."

"Good thinking, Shining, but we don't want to disturb them." Thunderlane said with concern.

"Actually, there's no need for that, we'll bring _them_ to _us_ ," Shining smiled, as he opened up his saddle bag and set a carrot down on the ground. "Twily said she packed snacks, and I figured it wouldn't hurt to bring them along just in case we got hungry."

The fresh carrot worked like a charm, drawing several bunnies with dark brown fur to the surface to retrieve it. Thinking quickly, Shining used his magic to scoop up the bunnies in a makeshift net. Already he could hear them whimpering nervously. "Hey, it's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you little guys," Shining said softly. "My friend and I just need your help with something. You tell us what we wanna know, and I promise we'll let you go, alright?" The bunnies seemed to oblige.

Thunderlane watched, as Shining lowered the magical net down to the ground. "So, how am I supposed to talk to them and understand what they're saying?" Thunderlane asked.

Shining lit up his horn again. "I think I have just the thing. It's only temporary, but it should do the trick. Hold still, you may feel a slight tingling sensation."

* * *

Just as the sun was beginning to shift into the sunset position, the heads of both the Hooffield and the McColt families were surprised to receive mysterious letters in a hoof writing that they didn't recognize. Both had the same message: _Meet in the valley between the two hills, there's something that needs to be discussed that's crucial to this feud._

Suspecting a trap, both families went fully prepared for a conflict, but neither thought of backing out. Assuming the message was true, they couldn't risk the other side getting the upper hoof with exclusive knowledge.

Once in the valley though, neither family saw anypony besides themselves and their neighbors. It didn't take long for words to start flying, and tensions to boil. "Y'all got some nerve prankin' us like this, McColts. You think you can fool us into just givin' up the feud and lettin' you have all the braggin' rights?!" Mama Hooffield accused.

"Funny, I was 'bout to say the same for you, you side windin' Hooffields! Whatever you're tryin' to pull on us, it ain't gonna work!" Big Daddy McColt shouted back. "Take no prisoners, McColts! Show 'em what happens to those who get on the McColts' bad side!"

"Stand your ground, Hooffields! We're not backin' down from this fight!" Mama Hooffield vowed! And just like that, the two families were at each other's' throats, McColts and Hooffields tangling with each other with whatever means at their disposable!

In the midst of all this commotion, Shining Armor came flying in and said firmly! "Both of you, stop this nonsense at once! Please, you must listen to me!" But his words fell on deaf ears, the two families were too busy fighting it out to listen to a word he said. " _I didn't want to do this, but they've left me no choice._ " Shining unhappily thought with a sigh, as he lit up his horn and shouted loudly! "Everypony freeze!" The command echoed everywhere, as he managed to immobilize both families right in their tracks. "Thunderlane, now's your chance," Shining called out, as he could be seen visibly straining. "Freezing a whole valley of ponies like this takes up a lot of magic. I can't hold them for very long."

Right on cue, Thunderlane came flying in, and touched down in front of both families as he said to them. "Listen up, Hooffields and McColts. The both of you have been fighting over the silliest of reasons, and it's time you learned the truth," He began to explain. "A long time ago, before any of you were ever born, there were two fine, upstanding stallions who stumbled across this beautiful valley here in the Smokey Mountains. Their names were Grub Hooffield, a farmer, and Piles McColt, a builder. They soon discovered that the land was populated with beautiful plants and flowers, and overflowing with wildlife the likes of which neither had seen before. Both wanted to protect and preserve that beauty, but they disagreed over what to do. Grub, being a farmer, wanted to set up a farm and grow crops to feed to the animals. And Piles, being a builder, wanted to construct a shelter to keep the animals safe. Since neither could agree on what to do, they alternatively set up projects on the same part of the land. Whenever Grub tried to plant crops, Piles would come in and starting building right over them. And when he did so, Grub would knock down the building and start planting crops again. The cycle went on and on, and eventually the two grew to hate each other. To that end, they brought their families and whoever was sympathetic to their causes with them, and they settled into two separate sides of the surrounding hills. On the left hill was the Hooffield family farm, and on the right hill was the McColt family fortress. But in the process of feuding, the two families drove away most of the animals that live here, and tarnished the landscape since they had no time to tend to it."

"So, do you all see now?" Shining asked quite firmly. "This is what your desire to win has cost you. You've lost sight of what you once swore to protect and preserve. And all because you couldn't agree on whether to build a shelter or a farm. But it's not too late, end this now, and together you can eventually bring this valley back to its former glory. Otherwise, you're likely to keep this feud going until you've forever ruined the landscape."

There was a long and tense silence. Neither family dared to say a word, but the looks they saw on what animals were still around were enough to make them realize the gravity of the situation. "Aw heck, I guess those two are right," Mama Hooffield finally spoke up, looking across to Big Daddy McColt. "What's the point of keepin' this up? We can barely even remember why we fightin' in the first place."

"You Hooffields are actually pretty good farmers, much as it pains me to say it," Big Daddy McColt replied to Mammy Hooffield. "How 'bout if you help teach us how to grow our own food, we'll help you build better buildin''s so they don't get knocked over so easily?"

"And together, we can build a sanctuary worthy of those critters," Mama Hooffield agreed. "I'm sorry 'bout all the stuff we've been doin'."

"I am too," Big Daddy McColt nodded in reply. "Though I'd say I was sorry before you, I just didn't say it out loud."

"What are you talkin' 'bout?! _I_ was sorry long before you!" Mama Hooffield snapped.

Shining and Thunderlane shook their heads and both said at the same time. "Don't start you two." That got the heads of both families to shut up.

* * *

With the feud ended, the two families set to work on keeping their ends of the bargain. The Hooffields planted crops in the most fertile of areas, and instructed the McColts on how to do so, while the McColts showed the Hooffields a few basic techniques for building. In no time at all, the makings of a shelter were coming into play, albeit one with a beautiful garden nearby that promised to grow into a fine yield of delicious fruits and vegetables.

And both families also pitched in to help fix up the hot air balloon. That took a little longer than they would've liked, but by sundown the balloon was patched up and ready to fly again.

"Thanks again for teachin' us that friendship is so much better than winnin' a silly arguement." Mama Hooffield said to the stallions as they climbed into the basket.

"Feel free to come back anytime," Big Daddy McColt added. "And iffen ya ever need help, just send us a letter and we'll be there in a jiffy. Hopefully, by the time ya next see, this place will be as beautiful as it was the day our forefathers found it."

Soon, Shining Armor and Thunderlane were high in the sky with cutie marks glowing to signify a job well done. The balloon was drifting off back towards Ponyville. Normally, Shining would be a tad bit airsick (though he was usually more queasy aboard zepplins and other airships for reasons he didn't know, something about their motion just didn't agree with him), but right now he was just relieved to know that peace had come to such a beautiful place. "Well, that was quite an experience," He said to Thunderlane. "So, what do you think will happen next? I mean, we've all been called by the map now. First it was Braeburn and Soarin, then Big Macintosh and Fancy Pants, and now you and I."

"Honestly, I don't know, and I don't particularly care," Thunderlane said in reply. "I doubt we've seen the last of the map, or its missions. But for right now, I'm just looking forward to getting back to Ponyville and working on my flying skills. I have a pretty good feeling I'll be a full fledged Wonderbolt soon, maybe even before Rainbow Dash if I'm lucky."

"I'm just hoping for a little less excitement," Shining commented. "At least until Cadence gives birth. I hear the Helping Hooves Music Festival is coming up next weekend, is it true what they say? Is the one and only Countess Coloratura scheduled to perform?"

"You'll have to ask Pinkie Pie, she's the one in charge of the entertainment." Thunderlane told Shining.


	112. Chapter 112: Royal Guard Graduation

"Bet you're glad to be back in Canterlot, talking to the new recruits again, huh Captain Armor?" Commander Silverbolt lightly questioned.

Shining Armor nodded a little. "Yeah, it does. Feels just like old times. You, me, and Captain Gleaming Shield, all working together or just hanging out during those poker nights. Those were the days, weren't they?"

"Gettin' a little nostalgic, are we?" Commander Silverbolt teased. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm sure Captain Gleaming Shield would approve of the job you're doing. Last I heard, she's off living her retirement in a nice beach house near Neighra Falls, though she still comes to Canterlot on occasion to visit her grandfoals. Speaking of which, when's the little one expected to arrive?"

"Doctors say it should be any day now," Shining replied, trotting down the halls of the royal guard barracks. "I really wish I didn't have to give a commemoration speech at the graduation ceremony for the next batch of recruits today, and that Twily wasn't off giving a speech at _Celestia's School for Magic_ , 'cause that means I'll have to go back to Ponyville and watch over the castle until she gets back."

Commander Silverbolt laughed a bit, as he reassured his captain. "Relax, I'm sure Flash Sentry and Sunburst have everything under control. And if they really need you, they'll send for you. You should be more worried about the speech you're gonna give soon."

Shining smiled a little. "Thank you, Silverbolt. But to be honest, what I'm _really_ worried about is Starlight Glimmer. It's been months and nopony's seen hide or hair of her. But I know she's out there, waiting for the chance to do something, anything."

"What, are you afraid some wannabe dictator's gonna be a match for the almighty Prince of Friendship?" Silverbolt remarked as he rolled his eyes. "You and your friends took her down pretty easily once you saw through her lies, and security's tightened in all the likely locations since your visit to her little village. She'd have to be a fool to try anything now."

"Guess you're right, there _is_ such a thing as being too paranoid. Though there's also this saying I don't entirely disagree with that goes: 'Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean everyone's not out to get you'." Shining replied to Silverbolt.

"Look, just stop worrying about Starlight and worry about what's actually important to your life right now," Silverbolt said firmly to the captain. "Like what you're gonna say to all those new recruits to motivate them to serve. I've gotta say, this batch is looking particularly impressive if I do say so myself. But then, I learned from the best."

"And I'm glad to know you've managed well in the absence of both myself and Flash," Shining said to Silverbolt. "At this rate, I may just have to abdicate the position of Captain to you, at least for the Canterlot guard. I'm not quite sure if Flash is ready to be Captain of the crystal guard just yet, even if he _is_ supposedly the descendant of the legendary Flash Magnus."

"The kid probably just made that up to sound important, Flash Magnus is just an old pony's tale like Rockhoof or Mistmane." Silverbolt scoffed.

* * *

A short time later, Shining Armor stood on a podium outside the barracks, with all the royal guards seated in makeshift bleachers that had been erected overnight for the ceremony. Speaking loudly for all to hear, the alicorn began. "Fellow royal guards, it is my great honor as your captain to see you all here today, ready to join the ranks and protect and serve the crown. It's funny though, a few years ago, if you'd told me that I would one day be standing here and giving a speech to you all, I'd have thought you were crazy. But as Captain, I've been thrilled to see the royal guard continue to get better and better."

Shining paused for a second, then added. "I know it hasn't been easy. There's been a lot of threats to the safety of Equestria that caught us off guard, most noticeably Queen Chrysalis and her changelings, and then Tirek's invasion. And I know too that many of you probably feel threatened by Luna's night guards that serve under her. But I feel like we need to focus on the positives, there are plenty of threats we've successfully thwarted. Many would be problems that were contained and quelled without violence. But those don't make the news, because the good news doesn't sell like the bad news does. Yet, the fact that we're standing here today, in what has been the longest continuing streak of peace Equestria has ever known, is living proof that we must be at least doing something right."

A wave of applause echoed through the crowd, and Shining briefly basked in it before he moved up a hoof to quiet things down. "I know, I know, but my speech isn't done yet. Peace is no excuse for complacency," He cautioned quite seriously. "We must still be vigilant, we can't afford to neglect our responsibilities. The second we let our guard down, is the second that all those threats kept at bay creep up on us and catch us by surprise. There is still the possible threat of rouge changelings scouring Equestria for sources of love, and let's not forget that Queen Chrysalis remains at large. Now, I'm not naming names, but recently I learned that some of you left your posts one night when a trespasser offered you cake. And the end result, was a case of foul play for the Wonderbolts that resulted in one of their reserves being framed for a crime they didn't commit. Had it not for been detective work from a trusted friend of mine, the one responsible for the crime probably would've gotten away with it. So I think it goes without saying, but just because someone offers you stuff like cake, doesn't mean you can just accept it without question. So from now on, I'd better not catch any of you abandoning your posts, or learning about such behavior. Because if I have to, I _will_ have you court martialed."

Shining was about to move on to the next point of discussion, but at that moment as he was scanning the crowd, his eyes spotted somepony he knew for sure wasn't supposed to be there. It appeared to be a very familiar pale light grayish-purple coated unicorn mare, with eyes a moderate persian blue, a mane and tail a two toned purple with light grayish-aqua colored highlights. And the mane and tail were styled to be as evenly distributed as possible. Could it be?!

Shining blinked and rubbed his eyes. When he looked out at the crowd again, the mare he thought he'd spotted was gone. Shining shook his head, trying to regain his focus. " _That was just an illusion, my mind playing tricks on me. There's no way I could've seen who I think I just saw. Right?_ " He thought to himself. But right now, the prince couldn't worry about what he may or may not have seen. He had more pressing issues to deal with.

But unknown to Shining Armor, his eyes _hadn't_ deceived him. That mare had indeed been real, and she was in Canterlot for a very particular reason. " _Oh prince, you_ _ **really**_ _should train your guards better,_ " She thought to herself, as she made her way through the streets of Canterlot. " _Now, all I need is to find that so called 'Starswirl the Bearded Wing', and I'll be able to put my plan into action! You'd better enjoy yourself while you can, Shining Armor! For soon, you'll have_ _ **nothing**_ _to be happy about._ "


	113. Chapter 113: The Return of Starlight

Shining Armor opted not to say anything to any of the royal guards after the ceremony. No need to raise an alarm over something he couldn't even be sure had been there.

But when he came back to Ponyville later that day (and found Spike waiting for him), he found that he couldn't take his mind off of Starlight Glimmer. In fact, he ended up confessing to Spike about what he'd thought he'd seen.

Spike was, needless to say, greatly concerned about this. And he made that perfectly clear. "Starlight Glimmer?! You're absolutely sure it was her?!"

"That's just it, Spike, I couldn't be sure one way or the other," Shining Armor acknowledged, feeling deeply troubled. "I thought for sure it was her, but when I turned to look again she was gone. And no one as far as I know ever said a word about her being there."

"But why would she be in Canterlot?" Spike wondered aloud. "It doesn't make any sense. What could she possibly hope to gain? Why not go back to her old village?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say that because she's so cunning, she probably anticipated tighter security there," Shining concluded. "I hate to give credit to such an underhoofed mare, but there's no denying Starlight knew how to think her way out of a problem. She just never had a plan for if she were to be caught," With a sigh, the alicorn added. "I know my friends and I did the right thing back there, forcing everyone to live under her cutie markless rule was wrong. But was there more we could've done to understand her? More we could've done to stop her from slipping away?"

"Beats me, I just hope she's not actually coming back for revenge," Spike replied. "She'd have to be crazy. If she tries _anything_ , you or Twilight could easily put a stop to it and turn her in."

Shining got a good laugh out of that, as he and Spike entered the castle and made their way to the throne room. "You have a point there, Spike. Starlight would indeed have to be crazy if she thinks she can just get 'revenge' on an alicorn. I just have to hope that whenever she inevitably makes her move, I'll be ready for her. She got the best of me last time, largely through the help of her followers, I can't let that happen again!"

* * *

But as Shining and Spike entered the throne room, they were shocked to discover that they had an unexpected (and uninvited at that) guest! And who it should be but Starlight Glimmer herself?!

Starlight held a scroll in her magic, and seemed to be eyeing the table map as she said to herself. "It all starts with it. A spell from the great sorcerer himself, Starswirl the Bearded. And with the magical powers of this map, I'll finally be ready to put my daring plan into action! And all of Equestria will bow to _me_!"

Shining gasped loudly, inadvertently tipping Starlight off to his presence! "You again?!" Shining remarked with eyes narrowed! "Just what do you think you're doing, Starlight Glimmer?! You broke into my castle, my house, and now you're messing with my table map?! Are you _trying_ to get yourself arrested?!"

Starlight only laughed in that sickeningly condescending tone of voice. "Oh gee, I'm ever so sorry, prince," She delivered that last line with a noticeable hint of malice. "But don't worry, I shan't be here long. Trust me, you have no idea how hard it was to find my way around this place! Do yourself a favor, if this castle still exists in the near future, get an _actual_ map!"

Shining mostly ignored Starlight's comments, his attention was focused on the scroll she was holding out. He recognized the seal on it at once! "Wait a minute! That's one of Starswirl the Bearded's master spells! Those are kept under lock and key in the Canterlot Archives! Ooh, now you're _really_ gonna get it, Miss. Glimmer!" He lit up his horn and tried to snatch the scroll away, as he warned. "I'm only gonna say this once, drop the scroll and surrender! Otherwise I'll have to subdue you by force, and drag you to Princess Celestia kicking and screaming! I'm in no mood for games!"

"I can assure you, this is no 'game, prince," Starlight snickered, as she only tightened her magical grip on the scroll and then focused her attention back to the table map. With a flick of her horn, a beam of magic struck the table map, and a time bubble opened up. "You're too late to stop me! And in a matter of minutes, no, seconds, my revenge will be complete! Then I will see you bow before your master!"

"And where do you think _you're_ going?! And just what are you talking about?! There's only one way out of here, and that's through me!" Shining warned, as he rushed towards Starlight! "Whatever you just did, you'd better undo it! Didn't anypony tell you not to mess with things that don't belong to you?!"

"Sorry, no can do. But I have a feeling we'll meet again, in time," Starlight taunted, as she began to be sucked up into the time bubble. Blowing a raspberry, she added with a sneer. "See you soon, suckers!" And then, in a blinding flash of light, she disappeared into the time bubble which then vanished!

* * *

"Curses! She's slipped through my hooves again!" Shining grumbled. "How _does_ she do that? Even Chrysalis isn't as slippery as Starlight is."

"I don't know," Spike pondered, before his eyes fell upon the discarded scroll. Bending a claw down to retrieve it, he added. "But maybe this scroll will give us some answers. If I had to guess, I'd say it's got something to do with time travel, like that one time Twilight traveled back a week to warn her past self about something."

All of a sudden, something akin to a light bulb went off in Shining's head! "Wait a minute!" He exclaimed in horror! "Spike, whatever you do, don't touch that scroll!"

But it was too late! Spike grabbed it, and immediately another time bubble appeared above the table map. It quickly began to suck up both him and Shining Armor! "W-what's happening?! Where are we going?!" He cried out above the deafening noise!

"Oh, I don't like this! Hang on, Spike, we're in the ride of our lives!" Shining exclaimed, as he pulled Spike close and enveloped them both in a shield, before they were pulled into the time bubble and vanished alongside the scroll! In the process, no evidence was left behind of their existence.

In fact, one might say it was as if they'd never existed to begin with.


	114. Chapter 114: A Time Paradox!

It may have been just a minute, but for Shining Armor and Spike it was the longest minute of their lives. But soon enough, the time bubble opened up and they tumbled out.

"Whew! What a ride!" Spike remarked, stumbling to his feet.

Shining Armor found himself feeling a little disoriented. "Ugh! I know I get airsick on long zeppelin cruises, but that's the first time I've ever gotten motion sick. Never again!"

"Hey, you gonna be okay?" Spike asked with concern. "Want me to rub your back for you? That usually does the trick for me when I get stomach sick."

But Shining shook his head, and slowly stood up. "It's okay, Spike. I think I can manage now. Let's just figure out where the hay we are, and how to get back and put a stop to whatever crazy scheme Starlight's cooked up. And when this is all over, I think I'm gonna have to look into getting some castle security. Funny how I never seemed to even consider that idea before now."

"Well, that might have to wait, because it looks like we're a long way from home." Spike suggested, waving a claw towards the horizon.

Shining lifted his head, and finally he got a good look at his surroundings. He recognized them at once, the tall spires and elegantly colored (and decorated) buildings were an obvious giveaway. "Canterlot?! But how did we end up all the way back here from Ponyville?" He wondered. "Something's not right here."

As if in answer to that question, Shining and Spike witnessed a group of unicorn fillies rushing past, laughing and giggling to themselves. "Hey, come on, Lemon Hearts. Moondancer says her parents got to rent out the whole Canterlot ballroom for an afternoon of fun! We're gonna be late!" One of them called.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Another voice called back. "I was just looking to see if Twilight's gonna follow us. Seems she'd rather spend all her days with her nose stuck in the books."

"Yeah, she's such an egghead. But she always helps us with our homework, so it's our turn to do something nice for her." The initial voice called, before the fillies disappeared over the horizon.

" _Wait a second, I recognize those names!_ " Shining Armor thought to himself. And then all of a sudden, it hit him! "Spike, we haven't just been sent back to Canterlot! We've been sent back in time! This is the day I got my cutie mark!"

"You think so?" Spike asked.

"I know so!" Shining firmly nodded. "If my memory of this day is correct, any minute now, Twily's gonna trotting down this path. And that's when she's gonna be picked on by some of my comrades in the royal guard. Defending my sister against them, causes me to get my cutie mark, and subsequently enables my friends to get theirs."

"And you think Starlight Glimmer's going to somehow prevent that from happening?" Spike wondered. "I mean no offense, but as crazy as you say Starlight is, surely she knows the dangers of messing with time."

"We can't take that chance! We've got to find her and stop her before she causes irreparable damage to the flow of time!" Shining said firmly, as he then took off at full speed! "Come on, we need to find a good vantage spot to hide and scour the location!"

"Why not stay here?" Spike suggested. "I mean, maybe not on this exact spot or anything, but we could easily spot Starlight and the bullies from around here. Right?"

"Not if my past self also happens to show up here!" Shining protested quite seriously.

Spike seemed to be confused, if the look on his face was any indication. "Exactly how this is that a bad thing?"

Shining groaned, he couldn't believe he was having this conversation. "You read comics, right? Haven't any of them ever dealt with time travel?"

"No, I only ever read _Power Ponies_. They've never dealt with time travel, and I'm their number one fan, so I'd know if they had!" Spike boasted, proudly puffing out his chest.

"You kids today," Shining muttered under his breath. Then he explained. "Growing up, my folks introduced me to a _lot_ of science fiction stuff, even more so once Twilight came on the scene. Many of the stories I read dealt with time travel, and they always said the golden rule of time travel was: If you travel back to any time you already exist, don't meet or make contact with your past self. Doing so could rip the very fabric of time apart."

"Oh come on! You can't seriously tell me you believe that stuff!" Spike snorted. "Next I suppose you'll be telling me that Doctor Whooves guy is an actual time traveler, and all those crazy fictional creatures he babbles about are real too, and that somehow he can travel through time in a strange blue box! Even I know a tall tale when I hear it."

"I can't afford to take that risk! Besides, just meeting my past self has the chance to damage the timeline beyond repair!" Shining firmly vowed, before he grabbed Spike with his magic and took off for the rooftops of a nearby building.

* * *

"Keep a sharp eye out, Spike," Shining advised, as his eyes scanned down to the ground below. "There's no telling what Starlight's up to, but as soon as we spot her we need to be ready to pounce. No way is she getting away for a third time, I won't allow it!"

"Well, I haven't seen Starlight yet, but it looks like those bullies you mentioned just walked onto the scene." Spike remarked with noticeable anger, pointing a claw to the street corner he and Shining had been on just moments ago.

Shining looked, and sure enough there were the royal guards that would inadvertently be responsible for him getting his cutie mark. It burned him up inside, to watch his sister (still a blank flank filly at this point) walk down the street with a book pressed up to her snout and her trusty study buddy Smarty Pants resting on her back, blissfully unaware of the two older ponies that she was about to meet. But every ounce of his being told him he couldn't get involved, no matter what. All of what was to happen, needed to take place in order for time to be preserved.

Twilight payed absolutely no attention to where she was going. She'd been told by her classmates to meet in the castle ballroom in an hour, and having gotten so absorbed in reading about old pony tales like the Mare in the Moon, she'd lost track of time. But in order to please her nagging classmates (hard to really say you were friends when Twilight barely remembered their names, and only attended their birthday parties at the request of her parents), she'd given her word to be there. " _If only I could teleport like I've seen Mommy, Daddy, and B.B.B.F.F do, I could go to and from the library whenever I wanted, instead of always needing a grown-up._ " She thought to herself, right before she felt herself bump into something, or rather some _one_.

Twilight looked up, spotting two royal guards with matching coats of white. Good, maybe she could ask them for directions. "Excuse me, sirs," She spoke in her high pitched voice. "I'm a little bit lost. I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of the castle ballroom, please."

But the royal guards just looked down at Twilight, and exchanged mischievous glances, right before one of them snatched up Smarty Pants with their magic. "Oh my my, what have we here? Is the little filly still playing with her dollies?" The first guard teased.

"Smarty Pants isn't a doll, she's my study buddy!" Twilight protested, stomping her hoof down in anger. She attempted to make her horn spark and grab Smarty Pants, but alas she didn't have the magical power she would come to have in just a few short years. "Give Smarty Pants back, she's not yours!"

"She is now, kiddo!" The other royal guard taunted. "After all, we're bigger than you, so what we say goes. Kids like you should respect your elders. You wouldn't want your parents to find out you disrespected royal guards, do you?"

"You guys are big meanies! Just wait til I tell my big brother on you!" Twilight warned! "He'll kick your sorry plots from here to Vanhoover and back!"

But the royal guards just laughed. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about your brother if I were you. He's at the bottom of the totem pole, and he only got that position because our captain felt sorry for him. We got in because we earned our positions, not because we're making goo-goo eyes at the princess' niece." One taunted.

The other then warned. "Besides, you don't wanna find out what we do to snitches around here."

"Please give me back Smarty Pants, she's my only friend." Twilight pleaded in desperation!

"Sorry kid. Finders keepers, losers weepers." The first guard snickered, as he continued to hold his prize out of reach of the defenseless filly.

* * *

Suddenly, without warning, who should emerge onto the scene but Starlight Glimmer?! She effortlessly picked up both royal guards, throwing them about as if they were matchsticks or pieces of paper. "Such terrible behavior. To think that _this_ is what young ponies around here aspire to be when they grow up." She declared in a serious but sweet tone.

"W-who are you?!" One of the guards shuddered in fear. "How are you this strong?! You're just some punkish looking unicorn, we don't have to take this kind of horseapples from you!"

Starlight only shook her head and tsked. "Kiss your mother with that filthy mouth of yours? And in the presence of an innocent little filly no less," Then, her eyes narrowing and the faint traces of a sadistic smile forming, she said to the guards. "I think it's time somepony put you in your place. Luckily, I know _just_ the place for trash like you."

"H-hey! Put us down! We're warning you! Captain Gleaming Shield will not tolerate this act of aggression!" The second guard shouted, before he and his comrade were thrown into a dumpster, which had the added effect of freeing Smarty Pants from his magical grasp.

Starlight easily retrieved the doll with _her_ magic, and offered it to the young Twilight with a now innocent smile on her face. "Here you go, little filly. It's such a shame, to think that other ponies believe their special talent in life, gives them the privilege to pick on those who can't fight back," She said in that sweet tone of hers. "If only we all lived in a world where everypony's equal, then maybe we wouldn't have such bullies."

Twilight didn't really care much for what this mysterious mare was telling her, but she _was_ glad to have Smarty Pants back. "Yay, Smarty Pants! Thank you SO much!" She cheered, hugging Starlight close. "Wait til I tell Shiny about you."

"Tell me what, Twily?" The past version of Shining Armor asked, as he came trotting up on the scene. "I heard a commotion."

"Shiny, this nice mare stood up for me against your dumb dumb stinky head friends in the royal guard," Twilight explained as she pointed a hoof to Starlight. "And she got Smarty Pants back from them."

"It was my pleasure," Starlight replied with an innocent smile. "But I'm sure you would've done the same had you gotten here first."

"Perhaps I would've," Past Shining agreed. "All the same, I owe you a great debt of thanks."

"Oh, think nothing of it," Starlight said as she waved a hoof. "You two go ahead and have fun together. And don't you ever worry about those bullies. I'm sure they've learned their lesson about picking on others." And she watched as Past Shining and Twilight trotted off a second later.

* * *

Present Shining was in Starlight's face not even a minute later! Needless to say, he was quite furious. "Do you even realize what you've just done, Starlight?!"

"What? Are you questioning my motives now, prince?" Starlight taunted, as she bobbed her head back and forth. "I only convinced them not to be bullies because everypony should be equal. Stopping you and your friends from getting your cutie marks is just a nice little bonus."

"So _that's_ what this is about!" Shining gasped in realization. "You're so petty that you'd rewrite history, just to keep my friends and I from exposing you for the fraud you are?!"

"Such harsh words, I like to think of it as making sure nosy do gooders know their place," Starlight snarled in a bitter tone. "But now that you know what you do, I'm afraid I can't just have you around to try and foil my plans. I want you and your meddling dragon out of the picture, for good!"

"Well too bad, because I'm not going anywhere!" Shining firmly protested as he stomped his hooves down on the ground. "And for the record, Spike did nothing to you! So you leave him out of this!"

Starlight only sighed. "It's a shame you're forcing me to play my best card so soon, prince. Oh well, it can't be helped," Adopting the same sadistic expression from earlier, she then added. "I've spent a lot of time getting to know you personally, prince. Even seeing you draw close to the one pony who abandoned me because of a cutie mark."

"What are you playing at, Starlight?! I'm in no mood for your games!" Shining warned, his horn sparking ominously.

Starlight's sadistic smile only grew wider. "I know you're a family stallion at heart. You care a lot about your sister, Twilight. And of course your wife, Cadence. It'd be a real shame if anything bad were to happen to them in the past."

"You wouldn't!" Shining glared at Starlight.

"Maybe, but can you afford to take that chance?!" Starlight taunted. "Think about it, prince. You've got nothing to gain, and everything to lose from calling my bluff," Then, as if on cue, another time bubble suddenly appeared. "But it seems I don't need to worry about whether you believe me or not. I did what I set out to do. So, enjoy your fate! Next time you see me, all of Equestria will be freed from the evils of cutie marks, and they'll be worshipping me like the next Starswirl the Bearded!" And with that, she pushed both Shining and Spike into the time bubble, which disappeared as soon as they were sent through it. " _Starlight 1, Shining Armor 0._ " She thought to herself, rubbing her hooves together in delight.


	115. Chapter 115: Crystal War

Just like the last one, the time bubble spit both Shining and Spike out before long. But as soon as they'd gotten their bearings, they could tell that things were not right. Where a big shiny castle should be, there was instead only a rut in the ground and the table map.

"What happened to the castle?!" Spike wondered aloud. "And where's Twilight and everypony else?!"

"I don't know, Spike," Shining glumly acknowledged, as his attention was drawn to other things. "But take a look at the map. Something's definitely not right here, the Crystal Empire takes up half of the entire map!"

"So does that mean we're in an alternative timeline or something? And does that explain why nothing is familiar?" Spike asked Shining.

"It sure looks that way, Spike," Shining nodded. "I just wish I knew why the table map is still here. If what Starlight did changed the past and erased the castle from existence, then the table map shouldn't exist either. And for the record, there should be a path leading into Ponyville from here, but I can't see anything."

"Then, what are we supposed to do? I mean, there's gotta be a way back to our own timeline," Spike said firmly, practically begging Shining. "Please! There _has_ to be a way! I don't want to be stuck in some alternative timeline I know nothing about! What if none of my friends exist in this timeline?! Heck, what if _I'm_ not supposed to exist in this timeline?!"

Shining said nothing at first, he had no answers himself. "Well, one thing's for sure, we're not gonna find the answers just sitting around here. We've gotta go into town and find someone who can help us. Or someone who can at least explain more about this timeline."

So the two set off, quickly making their way into Ponyville. But to their dismay, they found that the town wasn't as they remembered it. It seemed to be much more heavily industrial, like it was one giant factory. Even familiar places like Sugarcube Corner and Carousel Boutique were unrecognizable, as they had traded in the bright colors they bore (or perhaps once bore, depending on how things worked in this timeline) for dull shades of red, grey, brown, and black.

"Okay, now I _know_ something's not right here!" Shining remarked, as his eyes scanned the buildings.

"Well, unless this is all some elaborate prank the town's pulling on us or something," Spike commented, though his tone of voice conveyed he didn't really believe that possibly explanation. "But just how in Equestria did Ponyville end up like this? Why would such a peaceful town turn into this sooty factory like place?"

"I don't know, Spike. But I know there's one place that could never change no matter what!" Shining vowed with fiery determination. "Come on, we need to get to Sweet Apple Acres! Big Macintosh and Applejack should be able to tell us what the hay's going on."

* * *

But to the dismay of both Shining and Spike, even Sweet Apple Acres had changed. What had been known to them as a charming little farm and barn, had been turned into a factory that now sold canned apple products, with the barn having been turned into some sort of mini factory. Both Big Macintosh and Applejack were dressed in garish work clothes, and had to wear masks in order to avoid breathing in the noxious fumes generated by the noisy machines.

Suddenly, a steam whistle sounded, and Spike and Shining watched as they saw Big Macintosh step outside. Meanwhile, Applejack was busy rolling a barrel of what appeared to be cider along the ground, towards a wagon.

"What?! Prowlers?!" The familiar voice of Big Macintosh suddenly exclaimed, drawing the attention of both Shining Armor and Spike!

"H-hey, we're not prowlers! We come in peace!" Spike hastily insisted, throwing his claws up in the air!

"I'll be the judge of that," Big Macintosh snarled, glaring at the intruders. He soon took notice of Shining Armor's horn and wings. "Hey, what's the meanin' of this?! You tryin' to pull some kind of stunt on me or somethin'?!"

Shining found himself going from startled, to confused. "Whatever do you mean?" He reluctantly asked.

"I'm talkin' 'bout the fact that you look like an alicorn, like one of them princesses! But that can't be, the only princess I've ever seen is Princess Celestia, and I know you ain't her!" Big Macintosh explained with a growl. "And I ain't ever seen a dragon that small before! Just who in the hay are you, and why am I gettin' this naggin' feelin' like I should know you or somethin'?"

Spike quickly spoke up and told Big Macintosh. "We're time travelers! We've come from a present in which you and Shining Armor, along with Soarin, Thunderlane, Fancy Pants, and Braeburn are all friends, and you've helped save Equestria from multiple evil threats like Nightmare Moon, Discord, Queen Chrysalis, King Sombra, and even Lord Tirek! Heck, you and I play _Ogres and Oubliettes_ on guys nights, when we're not busy talking about hoofball cards."

Big Macintosh only frowned. "Did you go and bump your head on a crate of cider or somethin', boy? What kind of fool do you think I am? And just who in tarnation are Soarilane and Thunderpants?! The only name I recognize of that lot is Braeburn, and last I heard my Appleloosan cousin went off to fight in the war."

"The war?!" Spike exclaimed, this was the first he'd ever heard of such a thing.

"The war against King Sombra, that ring any bells for ya?" Big Macintosh inquired, only to receive blank looks in reply. "Where have you two been? And tell me the truth this time, I ain't in the mood for games. Heck, if my little sister comes by and catches me talkin' to you, I'm gonna get an earful. We ain't exactly supposed to be chattin' with strangers when there's work to be done."

In a stroke of sudden genius, Shining Armor stepped forward and told Big Mac. "Well, we're not from around these parts. We _are_ travelers, from another land. But this is the first we've ever heard of any kind of war."

"You absolutely sure 'bout that? You ain't by chance one of them enemy spies come to sabotage the war effort, are you?" Big Mac asked with a raised eyebrow.

"If we were trying to do that, why would we come all the way here?" Shining replied. "Even if this _is_ a factory, there's got to be higher priority ones in bigger cities. What good would sabotaging this particular factory do, instead of the big ones?"

Big Mac was silent for a couple of moments, as he pondered this proposed statement. Then at last he said. "You make a good point, I'll concede that. I can't quite put my hoof on it, but you seem to have that air of familiarity. I guess at the least it can't hurt for you to know 'bout the war, specially seein' as my folks went off to the front lines, and we just got word that they died in the line of duty."

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry to hear that, really!" Shining exclaimed, as he and Spike followed Big Macintosh around to the back of the barn.

"It's alright, you couldn't have known. Besides, Ma and Pa knew the risks when they signed up," Big Mac explained, even as he fought back a lone tear. He then set to work on fiddling with a projector. "Just a little somethin' I've been workin' on in my spare time. It's my hope that someday, it'll find its way into more widespread usage. Nowadays, it's only really good at tellin' the news. It ain't much, but the only other way is through the papers or the occasional telegraph if they can keep a line up long enough. Ah, here we go, this should explain things."

With the flick of a switch, the projector began to glow, and soon images started to be displayed on the barn wall. They showed a figure that both Shining Armor and Spike were very familiar with, King Sombra! " _Of course! Should've figured_ _ **he'd**_ _be behind all of this!_ " Shining thought, as he felt his blood boil a little at the recollection of his memories of Sombra from his own timeline.

This Sombra seemed none the less sinister, as he looked out over the battlefield of the Frozen North, and laughed as soldiers that were clearly brainwashed, marched into battle on his behalf. "Show no mercy, give no quarter!" The tyrant barked out. "We won't stop until all of Equestria bows down before its new king!"

"My fellow subjects," The voice of Princess Celestia played over the clips showing Sombra's army advancing almost unstopped. "These are troubling times for our society, our very way of life is under attack like never before. But we must all be vigilant."

Some clips depicted ponies fighting Sombra's soldiers head on, including the likes of Soarin and Thunderlane who bore wounds, scars, and in Soarin's case a metal wing on his right side, as the voice of Princess Celestia continued. "Many of our bravest subjects have signed up to fight back this would be oppressor and his army. And though the toll continues to show day after day, we won't rest until we've beaten Sombra and ensured an unconditional surrender that restores Equestria's rightful borders to our control."

The clips then transitioned to cities and towns all across Equestria, depicting ponies like Fancy Pants who were working on making clothes for the army, or helping to send food, drinks, and medical supplies to the front lines. The voice added. "But many more of you have bravely stepped up to aid our army, by sending whatever you can. Every little bit helps. Together, with the magic of friendship, and the guidance of the almighty creator above, we'll secure a brighter future for Equestria. With your help, we will not end up like the Crystal Empire, and the pain and suffering of Sombra's regime will be stopped!"

* * *

"So, there you have it," Big Macintosh commented, switching off the projector. "Not a pretty sight, huh? Well, it's war, no one ever said it was pretty. And now that you know what's goin' on, I hope you'll leave me to get back to my duties. Or have you come here askin' for jobs? We're a little short hoofed here at Sweet Apple Acres at the moment, Granny Smith took Apple Bloom and left for Hayseed Swamp, couldn't stomach the idea of seein' her family's legacy be converted for the sake of the war effort."

But at that moment, Shining Armor stepped in front of Big Mac and said to him. "What if I told you, I can show you something that'll prove we're not supposed to be here? That we're actually from another timeline?"

"What are you on about now? Can't you see I'm busy?!" Big Mac snorted.

"Trust me, once you see what I'm about to show you, it'll all make sense!" Shining said seriously, grabbing Big Mac's hoof! "Come on, I promise this won't take long!"

A short time later, Big Mac found himself staring down at the same table map that Shining and Spike were used to seeing a lot. "Okay, I'm very impressed. I ain't ever seen anythin' like this," He commented. "But what does this have to do with me?"

"In another timeline, the timeline I come from, you and I are friends," Shining Armor explained. "Together, we help to save Equestria from the likes of King Sombra. But recently, a mare by the name of Starlight Glimmer used the map to travel back in time and change the course of history. And when she did, she sent Spike and I here, to this timeline. And now, we're trying to figure out just how we're gonna get back to our own timeline."

"Did I mention that in the timeline we're from, this place is a huge castle that sprang up from this big old tree?!" Spike boasted. "Trust me, it's quite a sight!"

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, but I don't see how I'm supposed to help you with that," Big Mac frowned. "I'm sorry. I wish I knew more about what you're talkin' bout, but to me it all seems like fiction. Still, if you are who you say you are, I wish you luck in gettin' back to your own time."

But at that very moment, a light bulb went off inside Shining's mind! With a gasp, he proudly exclaimed! "That's it! Why didn't I think of it before?!" Pointing to the map, he told Spike and Big Macintosh! "The map didn't disappear because it's tied to the Tree of Harmony, it must sense that something's wrong! And if Starlight can use it to travel back in time, then so can we! Which means, we can go back even earlier in time, and stop Starlight before any of this ever happens!"

"Guess it's a good thing I pocketed that scroll she discarded," Spike spoke up, pulling the piece of parchment out from seemingly nowhere. "You _don't_ wanna know where I'm keeping this."

"Great thinking, Spike! This is just what we need!" Shining smiled. "Remind me to tell Twilight to dig up some red gems for you when this is all over!" And he began to light up his horn, aiming it at the table map.

* * *

Big Macintosh (who had started to trot off back to the farm) turned around briefly. And that was when he saw a time bubble suddenly appear over the table map. At that moment, all his previous doubts were erased. " _Those strangers were telling the truth! Time travel_ _ **does**_ _exist!_ " He realized! And then he quickly asked. "Wait a second, sirs. Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, ask away." Shining nodded.

Big Mac cleared his throat, and after a bit of stuttering he explained. "Uh, in that timeline you mentioned. Are my folks well, you know... alive?"

But Shining shook his head. "No, they're still dead I'm afraid. Not because of war, though I can't give you the exact reason, because I haven't got all the details myself."

Big Mac just wiped a few tears from his eyes as he replied. "That's alright, I kind of figured that was the case. I guess some things don't change no matter what timeline we're talkin' 'bout. Still, at least I'm glad to know that there's a timeline where this isn't the norm."

"Well, it was nice to see you, Big Macintosh," Shining replied, as he and Spike began to vanish into the time bubble. "And thank you. You've been more of a help than you probably realize." A second later, there was a great big flash, and both Shining Armor and Spike were gone, as if they'd never existed in the first place.


	116. Chapter 116: Back to the Past

Shining Armor and Spike were quite relieved when the time bubble deposited them back in Canterlot in their own timeline. They were at least back on the right track, and now they could focus on stopping Starlight Glimmer.

"Alright!" Shining cheered, readying his horn. "When Starlight shows her face this time, I'll be ready for her! And this little charade will come to an end."

But no sooner had Shining spoken those words, when there was a blast of magic and he found himself trapped in a giant crystal alongside Spike. "You can certainly try, but I think you'll find it's not gonna be as easy as you think," Starlight taunted with that sadistic smirk. "So predictable. I knew you'd try to stop me sooner or later. But I'm one step ahead of you, I rigged Starswirl's spell so that, whenever you go back in time, so do I. But I end up further back in time then you do, so no matter what I always come out on top!" Leaping on top of the crystal, the mare added in an angry tone. "And now, it's payback time!"

"Payback for what?! For exposing you as a fraud and a dictator?! Because you did it all to yourself, my friends and I merely exposed what you tried to keep hidden!" Shining hissed.

"Don't presume you know me, you're no psychoanalyst!" Starlight snapped back. "I built that village to be a sanctuary, a safe haven! A place where nopony felt superior just because of their cutie mark! And you and your do-gooder friends took that away! So now it's your turn to have everything _you_ care about be taken away!"

Shining only rolled his eyes. "It's a pity, Starlight. I'd hoped all that time on the run would change you, but I see it's only made you even more bitter and alone. Your line of thinking can still be described by that four letter word, which you're totally full of! Now quit this idea of revenge and stop this before someone gets hurt, or worse!"

But Starlight only continued to rant on and on, seemingly paying no attention to her surroundings. "Cutie marks for cutie marks! Sounds like a fair trade to me!" She bellowed! "I don't care what you have to say, I won't rest until you and your friends fail to get your cutie marks, and see the world as I see it! Then maybe you'll see why cutie marks are evil, why I chose to build my village without them!"

Shining merely waited until Starlight was too absorbed in her rant to pay any attention to anything else. And then he shattered the crystal and blasted Starlight square in the muzzle.

"Oh, you clever son of a filly," Starlight remarked, as she regained her bearings. "You caught me in the middle of monologuing. Well, I won't make that mistake again. You can't stop me no matter what you do, I _will_ change the past whether you like it or not! And if you keep getting in my way, I won't hesitate to destroy you!" And with that, she vanished in a blinding flash of light.

* * *

"How does she keep doing this?!" Shining wondered aloud, while searching the streets for any sign of Starlight. "She's a slippery one for sure!"

Spike was trying his best not to notice, but it seemed like Shining was getting more and more upset by the second. By now, it seemed like every sentence he spoke was punctuated with a snort from his nostrils. "Hey, you okay? You're kind of freaking me out here, Shining." He nervously commented.

Shining stopped briefly in mid-air (though still flapping his wings). "Sorry, Spike. But something about Starlight's pettiness is getting on my last nerves. The more I hear, the less I can stand. And she crossed a line when she threatened my little sister! No one threatens those I care about and gets away with it! I have to find her and put a stop to this! For my sake, as well as her own! If this keeps up, I don't know if I'm gonna be responsible for what I'll do."

Spike gulped, looking down at a path near the royal guard barracks. "Well, speak of the devil. But I don't think you're gonna be too happy about what she's doing."

Starlight was talking to the two royal guards that were supposed to be on their way to meeting a young Twilight and stealing her doll. "Now just think about how you'd feel if somepony said and did such mean and hurtful things to the likes of you." She told them in her sweet tone of voice.

"Gee, I... guess we never really thought about it like that," The first guard considered, putting a hoof to his chin. "But when you put it in that way, it sounds pretty bad."

"Thank you, whoever you are," The other guard spoke up, bowing before Starlight. "It would've been very embarrassing for the royal guards and for us, if Captain Gleaming Shield had to deal with guards picking on defenseless ponies. I guess we sort of felt that wearing the helmets and armor made us invincible, and we forgot what it feels like to have an image to keep up."

"Hey, we all make mistakes," Starlight told the guards. "And don't worry, I promise you that nopony will ever have to know about this. You can go about your lives, being the fine, upstanding examples you were always meant to be. In fact, you should probably go help your fellow recruits, that way they'll have more time to spend with their loved ones."

* * *

Shining landed in front of Starlight just as soon as the guards had left! He was quite furious, his eyebrows had narrowed in anger, and steam was blowing out of his nostrils at an alarming rate! "You make me so sick, Starlight! I know full well you're only doing this so those bullies won't pick on my little sister, and I won't get my cutie mark!" He remarked with a glare. "But you don't understand! My friends and I are very important to the safety of Equestria! You're meddling with things you can't even begin to comprehend!"

Starlight wasn't convinced. "Oh please, next I suppose you'll be telling me that changing even a little thing in the past can grow into a huge problem for the future. And that the fate of all of Equestria hangs in the balance if your friends and you don't get your cutie marks. Spare me your overblown ego, prince."

"Look who's talking, Miss. Glimmer!" Shining snapped. "You think you're so special?! That everypony should give up their cutie marks and follow you like you're the next Princess Celestia?! Because I can assure you, you're not! You don't understand the magic of friendship, you only see others as stepping stones! For you to rise to power at their expense! Trust me, I've dealt with many ponies who think similarly, but even they at least have occasionally had a good thought. And none of them would be caught dead doing the things you're doing now. In the end though, you're all the same. You can dish it out, but you sure as heck can't take it!"

"Oh, so now I'm a bad girl, huh?" Starlight teased. "You gonna lock me up and throw me in a dungeon, is that it? Because so far I've been nice, I've stayed away from hurting the ones you care about the most. I only warned you about what I _might_ do to your sister."

"Don't you even DARE!" Shining warned. "If you so much as touch her, Starlight, I'll have your hide!"

"You think your empty threats scare me?" Starlight fiendishly laughed. "I can see right through you. You're powerless to stop me, just as you're powerless to make those bullies pick on your sister, just so _you_ can be the big hero. But if you really want to push me that far, that's fine by me. I just hope it was worth it when you see your little sister in tears, crying out for someone to save her, while you know that you're unable to do a thing without causing a time paradox."

When that sentence left Starlight's lips, Shining felt something inside him snap and snap hard! His horn started to spark quite ominously! "Oh, that's it!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs. "I'm sick of your little game, Starlight! I won't be part of this cat and mouse game, where you mess up time and I try to stop you, only to get sent to another timeline and have to work my way back! I'm stopping this here and now! You think cutie marks are so evil, and that you're so perfect?! Well, I'm about to show you a timeline, where you get everything you want!"

Spike became alarmed, and the sinking feeling in his stomach only grew deeper when he saw a familiar lime green aura with purple sparks start seeping out of Shining Armor's horn! "Shining! You're using dark magic?!" He cried out, as a massive time bubble formed overhead, and pulled Shining, Spike, _and_ Starlight into it.

"I have no other choice, Spike!" Shining replied, even as he visibly strained to fight the evil thoughts that crept back to the forefront of his mind. "Starlight has to be stopped no matter what! And this is the only way I can think of that'll set her straight!" Then to Starlight he commented in an ominous tone. "It's funny. I never imagined a pony like you would be the one to push me over the edge and make me attempt this technique. I always imagined it'd be a monster like Queen Chrysalis, or Lord Tirek, or even that cowardly King Sombra. But I suppose in a sense, you _are_ a monster. A monster hidden in plain sight, disguised as an ordinary unicorn. One that at first glance probably wouldn't be noticed. But a monster is still a monster, and the best way to deal with monsters is to stop them in their tracks. Hit them where they're most vulnerable."

Starlight wasn't sure what to make of Shining's speech, but she knew for a fact that he was causing all sorts of time themed objects to fly past in some kind of void. "What are you doing?!" She screamed above the roar of the abyss! "What kind of trick is this?! I know for a fact that this isn't any kind of spell Starswirl the Bearded could've accomplished, and I studied all his best works to find the one that worked for me!"

"And whoever says it was Starswirl the Bearded who taught me this?!" Shining roared back! "You pride yourself on knowing everything there is to know about me, but it's obvious you didn't do your research! This is something I learned from Discord, the spirit of chaos and disharmony, now reformed! It's a technique that even Discord himself hadn't done for a long time before he taught me! And it seems that the results are a bit bumpier than when he tried it!"

All of a sudden, everything became deathly still. All was darkness, illuminated only a little by the occasional floating clock or hourglass. But if one looked closely, a series of bubbles opened and closed in various areas.

"Welcome to the sea of time, Starlight Glimmer," Shining greeted, as he started to dim his horn a bit. "Now, give me just a second. I've used up a lot of magic to bring us all here, so I need to make sure I find the timeline I'm looking for." He flew all around, scanning each of the time bubbles, while Starlight found herself too unnerved to make a move.

" _I sure hope there's a way for us to get back to our time after this. Whatever this 'sea of time' is, it freaks me out._ " Spike thought with a gulp.

Just then, Shining cried out. "A-ha! Here we go!" And lighting up his horn again, he dragged Starlight and Spike with him into the time bubble, as all three were overwhelmed by a blinding flash.


	117. Chapter 117: Starlight's Future

When the flash faded, and all three beings got their bearings, they soon found themselves observing a world that was void of all life. There was nothing but biting winds and empty fields of dust, covered up by a dull, dark grey sky that gave everything a bleak and depressing feeling.

"What is this place?! Why have you brought me here?!" Starlight demanded of Shining Armor, but all tackling him in frustration! "Take me back, now!"

But Shining only shook his head. "I couldn't even if I wanted to, Starlight. I used all the magic I had to bring us to this timeline. So now you must face the reality you see before you," Picking up a small grain of dirt, he explained. "It's like I said, everything we do in the past affects the future. And what you've been doing, leads to here. A future void of light and hope."

"Lies, all of it!" Starlight bitterly snapped. "You expect me to believe that somehow, preventing you and your friends from getting your cutie marks, will bring all of this about?!"

"It's one possibility, I've seen another," Shining ominously commented. "The last timeline I visited, your actions led to a war with the Crystal Empire. Is that a future you'd wish upon Equestria, just to satisfy your own desires?"

"Enough of your games, prince!" Starlight snarled and hissed, stomping her hooves on the ground. "You're not going to change my mind! All of Equestria will be better off if I get my way! Trust me, cutie marks are nothing but trouble."

Just then, a huge crowd of ponies came marching past. But they seemed to be as void of life as the world around them. All their coats were dulled, their manes and tails were all styled into that same equal style straight down the middle, and on their flanks were solely black equal signs.

And leading this pack (which seemed to be struggling to hold back signs of hesitation), was none other than Starlight herself. Or rather, another version of her. She wore a tiara similar to the ones seen on Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and wasn't bothering to hide that sinister smile as she rode in a chariot, pulled by the likes of Celestia and Luna themselves (who were also subject to the same treatment as the rest of the ponies). "Keep working, you fools!" Future Starlight barked out. "This land is hardly suitable for the foundations of my empire! We must expand! I won't rest until all of Equestria is cutie marked no more!"

"Yes, Starlight Glimmer." The ponies obliged, largely due to the effects of the equal signs on their rumps, which glowed and pulsated, draining their will to resist (though it also had the effect of slowing them all down to the same snails pace).

* * *

Starlight watched, as her future self slowly rode off into the distance, never seeming to acknowledge anyone. " _That can't be me! This has to be a joke! There's no way_ _ **this**_ _is the Equestria I'll bring about!_ " She thought to herself.

"Do you see now, Starlight?" Shining asked, interrupting Starlight's mental ponderings. "This is where your so called 'equality' leads. Down a dark and dangerous path from which there's no return."

"And this is the part where you say I can turn it all around, right?" Starlight bitterly hissed, despite the tears that were forming in her eyes. "Because if you think that, you're even more full of it than you claim I am! Let's say I believe you, and by the way I don't, you expect me to give up my anti-cutie mark crusade, just because _you_ say so?"

"Please, Starlight, it's for your own good!" Spike pleaded. "You saw what kind of monster you'll become if you keep this up! Is this really the kind of fate you wish to bestow on Equestria, just to get your way?! Is it really worth it?!"

"But, it wasn't supposed to be like this! It can't be this way!" Starlight loudly protested! "My goal was to expand my humble village, turn it into a model sanctuary that would set an example for all to follow! Once everyone in Equestria had given up their cutie marks and embraced equality, friendship and harmony were supposed to spread like wildfire!"

Shining just shook his head. "Yet that equality was founded on a lie, and you yourself wouldn't ever give up your cutie mark. So it was never true equality," Then he added. "But it's not really about equality, is it? Your hatred of cutie marks goes beyond just a misconception. I know this, because I know somepony who used to be very close to you."

"Sunburst?!" Starlight gasped, her mood changing from angry to surprised. "What has he told you?!"

"Not much, he never heard from you again after he left to attend magic school in Canterlot," Shining told Starlight. "But from what I can gather, it seems like you two were close. So let me ask you something? Do you think any of this is what Sunburst would want? That would make him welcome you back into his life with open hooves? Because if he were standing here now, I'd imagine he'd only be appalled and disgusted to see that you're blind to what you've become!"

"Don't presume you know me, because you don't!" Starlight snapped back! "Not everypony's lucky enough to get their cutie mark as the same time as their friends!"

"But they weren't my friends when we got our cutie marks!" Shining protested.

"My point still stands," Starlight said with a shake of her head. "You don't know the heartache that a cutie mark brings, because you grew up in a life of privilege and luxury. You got everything in life hoofed to you on a silver platter. I had nothing, there was no one I could count on for support when I needed it most! You may claim Equestria was founded on the concepts of friendship, harmony, and magic. But where were those pretty little words when I needed to hear them most?!"

"Look, whatever happened to you in the past, it doesn't have to define who you are now," Shining desperately pleaded with Starlight. "The future can be changed, but only if you stop dwelling on the past! Whatever it was that turned you against cutie marks, I'm sorry. But what I want to know is 'Why?', why are you so bitter and disgruntled? Even Sunburst wasn't this upset, and he was pretty peeved that life wasn't going the way he wanted it."

"Oh, you wanna know what happened to me, do you?" Starlight ominously asked, raising an eyebrow.

Spike gulped. "Why do I get the feeling I don't like where this is going?"

"Well too bad! Ready or not, I'm gonna show you and that pesky pony you're friends with just what happened to me!" Starlight shouted, firing off a blast of magic at the table map, and creating another time bubble. "It's time for another field trip through time! And by the time it's over, you'll finally see what this is all about."


	118. Chapter 118: Wounds Forgotten to Time

By now, Shining Armor and Spike were starting to get used to constant flashes and having to re-adjust their eyes. Even so, they were surprised when they finally got a good look at their surroundings. They were looking at an unfamiliar village in some unknown place. It seemed like a peaceful little town, populated by a good mix of ponies from all species. But what stood out, was that many of them were young (though not so young as to not have their cutie marks).

"What is this place?" Shining Armor asked, looking across to Starlight. "And why are you showing me this?"

Starlight only bitterly said in reply. "Don't act like you don't know, prince, or are you really that clueless about what that map of yours can do? It's connected to every part of Equestria, no matter how small. So I used it in combination with the time travel spell, to bring us back to my old home in the town of Hoofington," She then pointed a hoof towards the window of a small house, near the village center. Through said window, it was possible for Shining, Spike, and Starlight to all see a younger, cutie markless version of Starlight, who currently wore her mane in two pigtails. Next to her was a unicorn colt with an orange coat, except for light green patches on his legs and a small similarly colored spot on his face. His mane and tail were a two toned orange in color, styled into a loose curl, and his eyes were dark blue. Said colt was instantly recognizable to both Shining and Starlight. "You know who _that_ is, right?" Starlight bluntly asked.

Shining nodded. "It's Sunburst. I figured he must be important to you, but I never knew you two went all this way back. Far as I know, he never talked about you."

"Figures he'd forget all about me, but I suppose I should've expected no less," Starlight grumbled. "Now watch closely. Because up until this day that I've brought us here to witness, Sunburst and I were the best of friends. We did everything together, played games, did homework, celebrated holidays, you name it. But then..." Starlight paused, her lips quivered a bit before she added. "Well, see for yourself."

"Goodness, look at all the books we had to bring down just to use for references!" The young Starlight exclaimed, looking across to Sunburst.

"We're gonna have to clean it up before my parents see this. My mom especially likes every book to be back where it belongs when ponies are done with it." The young Sunburst commented with a hint of nervousness.

"But there's so many of them!" The young Starlight complained loudly. "There's no way we can just put all of them back, some of them were in very hard to reach places, and my magic's still nowhere near as good as yours."

The young Sunburst just smiled, as the colt boasted. "Just watch, Starlight. I've got a spell that should solve all our problems." With a great deal of straining, Sunburst lit up his horn. A pale yellow magical aura surrounded all the books, and after they swirled around Sunburst for a minute, they started magically flying towards the nearby bookshelves. One by one, books of all sizes and colors, were placed back on the shelves from which they'd come.

The young Starlight was amazed! Even in her dreams she'd never seen such impressive magical power! But then her attention was called to something else, a flash of white light that all but blinded her! When it faded, Starlight took one look at her friend's flank, and gasped! "Sunburst, you got your cutie mark!" She exclaimed, sounding more unhappy than she should be given the circumstance.

"I'm not falling for that one again, Starlight," The young Sunburst snorted. But he looked anyway, and when he did, he couldn't stop himself from letting out a happy whinny! For on his flank was an orange sun with bursting yellow rays, and six blue stars. "I did it! I got my cutie mark!" He proudly proclaimed, as he rushed past his friend without a second thought and started prancing around outside!

All the young Starlight could do, was just stand there and frown, as she hung her head.

* * *

"And that was that, in the blink of an eye my friend was gone," Starlight narrated in a sorrowful tone. "Within a day, his family realized his potential and sent him off to Canterlot to attend Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. He even said he wouldn't come back until he became that big, important wizard he always wanted to be. He moved on, and I didn't. I was stuck in that village without a friend to my name. And all because he got his cutie mark, and I didn't."

"But what about _your_ parents?" Shining spoke up with concern. "Surely they at least knew of your pain, right?"

Starlight only shook her head. "My parents didn't care, they were too busy working to take any notice. Heck, I was one of those latchkey kids. You know, those kids where the parents are so busy the kid gets a key to the house, and has to fend for themselves for a few hours, with only the neighbors that come to check on them. By the time I got my cutie mark, my parents had all but stopped being a factor in my life, which is part of the reason why I ran away as soon as I became an adult."

"What?! You just up and left everypony without even saying goodbye?!" Spike exclaimed with shock! "Without even trying to make new friends, or sending a letter to Sunburst?!"

"Don't you think I tried both?!" Starlight snapped back. "Sunburst never returned any of the letters I sent, or even acknowledged getting them! But they weren't returned to me for any reason, so I know he had to have gotten them! He just forgot about me, like everypony else did! When he left, I was the only blank flank in town, and I stayed that way for the rest of my childhood! When I finally got my cutie mark, hardly anyone cared and I made no effort to befriend them! They didn't think I was worth hanging with _before_ I got my cutie mark, so why I should pretend that things were suddenly different now that I had one?!"

"And that's why you founded your village in the middle of nowhere!" Shining realized as his eyes widened! "All this time, you were bitter and hardened, because you thought Equestria had turned its back on you."

"Exactly," Starlight confirmed with a nod. "I didn't want others to have to suffer the way I did, I wanted to offer them a chance at a better life. So what if it was sold on a lie? If it brought them happiness, it was worth fooling them into thinking I'd given up my cutie mark. I only wish I'd thought to remove mine sooner, rather than waiting until I had an army of loyal followers at my disposal to do as I please."

"But, Starlight, do you think that any of that is what Sunburst would want?" Shining pleaded, looking Starlight square in the eyes. "Do you think any of what you've done and have tried to do, would bring him back?"

"Well, what else was I supposed to do?! I had no one to turn to, no one to be there for me in my time of need!" Starlight complained loudly. "And please, spare me your pity, I don't need it! Growing up I had lots of ponies tell me they were sorry for what I was going through, but their words were nothing but empty promises for me! I don't buy for a second that you're any different, just because you're the Prince of Friendship! I know what you _really_ think of me!"

"Starlight-" Shining began, as he felt a huge wave of guilt wash over him. Hadn't he suspected after the map mission to the village that Starlight was hiding a troubled psyche? How could he have so easily been blinded by rage, as to label someone so harshly without a second thought?

Starlight quickly cut Shining off. "-But if what I saw in that 'future' was true. If that's really what Equestria will be like if I get my way. Then there's no point in trying to continue the quest. My vision isn't worth the price it'll bring to others. So congratulations, prince, you win. I'm done trying to run, and I've no interest in trying to fight back." And just like that, another time bubble appeared, and Shining, Spike, and Starlight were sucked up into it and disappeared.


	119. Chapter 119: A Better Way?

This time bubble returned all three to the city of Canterlot, on that fateful day in which Shining Armor got his cutie mark, and his life changed forever.

As soon as the time bubble had vanished, Starlight shouted out. "Hey, dragon, catch!" And tossed the scroll towards Spike with little additional fanfare. Then, she turned to Shining and bitterly said. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead, knock the living tar out of me, drag me to Princess Celestia kicking and screaming, and get your standing ovation already. You said it yourself, I'm a monster."

But Shining shook his head. "No, I won't do it, Starlight! It doesn't have to be this way."

Starlight would hear none of it, she just rolled her eyes. "Oh, what? Now you hesitate? Is it because picking on a defenseless mare is too hard for you, even after all I've said and done? Spare me your fake sense of pity, I told you I need none of it! Or do I have to threaten your little sister again in order to get you to say it was justified?"

Shining struggled to control his anger, barely containing the bit of dark magic that started to seep out from his horn. "Starlight, please, this doesn't have to end with you locked away or destroyed. I see now, that you're not a monster, not yet."

"Don't presume you know what it's like to be me!" Starlight hissed! "You've always had someone you could turn to for help when you needed it most, but back when Sunburst left me I had no one! And we both know what happened as a result! Now enough of your games, I thought you wanted to end this or was I mistaken?"

"Starlight," Shining began in a somber tone of voice. "You're not a monster, a monster wouldn't feel regret or concern for what their actions might cause. A monster would think they've done nothing wrong. But you're teetering on the brink of becoming one, you're all but staring into the abyss, waiting for it to stare back and for you to blink. I can help you come back to the light, it's not too late to turn things around. There's always new opportunities to make friends."

Starlight struggled to hold back tears. "I thought Sunburst and I were friends, the best of friends in fact. I thought we'd both go on to accomplish great things. But you saw how that turned out, he got his cutie mark before I did, and the next thing I knew he was gone."

"So, try again and make some new friends!" Shining encouraged, flying towards Starlight. "Just because you had one bad experience, doesn't mean you should turn your back on the magic of friendship. Take it from a pony who once thought he didn't need friendship in his life, it's not something you can just do without."

"Yeah, I mean look at all that he's accomplished because he has friends," Spike commented. "He's even married and soon to be a daddy. And that means I'm gonna be a nephew!"

With his thoughts now turning to Cadence, Shining added. "Speaking of which," Looking Starlight square in the eyes, he told her. "Cadence and I started out as just friends, and for the longest time we barely even saw each other. But it grew into something greater, and look where we are now. Maybe you and Sunburst won't be exactly the same, but I'm sure that at the least you two could easily patch up your friendship and start anew."

"But, what if we don't? What if all these years of separation have left us too apart to reconnect?" Starlight asked with a noticeable hint of worry.

"You don't know that's the case, and you won't until you try," Shining pleaded. "Starlight, please, think about this! About what you're doing now, about where you're headed! Is this _really_ what you want the most in your life?! Do you want revenge, or friendship? This may be your last chance to save yourself from going down a dark path, but you have to be the one to take it. You have to be the one to make that first step. I can't force you to decide."

Starlight seemed to hesitate for quite a few minutes, and both Shining and Spike became rather worried that she might reject their offer and run away again. But at last, after a great deal of lip quivering, Starlight hung her head and sighed. "I... guess taking you up on your offer is better than the alternative. You really think Sunburst will forgive me when he finds out what I've done?"

"It's not my place to say, Starlight," Shining replied, as he landed and pulled Starlight close. "That's for him to decide, just as it's for you to decide when you want to tell him. I can't promise it'll be easy, but I'll do my best to be there for you and put in a good word when you have to defend yourself. Now come on, it's time to stop dwelling on the past. No matter how much you try to change it, the wounds will never heal. Let me show you a better way, as Princess Celestia once did for me."

Starlight reluctantly accepted Shining's hoof in friendship, and for a moment no words were said. The unicorn just looked at the alicorn, and let her tears fall without hesitation. " _All my life, all I've ever wanted to do was cry, but I forced myself to be strong,_ " She thought to herself. " _And that led me to take out my anger on others and impose my will on the innocent. Is it really possible for me to change after all of that?_ " But she didn't have the courage to express those thoughts aloud.

"Okay, now that we've got _that_ taken care of, just how do we get back to our own timeline?" Spike wondered, interrupting the moment. "I'm pretty sure it's dangerous to stay here in the past for too long."

"You're right, Spike," Shining nodded, as he gently surrounded the scroll with his magic and pulled it towards him. "I think it's time we _all_ went home," But when he tried to light up his horn and cast the spell, he only managed to produce a few sparks. He tried, and tried, and tried again, but nothing happened. "Darn it! I thought my magic would've recovered by now!" He complained. "I don't have enough strength to cast the spell and take us back to the present, looks like we're stuck here for the time being."

But Starlight quickly grabbed the scroll and lit up her own horn! "Here, let me help you with that!" She offered. "It's the least I can do after what you've already done for me. Besides, I got us into this mess, so I might as well get us out of it." And in a matter of seconds, another time bubble opened up. And all three standing below it were sucked up into it and disappeared, just as there was a tremendous blast of violet-pink colored magic!


	120. Chapter 120: A Not So Warm Welcome

One final time bubble was all it took to return the three occupants back to the castle, and when they had landed, the scroll flew up into the bubble and vanished with it, never to be seen again!

"We're home?! We're home!" Spike happily exclaimed, kissing the ground in excitement. "One crystal castle of friendship, check."

Just then, the throne room doors creaked open, and into the room poured all of Shining's friends. "Ah, there you are, Shining," Fancy Pants commented. "Your sister's been worried sick. Where the heck have you been?"

"And one amazing group of friends, check," Spike added. "Yup, everything's as it is should be."

"You guys are never gonna believe this, but let's just say time travel is no longer mere science fiction." Shining remarked. For some reason, he found himself feeling incredibly drained. He could barely muster up enough strength to stand (most likely a side effect of using all that dark magic).

"Oh great, you've been hanging around with that Dr. Whooves fellow again. Everypony knows he's a few heads short of a herd." Soarin groaned, putting a hoof to his face.

Everyone else's attention, however, was drawn to a very familiar mare that was hiding behind Shining Armor. Big Macintosh reluctantly said what everyone was thinking. "Is that who I think it is?"

"So, Starlight Glimmer's finally decided to show herself, huh?!" Thunderlane growled. "Well, we'll teach her a thing or two! She's not getting away this time!"

"Wait just a minute, guys!" Shining immediately pleaded. "I know this is gonna sound crazy, but you must believe me when I say, Starlight's a different pony now. We've had a lot of time to talk, let's leave it at that."

But before Shining could say anything more, the throne room doors burst open, and several royal guards came rushing in, lead by Private Spearhead! "Well, well, well, looks like the captain's sister wasn't pulling our hooves after all," Spearhead commented, as his eyes fell upon Starlight Glimmer. "You've made a huge mistake messing with our captain. Okay boys, take her away!"

Two royal guards rushed forward and grabbed hold of Starlight before she had a chance to even think of escaping. "Wait, stop! Please, I beg you!" She shouted in desperation, but to no avail.

Shining opened his mouth to try and speak on Starlight's behalf, but before he get a word in edgewise, he found himself growing faint. "S...Starlight." He barely managed to croak out, before his world went black!

* * *

Shining was slow to open his eyes, and when he did he groaned at the bright lights that greeted him. " _Just great! Heck of a time for my migraines to kick in!_ " He thought to himself, even as the pain slowly dulled a little.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake, B.B.B.F.F!" Twilight exclaimed, as she stood at the foot of her brother's bed. "You've been out cold for hours now, whatever happened to you while I was gone must taken a lot out of you."

Shining groggily turned towards his sister. "W...what happened? Where's Starlight?!" He asked, although he was pretty certain he knew the answer.

"The guards led her away, she's currently on trial in Canterlot and Princess Luna's presiding over it. They mentioned something about a troubled psyche," Twilight commented. "But why do you care? From what you told me, she was a brutal dictator who enslaved an entire village and forced them to give up their cutie marks."

"Well, that's only half of the puzzle," Shining explained, even as he had to deal with the throbbing pain in his forehead. "Starlight snuck into the castle and ended up sending Spike and I back in time along with her. She tried to change the past and stop me from getting my cutie mark. And, well..." Shining hesitated for a bit. Did he really want to let his sister know what he'd done? What would she think of him if she found out? Or had Spike already told her anyway?

"Well, what?" Twilight asked with concern.

"I...I..." Shining stuttered, before he swallowed a lump in his throat and confessed. "I used Discord's technique, you know, the one that lets me travel to any timeline at any point."

"Yes, Spike already told me that," Twilight nodded. "And he mentioned something else as well, but I wanted to hear it from you. Did you really use dark magic again?"

"As much as it pains me to admit it... yes," Shining confessed rather shamefully. "It's just... Starlight threatened to hurt you, a past version of you. You've always meant everything to me, Twily, I would move mountains for you if I had to. I couldn't stand the thought that Starlight would try to hurt you in any way, shape, or form. And somehow, I couldn't control my thoughts. All I could think about was how mad I was at Starlight for threatening you, how I wanted to make her see the error of her ways at all costs."

Twilight stumbled back in shock! From what little she'd read on dark magic, she knew that those who tried to use it were almost always driven to madness sooner or later, consumed by the dark thoughts associated with the magic. And this wasn't the first time her brother had used it either, he'd told her about the other times he'd had to use it. But she'd never imagined he would be so easily pushed into using it against another pony, even if it hadn't been for violence.

"Figured you'd react that way," Shining frowned, throwing his head back onto his pillow. "I'm sorry you had to learn about that, Twilight. But back in the heat of that moment, all I could think about was my anger, how I wanted to make Starlight pay. But the subject of Starlight is what I really want to mention to you. I saw her past, Twilight, I saw pains that she'd gone to great lengths to suppress. She lost her only friend as a filly, and blamed cutie marks for it, because there was no one there for her in her time of need."

"Sounds a lot like Moondancer, only with the reckless desire to take it out on others," Twilight commented. "Or Sunset Shimmer for that matter, before you and I helped her to see the error of her ways of course."

Shining forced out a raspy laugh. "Funny you should mention that, Twily, because Starlight reminds me a lot of Sunset herself. They even have similar name themes. In another time and another place, maybe the three of you could've all been students at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns or something. Anyway, much like Princess Celestia had Sunset, Sunburst, and you and I as her students, I was thinking that the time has come for me to take on my own student. And I want Starlight Glimmer to fill that role."

"What?! Are you sure?" Twilight asked with worry. "If what you've just told me is true, Starlight sounds like an extremely troubled pony."

"I know, and that's precisely why I want to take her under my wing," Shining said quite firmly, slowly sitting up in his bed. "Much like Sunset Shimmer, she needs a guiding hoof to keep her on the right track. A shoulder for her to cry on. And someone to show her a better way. Otherwise, she's inevitably going to do what she did with the map again, only on a far greater scale. But, do you think it's worth it?"

Twilight shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't help you with that, B.B.B.F.F, and neither can anyone else. You're the only one who's seen the worst and the best of Starlight. You have to be the one to decide whether you think you can help her. This isn't like Sunburst or Sunset Shimmer, there's not going to be an overnight fix," Looking across the room toward the doorway, she then added. "Speaking of Sunset, I noticed that she's been sending me a LOT of messages! I haven't had time to respond, because I was worried about you. And if it's true that Starlight messed with the table map and tried to rewrite history, who knows how the portal between worlds would've been affected had I tried to use? But now, I'd probably better check up on Sunset personally and explain myself. Her messages sound pretty urgent."

"You do that, Twily," Shining nodded. "Be sure to give Sunset my regards and that I'm sorry I couldn't come myself. Oh, and be sure to tell her that she's always welcome to come back to Equestria whenever she wants, Princess Celestia in particular has been longing for a chance to patch things up with her."

"Will do, Shining. I just hope nothing bad's happened in my absence," Twilight commented, as she left the bedroom she and her brother shared. "I hope it's not trouble with The Dazzlings again, because last time they nearly destroyed us."


	121. Chapter 121: Student?

Shining soon found out that he'd been out for a long time, more than half a day to be precise. Before long, night came, and all the stallion could do was go to sleep. At the moment he had no knowledge about Starlight's fate, but that was about to change.

"Greetings and a warm welcome to you, Prince Shining Armor," Princess Luna called, appearing before her fellow alicorn in a brilliant flash of light. "I've come to you on the very important matter of Starlight Glimmer. It was my understanding that you made an offer to her, in which you would take her under your wing and become her teacher, is that correct?"

Shining nodded. "And you were the one who presided over her trial. I assume that means you ended up delving into her mental state?"

"Normally, even as the Princess of the Night and guardian of the Dream Realm, such boundaries are off limits to me without permission," Luna explained quite seriously. "But Starlight asked, no 'begged' for me to enter her dreams. And that's why I've come to seek you out. I saw something that I think you'll very much want to know, if indeed you plan to take this mare on as your student, as my sister once did with _your_ sister."

"I do," Shining nodded again, extending a hoof out to the night alicorn. "Whenever you're ready, princess."

Luna smiled, and grabbed Shining's hoof, before they took off deep into the Dream Realm. All of a sudden, a variety of doors in various colors and designs, appeared on either side of a path lined with what could best be described as stars.

The two stopped, in front of a door that contained the same coat color as Starlight's, and bore the symbol of her cutie mark. Luna quickly opened it, and ushered Shining through.

What Shining saw on the other side of that door, amazed him!

There was Starlight, or rather the younger version of her he'd seen when she'd told him about her past. She even had the two pigtails style mane. Said Starlight was sitting down at a table, and seated across from her was the younger version of Sunburst. Shining noticed that neither of them had had their cutie marks yet, and they appeared to be playing a board game of some sort.

But the detail that stood out the most to Shining, was how although it depicted Starlight's childhood room right down to a t, the filly's parents could only be seen as a dark blur and they seemed rather out of focus compared to everything else.

"Is that _Dragon Pit_ they're playing?" Shining wondered, as he looked at the scene. "I never really got into that as a kid, but I think when Twily was younger, we used to play it a little. I always preferred _Ogres and Oubliettes_ , especially on the rare times I could get Dad to get away from his bingo nights. For someone so young, he sure loves bingo."

Luna just nodded. "It is indeed _Dragon Pit_. But look around you, what is it that you find most odd about this dream conjured up?"

"Well, now that you mention it, doesn't it seem odd that her parents are left undetailed and out of focus?" Shining pondered. "She told me she was a latch key kid, but I assumed she'd at least have _some_ memories of her parents."

"Perhaps she does, buried deep in her subconscious. But it seems they were so absent from her filly years, that she has been left unable to recall what they look like," Luna explained to Shining. "And that, coupled with the fact that in this dream, she's her blank flank filly self, speaks volumes about the kind of pony she is."

"I get what you're saying. You're saying that, because she was so attached to Sunburst as a filly, when he moved away, it was like her whole world came crashing down," Shining commented, as he felt a new sense of pity overtake him. "I can see now, how trauma like that could boil over to a one pony war on cutie marks. She didn't have a pony to count on or talk to, and it definitely never occurred to her to seek therapy," A noticeable combination of sorrow and regret punctuated his next words. "And to think I thought she was just a monster. If only I'd known sooner, if only I'd reached out to her when I first came to that village. None of what happened today would've been necessary."

But Luna shook her head. "When a pony is that set in their ways, there's little that can be done to change their mind. Starlight's troubles couldn't have been solved with just words or even promises. Mental scars don't heal the same way physical ones do. I should know, I've been down that road," Then, in a more serious tone, she added. "But now, the question that must be asked is: 'Knowing what you know now, are you certain you can provide what Starlight _really_ needs?'. Because I think your judgement might be a bit rash, an attempt to make you feel better about yourself after you were quick to judge Starlight for her actions. Maybe calling her a monster was a bit extreme, but from what she told me, I can't blame you for not thinking highly of her until recently. And you must know that you can't always save everyone."

Shining paused for quite a while, pondering to himself. " _Luna's right. Am I really doing this for Starlight's benefit, or my own? If I really want a student, what's to stop me from going through that portal and recruiting Sunset Shimmer? She may have learned a lot in the human world, but there's bond to be lessons here in Equestria that she still has yet to master._

 _And Starlight comes with emotional baggage far greater than what Sunset had, baggage that goes beyond wanting to get even._ " But after thinking over this a bit, he shook his head and said to Princess Luna. "I just want to help her, give her a chance to make amends and right the wrong she did. Otherwise, she might become what Sunset Shimmer once was, a pony who turned their back on Equestria, just because there was no one there to show them a better way."

"Very well," Luna agreed, smiling a bit. "I had a feeling you'd decide that way. So I took the liberty of sending Starlight to you, at least for the night. But I shall inform my sister, and the royal guards in both Canterlot and the Crystal Empire, that from this moment onwards, Starlight is _your_ student and her sentence has been commuted to extended community service for the foreseeable future. But take note, that'll also mean she's your responsibility."

"I most certainly will, Luna. And thank you for all your help," Shining replied. "I know you and your sister will make great aunts for my child."

"But of course, and we both look forward to seeing the little one," Luna smiled. "Send us notice when it arrives and we'll make efforts to come and pay a visit. Just be aware, given the fact that both you _and_ Cadence are alicorns, there's a possibility your foal will be one too." And with that, she was gone.

* * *

Shining awoke, finding it still night time. Luna's moon shone brightly through his bedroom window. Just then, there was a knock at the castle doors. Shining got up, he had a pretty good feeling of who it was.

Sure enough, upon opening the door, there was Starlight. "I... hope this isn't a bad time. I know there's nothing I can say or do to make up for what I've done." She glumly greeted.

But Shining pulled the unicorn inside and gave her a big wing hug. "It's alright, we can worry about all of that tomorrow. Just rest, we've both been through a lot together in the past 24 hours. Rest and be ready, because you've got a big day tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" Starlight nervously asked.

"Tomorrow's your first day as my student of course," Shining laughed playfully. "And I've got to introduce you to all my friends, as well as my sister. And then we're gonna have to discuss the ponies from your old village, because you owe them an apology at the very least."

"What about Sunburst? You said you knew him, or were you just pulling my leg?" Starlight inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"I know him all right," Shining replied to Starlight, as he led her down the long hallways of the castle. "But that reunion can wait a while, until I think you're ready to begin rapprochement."


	122. Chapter 122: Cadence's Labor

It hadn't even been a week since she'd agreed to become Shining Armor's student, and already Starlight Glimmer was finding herself lost in this maze of a castle. It was a miracle she'd ever found her way around, especially now that she'd re-styled her mane so that the left side fell into something of a curl.

"I swear, this castle looked a lot smaller from the outside," Starlight remarked to herself. "Now, where did they put the library?"

The mare trotted down the vast empty hallways, searching in vain for her destination. It didn't help that there wasn't a soul to be seen or heard anywhere, so asking for directions was out of the question. All she could do, was just try each door that caught her eye, and luck would do the rest.

"Gah!" Starlight cried, as she opened yet another broom closet and all the supplies inside it came tumbling down on her. " _Why are there so many broom closets in this stupid castle?! I haven't seen a single butler or maid in these parts._ " She thought to herself, as she used her magic to put the supplies back and close the door.

Undeterred, Starlight tried the next door. This one wasn't a broom closet, thankfully, but it _was_ a bathroom. And Spike was currently in it, brushing his teeth. "Morning, Starlight!" Spike greeted in between brushes. "Uh, do you mind?"

"Whoops, sorry!" Starlight apologized and hastily closed the door! " _Well, at least he was only brushing his teeth. It could've been a_ _ **lot**_ _worse._ " She thought to herself, breathing a small sigh of relief.

From the other side of the door, Spike called. "Looking for someplace? I know this castle like the back of my paw."

"You wouldn't happen to know where the library is, would you?" Starlight asked somewhat reluctantly. "Shining Armor told me to meet him there, and I forgot to ask for directions."

"Oh, the library? That's easy. Next door on the left, you can't miss it!" Spike called, then went back to brushing his teeth.

"Thanks, Spike, and sorry about earlier." Starlight apologized, and took off as fast she could.

Sure enough, the very next door on the left led to the library, and Shining Armor was already waiting for her there. "Oh, hello, Starlight. Nice of you to join me." He greeted, with only a slight hint of impatience.

"Sorry, got a bit turned around in this maze of a castle," Starlight apologized. "But I'm here now. So, what's my first lesson, teacher? Or, should I just call you Shining Armor?"

Shining chuckled a bit. "Either one's fine, Starlight, though I kind of prefer the latter. I've never had a student of my own before, at least not one I've had to directly take under my wing. This is going to be a new experience for the both of us, but if you're willing to learn, I'm willing to teach," Clearing his throat, he then added. "You already wrote that letter to those ponies in your old village, right?"

"Ah yes, the Cutie Markless Quartet," Starlight nodded. "You think they'll forgive me, eventually?"

"That's not my place to say, it's for them to decide," Shining replied quite seriously. "But that was merely phase one of your first lesson. Forgiveness and rapprochement are the keys, and now that you've sent an apology to those village ponies, it's time to reconnect with someone I think you'll be very familiar with."

Starlight gulped, a cold sweat forming on her face. "You mean... Sunburst?"

Shining nodded, and smiled. "Now, now, there's no need to be nervous. He was the first pony you ever cared about, and I think it's only fitting you let him know how you feel. Besides, I'm sure he'd be glad to make a new friend, or an old friend as the case may be. Of course, that's just a hypothetical scenario, we may have to postpone it."

"Oh, right," Starlight remembered, blushing a bit. "I hope my messing with time hasn't affected the baby's arrival at all."

"Not at all, everything's coming along just fine," Shining replied with a smile. "Doctors say she'll be due any day now, definitely by next week. We even have a special signal to notify me if the time comes while I'm here. I know Twily's gonna be thrilled to be an aunt."

"'Auntie Twilight'," Starlight chuckled. "Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

"It sure does," Shining said to Starlight. "Anyway, I still need to make final arrangements with Sunburst before you two meet. Now, why don't you do me a favor and check on the guys for me? Twily's briefing them in the throne room about something rather interesting she just learned. And it's tied into the baby that's on the way."

"Throne room! Got it!" Starlight replied, and rushed out as fast as she could. But then she came back and nervously added. "Uh, which way is the throne room again?"

"Forgot where it was, huh?" Shining eyed Starlight, then he laughed again. "It's okay, I do that too. Just go down the hall, make a left, and it's the third door on your right," Watching Starlight rush back out the doors, Shining added to himself. "One of these days, I really need to label those doors." Suddenly, his horn started to buzz! " _Could it be?!_ " He thought, as he tapped a hoof to his horn, and a projection began to appear.

Starlight had barely made it to the end of the hall, when Shining suddenly came rushing up to her with a frantic look on his face! "Sorry to drop this on you on such short notice, Starlight, but it looks like your first lesson's gonna be delayed for a little longer! Cadence just contacted me via horn message, she's gone into labor!"

"Oh, well congratulations, I think," Starlight nervously smiled. "Hope it all goes well."

"Don't worry, our friends were already planning a trip up to the Crystal Empire," Shining replied to Starlight. "As soon as you get the invitation, I'll be waiting for you at the train station, and we'll continue our lesson plan from there. I've even left my notes for Twilight to look over, in case I'm gone longer than expected." And then, lightning up his horn, the alicorn prince vanished!

* * *

Shining barely had time to get his bearings, for once he had teleported to the Crystal Empire, he immediately rushed to the castle and made a mad dash to the bed chambers! Sure enough, there was Cadence, with a huge assortment of doctors, nurses, and castle staff all running around and fussing about her.

Shining was at his wife's side in an instant. "Cadence, I came as soon as I could!" He told her, gripping her hoof tightly.

Despite her current state, Cadence smiled. "I knew you would, Shining! I feel a lot better already, just knowing that you're here. It's too bad my aunts couldn't make it, we'll have to send them a card informing them of their new niece."

"Princess Cadence, your majesty," One of the doctors spoke up. "I'm going to need you to listen carefully to what I say, and do as I tell you, got it?"

Cadence nodded. "I'm ready, doctor."

"Okay, here we go. Deep breaths, everypony." The doctor instructed, and the delivery process commenced.

* * *

It may have only been a few minutes, but for Shining and Cadence the whole ordeal had lasted a lifetime as far as they were concerned. But it was all worth it when they heard the healthy wail of their child, announcing its arrival to the world.

"Congratulations, your majesties," One of the nurses declared. "It's a girl!"

"Guess that means she's a princess," Shining teased. "Aw, and here I was hoping for another prince. Equestria's got enough princesses already."

"What should we name her?" Cadence suggested. "I didn't exactly spend a lot of time thinking of names, but it has to be something fitting."

Shining just smiled, as he looked down at his exhausted wife and told her. "Let's get a look at our precious little bundle of joy first, then we can decide."

"Uh... about that," The doctor nervously spoke up, attracting the attention of the royal couple. "The baby was delivered flawlessly, and she's quite healthy, no sign of defects anywhere. But... there _is_ something you two should be aware of. Something I suppose was obvious, given who her parents were." He proceeded to hoof over the infant, wrapped in a swaddling, baby blue blanket.

And when Shining and Cadence got a good look at their new baby girl, they realized at once just what the doctor had been so concerned about. " _This changes everything._ " They thought to themselves.


	123. Chapter 123: Readjusting the Lesson

(One month later)

Despite not hearing from Shining Armor at all (other than briefly being told that the baby had arrived and everything was going smoothly), Starlight stayed in the castle. Very rarely did she ever go out into town, and even then it wasn't for long.

But a month was hardly enough time to get used to the castle, and so it was that Starlight found herself taking a wrong turn yet again. This time, she was shocked to find Spike flexing his muscles in front of a mirror. Spike innocently waved back at Starlight, who just groaned and trotted off while saying. "I am _never_ gonna find my way around this place. All these doors look the same."

Not one to just ignore a pony when they were looking down (largely due to what tended to happen to most ponies he knew when they got upset), Spike quickly approached Starlight and asked her. "Hey, what's wrong, Starlight? Something on your mind?"

Starlight only sighed. "It's nothing, Spike. Nothing you'd understand anyway."

"Look, we haven't known each other long, but I _do_ know it's not going to do you any good to keep things to yourself," Spike advised. "Whatever it is, I won't judge."

"Well, if you must know," Starlight unhappily confessed. "It's Shining Armor's lesson, which he's more or less shunted off to Twilight now that he's not around. I get that he wants me to reconnect with Sunburst, and I don't blame him. But after the things I've done, after all the years of bitterness and self torment, I just don't know if I can really look Sunburst in the eye again. If he finds out the lengths I went to, just because I blamed a cutie mark for him moving away, pretty sure he'll want nothing to do with me. Heck, for all I know, he's that big, important wizard he always dreamed of being. And here I am, a criminal stuck with what might as well be glorified community service, when most would say I should be rotting in a cell somewhere."

"I think you're asking the wrong guy," Spike commented after a moment. "These are concerns you should be bringing up with Twilight, so she can tell Shining Armor. They're not mind readers, you know."

"But how do I go about that without sounding ungrateful, or like I'm not willing to learn?" Starlight asked with concern. "Shining Armor and his sister may have been generous in letting me stay here, but it was on the assumption that I'd abide by their terms. What if they think I'm going back on them, and throw me out?"

Spike shook his head. "I think you're overreacting, just a little. And if you're _really_ nervous, you can always sugarcoat it as wanting to meet Sunburst on your time and terms. I know Twilight would have a hard time saying no to that."

"Speaking of Twilight," Starlight realized. "I should probably get going, she's expecting me in the throne room. Said it was something about a 'Crystalling'. In fact, that's where I was heading, if I could only remember where to find it."

"Better stick with me then, I've been in this castle long enough to know it like the back of my claw." Spike vowed.

* * *

Upon arriving in the throne room, Starlight noticed that Shining Armor's friends, as well as Twilight's friends, were all chatting about something.

"If you ask me, we should leave ASAP. I don't want to miss the Crystalling at all!" Rainbow Dash vowed.

"But we haven't gotten an invitation yet, and Spitfire will chew me out something fierce if I just take another day off without reason," Soarin protested. "Especially since we've got that huge show in Ponyville coming up in a few weeks, we're gonna need every available hoof on deck."

"I'm not even sure I'm up for another trip to the Crystal Empire, even to see the little one," Big Macintosh commented. "None of us even really know a thing about their customs and traditions."

"And that there Crystallin' is the most mysterious thing of all," Applejack spoke up. "But Twilight says she's found some information that can explain it. Some old records that detail what it's about."

"Indeed I do!" Twilight beamed. "Princess Cadence was all too happy to give me access to all the information in the empire's library, and Spike was a big help with tracking down stray sources," She then noticed the presence of Starlight. "Ah, there you are, Starlight. Nice of you to finally join us."

"Sorry," Starlight sheepishly apologized. "I uh... got kind of lost, again. What exactly are you all talking about?"

Fancy Pants explained. "With Shining Armor and Cadence's baby having been born, there now comes an important tradition that's supposed to be carried out. But many of the empire's customs are a bit murky, being gone for 1,000 years means there's very few sources that can tell us things like 'What's a Crystalling?', and Twilight was just about to explain.

"It's actually not hard to understand," Spike boasted. "Most things in the empire aren't, like the fact that I'm a big hero there for starters. I'd be happy to tell you all the tale."

"Not now, my son," Twilight protested with a shake of her head. "There'll be plenty of time to discuss your exploits later. I called everyone here today to talk about the Crystalling. And this is what I found," Displaying a magnificent urn, Twilight spoke at length. "It's simple. Whenever a new baby is born in the Crystal Empire, the parents bring it before the Crystal Heart. They get the purest shard of crystal that they can find, then pick a crystaller to present the baby to everypony who comes. And then they all share the light and joy they feel, feeding it into the crystal that joins with the Heart, and increases its power! And this Crystalling is going to be a _royal_ Crystalling, so pretty much the whole empire will show up. That hasn't happened in a millennia!"

"So, that's it, huh?" Starlight commented. "So then, what exactly is all this chat for?"

"Shining Armor's supposed to send an invitation of some sort, letting us all know when the Crystalling will be held," Twilight told Starlight. "But it's been weeks and we haven't heard a word."

"Yet it's terribly impolite to just show up uninvited, regardless of the circumstances," Rarity added. "Not to mention, some of us have 'obligations' to take care of. Business is booming, and I'm currently in the process of scouring locations for a third boutique, just to handle the workload."

"I'm just excited to see the new baby! I can't wait for her to get to meet her Aunty Twily!" Twilight happily beamed. "And hopefully a certain 'somepony' will be kind enough to give me back my old doll, so I can give it a proper home."

Big Macintosh said nothing, he just whistled as innocently as he could.

"And the best part is, a new baby means there's gonna be an awesome party to celebrate her monthaversery!" Pinkie cheered, as a stream of confetti suddenly shot out from her hooves. "And you know I can't leave Braeburn out of the preparations for _that_."

"I'd be insulted if ya did, Miss. Pie." Braeburn nodded.

"But what about you, Starlight?" Twilight asked. "Is there something _you_ wish to say about all of this? After all, we're gonna be so busy with the baby and the Crystalling, I'm not sure if we'll have time to squeeze in your lesson, not that we won't try."

Starlight opened her mouth, prepared to offer an objection, but then she changed her mind. Everyone was so excited about the Crystalling, and she didn't want to put a damper on the fun by complaining about her own problems. None of them probably even cared, they were still mostly strangers to her (a month was hardly enough time to get to know somepony, let alone an entire group of ponies). Instead, she just said to Twilight. "Whatever you think is best. I mean, you're the sister of my teacher, and he's trusted you with carrying out his plan. Who am I to question his judgement?"

* * *

But just a half an hour later, Starlight would come to regret the fact that she hadn't spoken up when she had the chance. For Twilight proudly showed Starlight a snowflake, and inside it was something that looked like a letter. "It's the invitation to the Crystalling! We're going to the Crystal Empire! And _you_ are going to reconnect with Sunburst!" Twilight happily exclaimed. "Knowing my brother, he's probably going to be there to meet us at the train station, and he may have some final advice to give. Or maybe he'll have even convinced Sunburst to be on the platform with him, won't that be a nice surprise?!"

Starlight just laughed and nervously replied. "Uh huh huh huh, yeah, great." In her mind though, she was thinking. " _What am I supposed to tell Sunburst when he inevitably asks about my past? Did Shining Armor tell him, or does he want me to do it?_ "


	124. Chapter 124: New Dilemmas

Everyone was excited to go to the Crystal Empire, and take part in the Crystalling. Well, all except Starlight Glimmer, but she never bothered to raise an objection. In fact, she kept quiet for the enterity of the train ride to the empire, as she thought to herself. " _How am I_ _ **ever**_ _going to explain the things I've done to Sunburst? He's sure to think I'm a monster._ "

But a big surprise awaited the group when they left the train. For as soon as they had stepped onto the platform, there was Shining Armor himself. But between the bags under his eyes, and his messy mane and tail, it looked like he'd aged years since last anyone had seen him. "Oh, I'm so glad you could all make it!" He happily exclaimed, even as his tone of voice indicated he'd probably gone a couple of nights without sleep. "Sorry if this is last minute, but sometimes you can't help it when life throws you a curveball."

"Uh, are you sure you're alright?" Twilight asked her brother.

Shining just laughed. "Of course, never better. How silly of you to ask! Being a father is amazing! And wonderful, and amazing, and confusing, and amazing, but surprising too, you know? I mean, not that you'd know. You wouldn't know, I know... You know?" After a moment of uncomfortable silence, the young prince apologized. "Sorry, things have been pretty crazy since the baby arrived. Neither Cadence or I have really slept much, we're still trying to decide on a name. Right now, the best we come up with is Flurry for the first name, but it needs something to really roll off the tongue."

"Oh, of course! What was I even thinking?!" Twilight exclaimed. "You two probably need all kinds of help with the baby, especially if you're gonna hold that Crystalling today! Guess Starlight's lesson will have to wait."

Shining nodded. "I'm gonna have to agree with you on that, sis. I just don't think it's gonna be possible to do the Crystalling _and_ help Starlight reconnect with Sunburst. Sorry, Starlight, I didn't mean to make you come all this way for nothing."

Starlight just nervously laughed and tried to play it off. "Oh, don't be ridiculous. You couldn't have known."

"Maybe, but I just wish there was some way we could do both. I'd like to help, but something tells me my new niece is gonna be quite the hoofful." Twilight commented.

"Well, actually, maybe there _is_ a way to tackle the lesson!" Spike suggested, holding up a scroll. "The details are already written down here on this list! So now all Starlight and I have to do is follow it! I can do that, no problem!"

Starlight put a hoof to her face, as Twilight smiled at the dragon and praised him. "Spike, you're a genius! Why didn't _I_ think of that?!"

Starlight laughed nervously as she commented. "Yeah, Spike," Then, gritting her teeth, she muttered under her breath, "Genius." And in the back of her mind, she was thinking. " _I wish_ _ **you**_ _had a cutie mark, so I could take it away!_ "

"Good, then it's all settled," Shining smiled. "Spike and Starlight, you go to see Sunburst, and give him my regards. I'm sure he'll be quite happy to see you both. And for the rest of you, follow me if you want to get your first glance at baby Flurry." And with that, despite some hesitations from Starlight, the group split up.

* * *

Once he and Starlight were alone in the streets of the empire, Spike took the time to talk to the unicorn. "You should've spoken up back there, you know. I can tell you're not looking forward to this, but no way was I gonna let you weasel your way out of your lesson just because you don't wanna tell anypony what you're thinking," He then added. "I get it, Sunburst was a big part of your life. He's at least part of the reason why you became the mare you are today. But sooner or later, he's bound to hear the truth. Better if he hears it from you."

"You're sure you're not doing this just to spite me?" Starlight questioned.

"And why would I do _that_?" Spike innocently asked. "Come on, Starlight, have a little faith in others. That's what ponies mean by 'The Magic of Friendship'. Now then, according to the list, Sunburst's house is—"

But Starlight interrupted, pointing to what appeared to be a giant crystal statue of Spike, holding up some kind of heart (also made of crystal). "Hey, i-is that... you?"

Spike looked at the statue for a second, then nodded and said. "Yup, it sure is. Marvelous, isn't it? Now then, Sunburst's house should be-"

"Why is there a statue of you in the Crystal Empire?" Starlight asked, desperate for a distraction.

To Starlight's surprise, a ruby coated crystal earth pony cried out. "Because Spike the Brave and Glorious saved all of us from the wrath of King Sombra!"

"And then he saved us all again during the Equestria Games!" An amber coated crystal pegasus added.

Starlight was amazed by these revelations, and she knew right then and there that she'd found her distraction. "Spike, why didn't you tell me about this sooner?! I had no idea!" She asked.

Spike played it off. "Oh, it's no big deal, really."

"It most certainly _is_! You've saved us all, and we're forever in your debt!" The crystal ponies replied.

Taking full advantage of this situation, Starlight snatched up the scroll and announced quite clearly. "That's it! We're not going anywhere until I get the whole story!" She brought up a stool for Spike to sit on, then a lounge chair for her to relax in with a bucket of popcorn. Part of her felt pretty bad for tricking Spike like this, but she pushed it aside. " _I just need to keep him distracted long enough for him to forget the lesson, that's all. It's not like I'm brainwashing him or anything, and what's wrong with a little knowledge?_ " She innocently thought to herself.

* * *

Meanwhile, Shining Armor had led his friends and his sister right to the castle, and now they were standing just outside the door of the castle nursery. It was now that Shining remembered something he'd meant to bring up sooner. "Wait a moment, guys!" He cautioned. "Uh, before you go in there and take a look at the baby, there's... something you should know about her. In fact, seeing Flurry might be a bit of a shock."

"I don't see how, it's just a baby. Just like when it happened with the Cakes," Rainbow Dash commented. "We were all there to see that, we've been down this road before."

"Even so, it's not going to be exactly like the last time. There's something you need to be aware of." Shining advised.

But Twilight and the others payed Shining's comments no mind, they merely trotted into the nursery of their own free will. "Relax, brother, I've met and dealt with babies before. You forget, I had to practically raise Spike from the day he was hatched, and that was when he was _really_ a baby dragon. I don't think this one will be any different," Twilight smiled. "Now, where's Flurry? I just know she's gonna want to see her Auntie Twily."

However, when all gathered round the crib to look at the new baby, they were shocked at what they saw! Staring back at them, was a baby with a coat of almost snow white with only a faint tinge of light grayish-pink, a curly mane and tail consisting of two shades of purplish-pink and arctic blue highlights, and big, light opal colored eyes. But said baby had both a horn _and_ wings!

"The baby's an alicorn?!" Twilight exclaimed with surprise.

"Well... I guess that makes sense if you think about it," Fancy Pants commented after a minute. "Both her parents were alicorns, so the odds were in favor of being one. I'd say it'd be more of a shock if she _wasn't_ an alicorn."

"Maybe, but she's a natural born alicorn," Shining replied, bringing up a fact that most ponies hadn't yet considered. "Cadence and I weren't born alicorns, we had to ascend to that level. Cadence was a pegasus originally, and I a unicorn. A natural born alicorn though, that's power on an entirely different level!"

* * *

"...and that's how we found the Crystal Heart, defeated King Sombra, and saved the Empire." Spike narrated. By now, he'd attracted quite the crowd.

The crystal ponies clapped and cheered, shouting praises such as: "We love you, Spike!" and "Yeah. Tell us the one about the Equestria Games!"

But Spike just said to them. "Well, as much as I love reliving my heroic deeds, Starlight and I have an important lesson to do, by order of the very Prince of Friendship."

"Aw, come on, Spike!" Starlight complained, as the crowd dispersed. "I wanted to hear about the games too!"

"Plenty of time to ask about them _after_ we do the lesson!" Spike protested, pushing Starlight along. "The more you put this off, the worse you're gonna make this for the both of us. You've gotta face your fears, not run from them. It even says so in the lesson plan."

" _Figures, Shining Armor and his sister really_ _ **do**_ _think of everything!_ " Starlight mentally groaned, as she tried in vain to resist Spike's shoves.

In a matter of mere minutes, Starlight arrived at Sunburst's house, which (unsurprisingly) was in the shape of a wizard's hat. And before Starlight could even think of trying to run away, Spike had already pushed her up to the front doorstep and knocked on it for her.

The door slowly creaked open just a bit, enough for Starlight to make out the familiar orange coat and dark blue eyes of Sunburst. And now, she could see that his mane and tail were a lot less styled than they'd been the last time she'd seen him. "Sunburst? Is that really you?" She asked, barely resisting the urge to facehoof at such a stupid question.

"Yes, it's me," Sunburst replied rather briefly. "Uh, what can I do for you? Oh wait, are you here because of Prince Shining Armor? He told me I should be expecting company."

Starlight nervously laughed. "Guess the cat's out of the bag, huh? Yes, I'm here. It's really me, Starlight. We used to be friends, remember?"

"Huh? Oh, of course, S-Starlight!" Sunburst realized. "I was about to say 'you seem familiar.' Well, it's certainly been a long time! What, uh, what have you been up to all these years?"

Starlight gulped, she hadn't expected Sunburst to put her on the spot like that! "Me? Oh! You know, just some of this, and some of that, different... stuff," She vaguely told him. "Right now though, I'm sort of Shining Armor's new pupil."

"Ah yes, I heard him mention that briefly," Sunburst nodded. "I guess if I'd been paying more attention, I'd have heard your name come up. So, why did he send you here, if you don't mind me asking?"

"He just sort of... thought I should stop by and say hi, and maybe we could reconnect a little," Starlight commented, scratching the back of her neck with a hoof. Technically, that was true, but it wasn't the _whole_ truth. "I mean, I know you're probably very busy now, so I shan't be long."

"Busy? Whatever do you mean, Starlight?" Sunburst asked in confusion. Was it Starlight's imagination, or did Sunburst appear to be just as nervous about this meeting as she was?

"Well, I kind of figured that after magic school, you'd go on to do important wizard work, but..." Starlight began.

But Sunburst hastily interrupted. "Oh. Y-Yes! Uh, y-yes, that's me, yup. Mr. Big, Important Wizard! You know me, really busy with lots of, uh, wi-wizarding... stuff. But um... it was nice to see you again, bye." And with that, Sunburst shut the door in Starlight's face.

* * *

Starlight found the whole thing odd, but she wasn't going to question this turn of events. Shining had wanted her to reconnect with Sunburst, but he'd never said a thing about if Sunburst was available to do so. "Well, I guess that's that! Let's go meet back up with the others!" She said rather enthusiastically.

Spike wouldn't let her. "Starlight, come on! We have to at least explain what Shining wants! Quit making this so difficult on the both of us! Just get in there and talk to him for a while!"

With a groan, Starlight obliged. She knocked on the door, and it opened once again, this time much wider. Taking that as an invitation to come inside, Starlight and Spike did so without much hesitation. All the same, Starlight was still very unsure of the whole situation. " _I know he and Shining are friends now, but how much does he_ _ **really**_ _know about me? Oh, I hope Shining hasn't already told him about my past!_ " She thought hopefully to herself.


	125. Chapter 125: One Forward, Two Back

Flurry just sat there, looking all the grown-ups staring at her, and giggled and cooed while she sucked on one of her front hooves. Grown-ups were so silly, they always talked funny and used words Flurry didn't understand, and of course they always made funny faces every time she did anything.

"So, Flurry's a baby alicorn? Well... I guess that means she'll be a super strong flyer _and_ can use magic." Soarin commented at last, breaking the silence.

"Indeed, and that could be a problem," Princess Celestia spoke up, drawing attention to the fact that she and Princess Luna were already in the nursery and had been for a while. "You all know about the surges baby ponies get, strong bouts of strength, magic surges, and random bouts of flight. But as an alicorn, Flurry Heart's surges will be even more powerful than an average foal, perhaps even more powerful than even the strongest of magic surges in baby unicorns."

"Don't remind me," Shining shuddered. "Twily used to burst into flames all the time when she got mad, scared the living daylights out of the whole family."

Twilight blushed, and tried to ignore the stares (and faint echoes of laughter). " _Really? Of all the baby stories he just_ _ **had**_ _to bring up_ _ **that**_ _one?!_ " She thought to herself.

"Anyway," Luna called, as she coughed into a hoof to change the subject. "This is something that this portion of Equestria has never seen before."

"Whatever do you mean? I get that she's a natural born alicorn, whereas her parents were ascended, but what about Princess Amore?" Rarity inquired. "She was an alicorn too, and she ruled the Crystal Empire before she was deposed by King Sombra. But she wasn't the first ruler of the empire, and her family was tied back to the empire's first queen. Wasn't _she_ born here as an alicorn?"

Luna shook her head. "Yes, but you'll notice that I said 'this portion of Equestria', which is the point of view I wish to remind you of. When Amore took the throne, the Crystal Empire was still a sovereign state, its importance to Equestria as a whole wasn't yet known. It was only once King Sombra overthrew Amore and turned her to crystal, that we understood why the empire could ill afford to be kept in his greedy hooves. As much as my sister and I may not have liked what kind of a ruler Sombra was, we are hardly the types to intervene in the affairs of nations beyond our borders without reason."

"Which is why this Royal Crystalling is very important," Celestia advised. "The Crystal Heart and the Crystal Empire are key to maintaining light and hope throughout all of Equestria."

Just then, Flurry began to twitch and scrunch up her face! Shining Armor and Cadence realized what was about to happen! Instinctively, Shining shouted! "Everyone down, now!" And everyone obeyed! Seconds later, a massive magical burst of energy shot out from Flurry's horn, tearing a huge hole in the ceiling of the nursery! Fortunately, the blast avoided any permanent harm, no one had been in the path of the sudden sneeze.

But the close call had given Cadence more than enough cause for concern. "Are you sure it's such a good idea to have the Crystalling now? I know it's been a month since she was born, but we really need to get her magical surges under control. If we don't, somepony's gonna get hurt, or worse."

Celestia shook her head. "This Crystalling is extremely crucial to the safety of the empire, and Equestria. Delaying it any longer than you already have could have grave consequences," She told Cadence. "If Flurry's power worries you so much, I'd advise an inhibitor ring or spell, something to curb her powers temporarily."

"Well that's the thing, your majesty," Shining commented. "They don't make inhibitor rings for alicorns, and there's certainly no spell that can just take away a pony's magic. At least, no spell that's legally allowed, and no way am I using dark magic again!"

"Then my sister and I shall serve as safety nets," Luna offered. "Flurry's magic may be strong, but it only comes and goes in short bursts. So long as we keep an eye on her, we should be able to contain any sudden surges she might get. And do not worry, like all foals, the little one's surges will fade with time," Turning to Shining Armor, Luna then asked. "So, my adopted nephew-in-law, is everything ready for the ceremony?"

Shining gasped in response! "What?! Oh no, I completely forgot! I've still yet to choose the honor guard, select the purity crystal, and find a crystaller! I'm doomed!"

But Twilight simply stepped forward and advised. "Calm down, Shining, we can handle this. There's more than enough hooves to get the job done in time. Pinkie, Braeburn, and I will stay here and keep an eye on the baby," Twilight stopped to briefly smile at Flurry. Sure, she may be all but a ticking time bomb, but she was still a baby and she certainly didn't mean to cause trouble. "And the rest of our friends can help you get ready."

"Good idea, Twilight!" Fancy Pants smiled, approaching Shining. "And we can start with a little bit of grooming for the new father, after a nap of course. Celestia knows you need one."

Shining yawned. "I guess I _am_ kind of tired. Parenting'll do that to you," But before he left the nursery, he cautioned. "You all keep a close eye on Flurry, and keep her in the nursery, I don't need her getting lost," He then briefly approached his daughter and nuzzled her while he cooed. "Now, Flurry, Daddy's gonna go get some sleep, while Mommy and your great aunts tend to royal duties. So you be a good little pony for your Auntie Twily and her friends, and stay out of trouble, okay?"

Flurry just cooed and babbled in foalish gurgles.

* * *

While Cadence spoke at length to all the citizens of the Crystal Empire, Fancy Pants, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Fluttershy, and Thunderlane all set to work on a plan to help make sure Shining would be ready for the Crystalling in time. While their friend napped, they laid out the details of who would do what and when, and began to make arrangements.

Once Shining awoke (and had a cup of coffee to wake himself up), he was approached by Rarity and Fancy Pants. "Hope you're ready for your grooming, darling," Rarity smiled, putting on her red sewing glasses. "And I'm afraid I need to make some last minute repairs to your wedding suit."

"Oh, that's okay, Rarity. The Crystalling's not a formal occasion, even if it's for royalty," Shining explained. "If it was, I don't think we could get Flurry into a dress. That's part of why we haven't taken baby pictures to send out on cards, she just won't hold still long enough for us to put anything on her besides her diapers."

"It might be because the outfits are too itchy or don't afford her a lot of room to move," Rarity pondered. "Send me her measurements when you get a chance, and I'll see if I can make something more comfortable for her to wear. You're at least going to want something if you take her out in public a lot, so as to give her some modesty."

"There'll be plenty of time to worry about _that_ later," Fancy Pants spoke up, clearing his throat. "For now, let's just focus on getting Shining all cleaned up and looking nice. Nothing fancy, just a little bit of mane re-styling and coat scrubbing."

And in a matter of mere minutes, Shining was back to looking like he had before Flurry had been born. The bags under his eyes were still a little bit noticeable, but only if one were really looking close. And considering they were no longer accompanied by a messy mane and tail, the bags didn't look nearly as bad as they did before.

With the grooming done, it was now time to choose the honor guard. Soarin, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Big Macintosh had already called up some potential candidates for Shining to screen. Among them was Flash Sentry, who Shining hadn't seen in months. "I figured Commander Silverbolt's got a pretty good handle on things in Canterlot, so I put in a request to be transferred back to home base for a while," Flash informed Shining. "I just got back the other day, sorry I haven't kept in touch."

"That's alright, Flash, things have been pretty chaotic around here since the baby arrived," Shining replied to the lieutenant. Then, after a moment of weighing the candidates before him, he announced. "Admiral Star Trail, I want _you_ to head the honor guard, and recruit the best soldiers from the Crystal Guard that you can find."

Admiral Star Trail (who was a purple coated crystal earth pony) nodded. "Will do, Captain. I won't let you down."

All the other recruits departed a few seconds later, except for Flash Sentry who approached Shining and asked. "Why was I not chosen, Captain? Haven't I proven my services to you and Equestria multiple times?"

"You most certainly have, Flash. And I can't deny you've impressed me with your performance, especially for someone so young," Shining replied to Flash. "But you already snagged a high position in the royal guard because of your ancestry. Not only are you the great grandson of Flash Magnus, but your family heritage arcs back to General Flash, one of the earliest leaders of the Wonderbolts. And I have to be fair and give other members a chance, members who've had to start from the bottom, because they don't have connections or family heritage to justify a higher spot."

"Fair enough, Captain, but I hope you won't object to me serving on the honor guard, should I be chosen." Flash nodded in agreement.

"Indeed I won't, but don't go getting any ideas," Shining cautioned. "I better not hear about you pestering Admiral Star Trail behind my back, or I won't hesitate to put you on probation."

Flash nodded and saluted. "Don't worry, sir, you won't hear a peep about me!" Then he dashed off.

"Okay, that was easy enough," Shining commented, as he left the throne room. "Now for the purity crystal."

A short time later, Shining was now eyeing an entire case of potential purity crystals, as Rarity held the beautiful red case open with her magic. "I took the liberty of arranging them on a spectrum, from least pure to most exceptionally pure," Rarity informed him. "Don't be shy, any of these should do just fine. I made sure to get only the best crystals I could."

But Shining couldn't spot any difference between the crystals, a fact that he quickly made clear. "They're all the same to me! How am I supposed to chose?!" He complained.

"Here," Fancy Pants offered, presenting a special lense to Shining. "Think of these as like Miss. Rarity's sewing glasses, but for jewelry. In the fashion business, attention to detail is always crucial. There are some accents and shades that look the same on the surface, but when you look at them very closely you can notice differences that are all but invisible to the naked eye. The same should work with this lense, and the crystals."

Pressing his left eye up to the lense, Shining examined the crystals more carefully. And indeed, he could see a few key differences between them. Some shone more brightly than others up close, while others had more aligned patterns, and others still seemed to be more polished. At last, he settled on the crystal second from the right. "Maybe it's not the absolute purest of pure, but nopony said the purity crystal has to meet such exceptionally high standards. This one should do nicely, it kind of reminds me of Flurry's eyes. Speaking of which, I wonder how well Twilight and the others are managing with the baby?"

* * *

Back in the nursery, Flurry was enjoying herself! Despite Pinkie Pie holding onto her from the bottom, the baby alicorn had little trouble dragging the much bigger (and older) pony across the ground, while firing off blasts from her horn that Twilight kept matching (while constantly moving around). To her it was all a game, she didn't see what the harm was in engaging a little bit of "target practice". After all, her daddy was Captain of the Royal Guard, and he'd told her many stories about sharp shooting guards, and brave archers, that hit their target no matter what.

"Well, at least she's having fun." Pinkie panted, as Flurry continued to drag her all around the nursery.

"Pinkie, hold her still! I can't keep doing this!" Twilight pleaded, barely matching another horn blast from Flurry.

"I'm trying to, she won't listen!" Pinkie replied. "I swear, even Pound and Pumpkin Cake are more behaved than her! Oh, why didn't I think to bring sacks of flour with me?!"

"No worries, ladies, I got this!" Braeburn shouted, as he dove forward and scooped Flurry into a butterfly net.

"Braeburn! This is a baby, not a wild animal! You can't catch it in a butterfly net!" Twilight scolded.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt her, this is just so she doesn't fly away again," Braeburn explained, as he waited for Flurry to poke through the top of the net and quickly (but gently) grabbed her wings and put a hoof to her horn. "Okay, I think I got her!" He told Twilight. "You can pull her away now. Be quick about it, she's really fussy!"

Twilight lit up her horn, taking great care as she enveloped her niece in her horn's soft glow. "Okay, missy," She half cooed/half scolded at Flurry. "You've had your fun. Playtime is over now," When Flurry started to tear up a little, Twilight added. "Oh no, don't go pulling that stunt on me. Spike used to do that all the time when he was a hatchling. You're gonna wear yourself out before your big Crystalling, and sleep right through it. And you don't want that, do you?"

Flurry seemed to obey, just a little. She didn't much like the idea of not being able to play with the grown-ups (especially the pink one, she smelled nice), but she wanted her mommy and daddy to be happy, and they'd been talking about this... whatever it was for a long time. If they expected her to be awake for it, they probably had a very good reason for it. After all, the grown-ups were never wrong (except for when it came to nap time. Why didn't they understand that Flurry _hated_ naps?).

Pinkie and Braeburn both breathed sighs of relief. "Whew, and I thought Pound and Pumpkin Cake were a hoofful the first time I foalsat them," Pinkie commented. "After what I've just been through, the twins seem like a walk in the park."

"I swear, it's like that kid's always runnin' on full," Braeburn panted. "Does she even have an 'off' switch?"

"Braeburn," Pinkie scolded. "She's a foal, not a toy! You can't just 'turn it on' and 'turn it off', that's not how it works!"

"Don't start, you two, we're not out of the woods yet!" Twilight called, as she held a squirming Flurry in her magic. "Now comes the hard part, we've gotta give her a bath! Shining Armor and Cadence want Flurry to be all nice and clean for her big debut. And something tells me, Flurry's going to absolutely _hate_ baths, because if Sparkle family history is any indication, all little Sparkles tend to not like baths."

* * *

While Shining and Cadence (along with their friends, and in Cadence's case her all powerful aunts) were getting ready for the Crystalling, and Twilight and the others were tending to Flurry Heart, Starlight and Sunburst were having their own problems. Namely the fact that they were more or less making small talk.

"So, Shining wants us to be friends again, huh?" Sunburst asked. "Kind of wish he'd run that by me first, especially since he's not here to explain his reasons."

Starlight nervously laughed. "Well, when the Prince of Friendship gives you an assignment, you kind of just roll with it and don't ask questions. Besides, I'm sure he has a good reason."

"I just don't understand," Sunburst commented, adjusting his glasses. "Don't get me wrong, our friendship kind of ended abruptly, but why exactly are we supposed to be making amends now?" Glancing at Starlight, he innocently asked her. "Did... something happen to you after I left for magic school in Canterlot? I never got any letters or anything."

"What?" Starlight monetarily replied, as though she hadn't heard the question. But the moment faded and thumping her hooves down on the table she and Sunburst were seated at, she replied. "No!" As she spoke, Starlight didn't seem to notice she was overfilling her tea cup. "I-I don't see what that has to do with anything. W-Why would you even ask that?"

"I was just curious," Sunburst remarked. "No need to get all jumpy. If you don't have anything you want to share, that's fine. I just thought I'd ask to be sure."

"Why?" Starlight asked, turning Sunburst's question back on him. "Did something happen to _you_ after you left? I always wondered why none of my letters ever got a reply, and they didn't get sent back for not having a valid address or being sent to the wrong place. I know you must've been busy, but was there something going on I wasn't aware of?"

Now it was Sunburst's turn to act surprised and defensive! "What? Ur um, no. I mean, l-like you said, I'm a," Clearing his throat (as if to emphasize the point) "big, i-important wizard. What... what would I have to hide?"

"Nothing, I guess." Starlight replied with a sigh. " _This sure isn't going like I thought it would. I expected him to be more curious about my past, not that I'd tell him_ _ **everything**_ _. If Shining hasn't told him yet, it's all the better I keep Sunburst in the dark._ " She thought to herself.

Meanwhile, Sunburst was thinking. " _That was_ _ **too**_ _close! I didn't expect Starlight to be so curious! Why oh why didn't Shining Armor tell her I'm not who she thinks I am?! More importantly, what would she think of me if_ _ **she**_ _knew?_ " But he didn't dare try to steer the conversation in that direction.

So it was up to Spike to figure out how to get past this stumbling block. "There's got to be _something_ that can break the ice," He said to himself, as he looked over the list. "But what? Come on! Think, Spike, think!"


	126. Chapter 126: (Crystal) Heart Breaker

At last, it was time for the Crystalling to begin. Shining Armor felt much more confident now that he'd gotten some sleep and had been groomed.

Right on cue, Cadence came trotting up to her husband, having finished speaking to the crowd that had gathered. "Everything going okay on your end?" She asked him.

Shining nodded. "I think we're ready. I've chosen the honor guard, picked out the purity crystal, and I know _exactly_ who I want to be our crystaller for the ceremony. So, all we need now is..."

"The baby?" Cadence asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shining let out something of a gasp, before he hastily replied. "Oh, yes, yes, of course. I was... just testing you on that one."

"Where is Flurry, anyway?" Cadence wondered aloud. "I hope she hasn't gotten lost."

But at that moment, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Braeburn all came trotting out, with Flurry safely in tow. "We're here. Sorry if we're a bit late, she absolutely _despised_ taking a bath." Twilight apologized.

"She's a _really_ strong flyer too!" Pinkie added. "Maybe even stronger than Pound Cake!"

"Well, at least we got her all tuckered out before the ceremony. Everythin' should be just fine." Braeburn smiled, as he carefully removed Flurry from Pinkie's grasp and let Twilight use her horn to float Flurry gently over to her parents.

But before anyone else could say or do anything, tears welled up inside Flurry and she began to cry! Perhaps due to her magical abilities, her cries echoed throughout the entire Crystal Empire, and everyone covered their ears! And that wasn't the only thing the crying was accomplishing.

Much to the horror of all present, cracks started to form in the Crystal Heart, and then it shattered into thousands of tiny pieces! Luckily, Flurry's cries ceased a moment later. But everyone took one look at the shattered Crystal Heart and gasped!

No one dared to say a word, until Applejack finally plucked up courage and nervously said. "I'm guessin' that's gonna make it harder to do the Crystallin'. Anypony bring any glue with 'em?"

Meanwhile, Soarin began to shiver. "Say, is it my imagination, or did it suddenly get colder?"

"I was afraid of this," Celestia ominously remarked. "The Crystal Heart is far more crucial to the safety of the Crystal Empire than any of you may realize."

"W-why is that?" Thunderlane gulped, also shivering.

"Remember how I said earlier that the Crystal Heart protects the empire?" Twilight asked, to which all her friends nodded. "Well, now you know what it protects the empire from. The clutches of the Frozen North. Without the Heart, the Crystal Empire's about to be buried in a massive blizzard!"

"Oh man, we're really in it now!" Soarin gulped.

Shining (still holding Flurry, who seemed both surprised and concerned about what had just happened) was just thinking to himself. " _We've been in tight situations before, but nothing like this. I wonder if this time, our luck's run out?_ "


	127. Chapter 127: Storm Warning

"S-so, it's just a l-little... adverse weather problem, huh?" Rainbow Dash shivered. "N-no problem. I-I'll just f-fly up there and bust t-those clouds. A-and there's more than e-enough pegasi here to d-do the job."

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna both shook their heads in unison, and Celestia explained. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. The harsh blizzards of the Frozen North are too powerful for mere ponies to disperse, the few who've tried froze to death."

" _We_ will hold the snow storms at bay for as long as we can," Luna offered. "With our enhanced magical powers and durability, we'll survive far longer than any pegasi. But in time, we too will succumb to the frost and the flurries, and will have to withdraw."

"So, that's it then? The empire's lost? And after all that trouble we went through to keep it from King Sombra's hooves," Soarin grumbled. "I hate feeling useless!"

"All hope is not lost yet," Luna corrected. "What my sister and I are doing, is buying time for the rest of you to hopefully find a way to restore the Crystal Heart. It's the only way the empire can be saved!"

"But it's not going to be easy, the Crystal Heart can't just be reassembled by a spell," Celestia cautioned. "The Heart contains a powerful magic, and if it's not reassembled and reconstructed in the proper way, it'll be useless."

"Any ideas on what kind of spell we'd need, Princess Celestia?" Twilight asked, hopefully.

"Alas, if there _is_ such a spell out there, I've not heard of it," Celestia shook her head. "Your best bet will be to search the library. With any luck, you'll find the answer there. Now, my sister and I must be off."

"Time is of the essence!" Luna advised. "If the Heart cannot be restored in time, then all must be evacuated before the tracks freeze over!" And then, flapping their wings, both sisters flew up into the sky, populated with dark clouds full of snow.

* * *

Shining Armor quickly took charge of the situation. "There's no need for all of us to rush over to the library. There are lots of ponies out here who have no idea what's going on. Even with Celestia and Luna fighting the blizzards, temperatures are sure to drop below freezing! It's imperative we get all the citizens off the streets and into their homes before that happens! So, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Thunderlane, and Fluttershy, all of you stay here and get the crowds off the streets!"

"What should we tell them?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"For now, there's no need to cause a panic, but it's also important that ponies understand the gravity of the situation," Shining instructed. "Tell them the Crystalling's been postponed indefinitely, and everyone is to remain indoors and await further instruction! If worse comes to worse and we're not back before Celestia and Luna, give the order to evacuate!"

"We'll try our best." Fluttershy promised, and the five ponies went out to address the crowd.

Meanwhile, Flurry was getting impatient! She was used to getting all the attention from the grown-ups, but now they were busy with other things. Besides, it was getting cold out here, and the little alicorn didn't like how it felt. She'd much rather be inside, nice and warm, curled up with her favorite blanket. So she did the only thing she could think of to change her situation, she lit up her horn and teleported away.

Shining and Cadence both gasped, when they noticed Flurry had disappeared! Fortunately, she hadn't gotten far, but she was already making a beeline for the castle! "Flurry, you get back here this instant!" Cadence shouted, but Flurry didn't listen. Teleporting in front of the foal, Cadence carefully grabbed her with her magic and scolded. "No more teleporting, or you'll get a time out!" That seemed to more or less quite the rebellious tendencies lingering in the little princess for the time being.

"We may need help keeping Flurry content, or at least keeping her from wandering away again," Shining commented to the others, as they headed for the library. "We can't afford any distractions, every second counts!"

"To the library, on the double!" Twilight shouted, and the rag tag group rushed away as fast as they could! The temperature was already dropping fast, and the snow and wind were starting to make visibility difficult!

" _I hope Starlight and Spike are having better luck with their task,_ " Shining thought to himself. " _And I hope they're watching what's going on outside. Spike might be okay with his fire breath, but Starlight certainly didn't come packed for an arctic blast._ "


	128. Chapter 128: The Final Hope

Starlight wasn't aware of what was going on outside, and neither was Sunburst. At the moment, they were just content to make small talk. Each too afraid to tell the other what had happened in their lives since last they'd seen each other.

Spike was determined to find a way to keep things going, and get the two to start talking. So he was currently going over the list, thinking out loud. "There's gotta be something! Something here's got to work!"

"Well, no offense to your teacher, but it's been so long since the two of us even spoke," Sunburst said to Starlight. "I really don't see how anything on that list of his is going to help."

Starlight only laughed. "I know, right? I mean, it's not like there's some kind of spell that would just magically compel us to pick up right where we left off."

"Well, uh, actually, there's... quite a few," Sunburst nervously chuckled, as he began to list off some incantations he'd read. "Mistmane's Material Amity, Rockhoof's Rapport, Flash Magnus' Fellow...ship... or whatever he called it," Realizing he was trailing off and losing Starlight, Sunburst cleared his throat and added. "But I-I get the feeling that Shining Armor's not looking for a spell as a shortcut."

"Yeah, definitely not. He'd be insulted for sure if we did." Starlight replied, surprised that she and Sunburst agreed on something.

Just then, Spike cried out! "Aha, got it! 'And if all else fails, ask them to share an embarrassing moment from their past, maybe even something they regret!'"

Spike's comment touched off a long and uncomfortable silence in the room. Both Starlight and Sunburst stared at each other profusely, but neither dared to say a word.

"Uh, I don't see how that would help at all." Sunburst commented.

Starlight was quick to add. "Uh, yeah! Well, I guess Spike and I should just get out of your mane. It's pretty obvious this isn't going quite how Shining Armor would've hoped for. Besides, I'm sure you got a lot of important work to do, Mr. Big, Important Wizard."

"What?" Sunburst remarked, before he quickly corrected himself. "Oh! Right, yes, heh-heh! Uh, no rest for the wizardly. Really need to get back to my studies."

"Right," Starlight nodded. "Come on, Spike, let's go tell Shining Armor the bad news."

Spike just groaned. " _Starlight, why didn't you tell Sunburst the truth?! What makes you think he won't find out for himself eventually?!_ " He thought to himself, as he found himself reluctantly being dragged away.

* * *

But not long after leaving Sunburst's house, Starlight began to sulk to herself quite loudly. "Well, Spike, looks like my biggest fears came true. Not only does Sunburst want nothing to do with me anymore, but I failed my first big friendship lesson. Some student I turned out to be, huh?" She then added. "I wouldn't be surprised if Shining Armor decides to just give up on me entirely when he finds out, and throws me back into that prison cell. It's probably where I belong."

"Hey, don't be thinking like that!" Spike interrupted. "You know as well as I do that Shining doesn't just 'give up' on somepony! He and Twilight have high hopes for you, as do I! Besides, I'm the one who said we needed this list. It's not even good for anything anymore." He proceeded to burn it to ashes with his flame breath.

"It's not the list, Spike, the list did nothing wrong," Starlight protested, even as she began to shiver a little (she was too distracted by grief to take any notice). "And it's not anything you, or Twilight, or Shining Armor did either. I know what the problem is, it's me. _I'm_ the one Sunburst doesn't want to be friends with, not that I blame him. I was a fool to think I could just come romping back into his life, and expect everything to be as it once was."

"I'm pretty sure he didn't say anything about not wanting to be your friend, Starlight." Spike corrected.

Starlight only shook her head. "He didn't have to say it, Spike. I could tell just by the way he was acting, that he doesn't want me to be a part of his life. He's a big, important wizard. And here I am, a washed up friendship student who's lucky to be free."

"Well you know what, regardless of what you've been like in the past, if Shining Armor and Twilight think you're worth being friends with, then I do too!" Spike vowed. "So maybe you and Sunburst got off on the wrong hoof, so what? You can't let one bad experience make you want to give up. Just try again the next time you get a chance, maybe even be more open with him about your past. Perhaps, once he knows what you've been through, he'll understand that you're trying to make amends, not simply pester him."

Starlight couldn't help but smile, as Spike hugged her tightly. "Thanks, Spike, I needed to hear that," She smiled. "At least I still have three friends, even if one of them has dragon breath. Uh, no offense."

"It's not dragon breath, I brushed my teeth this morning!" Spike protested. "It's freezing out! Something is definitely wrong!"

"Now that you mention it, it _does_ seem rather chilly," Starlight commented, eyeing the snowflakes that were falling around her at a rapid rate. "But that could mean anything, right? I mean, the Crystal Heart is supposed to keep the cold weather out, isn't it?"

"Not if something happened to it!" Spike exclaimed, as his eyes grew wide! "Come on! We need to find Shining Armor and the others! I've got a bad feeling we're smack in the middle of another one of their dangerous adventures!"

* * *

It took quite a while to track down the location of Shining Armor. Luckily, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Thunderlane, and Fluttershy were able to point both Spike and Starlight in the right direction.

When they arrived in the Crystal Empire's library, they were immediately taken aback by the commotion that greeted their eyes!

Shining Armor, Pinkie Pie, Braeburn, Big Macintosh, Rarity, and Fancy Pants, were all rushing about, trying to keep what was clearly a baby alicorn under control! Meanwhile, Twilight and Cadence were busy scanning the bookshelves for something, tossing books into various piles that were stacking up higher and higher with each second! It kind of reminded Starlight of that book stacking game she and Sunburst used to like to play.

"What's going on here?!" Starlight exclaimed! "Did I miss something?!"

"You want the long or the short version?" Pinkie questioned, as she tried to grab hold of the baby alicorn.

"Uh, the short?" Starlight asked, unsure what exactly Pinkie meant by "short".

Pinkie took a deep breath and explained as quickly as she could. "Good news is, the baby's got a name, Flurry. And she's an alicorn, a really powerful one at that. Bad news is, her magic's a wee bit out of control, and she accidentally shattered the Crystal Heart, so Twilight and Cadence are looking for a spell to put it back together and save the Crystal Empire from turning into a giant wasteland of ice and snow, and the rest of us are trying to get Flurry under control."

"Oh. I see." Starlight commented. Now was probably not the best time to be bringing up her own problems.

"Flurry, for the last time, come back here!" Shining shouted at the top of his lungs, as he flew towards Flurry! "You are in a big time out when this is over! I mean it this time!"

Flurry normally would've listened, but she was having too much fun to stop. She'd never been outside the palace before, and the change of scenery (along with all the grown-ups chasing after her) left her in an excited state.

Meanwhile, Cadence let out a gasp as she tossed a book to Twilight and shouted! "What about this? _Trotter's Tome of Reliquary_? Anything in there we could use?"

Twilight quickly flipped through the pages, before at last her eyes fell upon something that seemed promising. "I think this is it! You'd better take a look at this!"

Cadence read aloud from the page Twilight had marked. "'Spell of Relic Reconstitution'! Yes, that'll work nicely!" She happily exclaimed! "I can't believe we found it, I was starting to think we'd hit a dead end!"

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, as she replied to Cadence. "It's a good thing we found it when we did then! Without this, I don't know what we'd do!"

Just then, Flurry teleported in front of Twilight, giggling happily. This time, however, her father was ready for her. "Gotcha!" He shouted, as he grabbed Flurry in his hooves and held her tightly. "That's quite enough flying for today, young mare!"

But then, without warning, Flurry fired off a blast of magic from her! Everyone reacted quickly, as one by one, Rarity, Fancy Pants, and Starlight, all reflected the beam with a shield! But unfortunately, once redirected, the beam hit the book Twilight had been holding onto, and passed right through it!

Twilight gasped! "Oh no! No, no, no!"

"Uh, oops?" Starlight blushed, realizing it had been her magic shield which had redirected the beam towards the book.


	129. Chapter 129: Sunburst's Big Confession

"Starlight, that book contained a spell which was the only thing we found in the whole library that was even _close_ to what we needed!" Twilight said in a rather angry tone. "And now it's ruined!"

Starlight gulped, and suddenly wished she were a lot smaller. "I'm so sorry, Twilight. And you too, Shining," She apologized. "I didn't mean to make things worse."

Shining just sighed. "It's not your fault, Starlight. None of us were expecting any of this. It's just unfortunate that now, we're back to where we were _before_ we found that spell. And we don't have much time left, even Celestia and Luna can only hold the storms at bay for so long, and they've been at it for a while now."

"Well, there's still hope," Cadence commented, looking across to Twilight. "Do you think you can remember the spell, at least long enough to put the Crystal Heart back together?"

"I only read it through once!" Twilight protested, frightened at being put on the spot!

But Rarity just smiled, and said. "Well, if anypony can exactly remember something she read for the first time two minutes ago, it's you, Twilight."

"Then I guess I can try, but I don't know how long it'll take." Twilight cautioned.

"Is quickly an option?" Pinkie suggested, looking out the window. "Seems like the storms are only getting worse."

"I'll try to help as much as I can," Cadence commented, as she flew over to Twilight. Then she looked at her husband. "But just in case, I think we're gonna need to give the order to evacuate. I don't like the idea of throwing in the towel, but if the spell doesn't work or we can't remember it, there's probably not enough time to find another solution."

"Is there anything I can do to help? Even just a little?" Starlight offered.

Shining shook his head. "I want to hold out hope that Twily and Cadence can put the Crystal Heart back together good as new, but I can't chance the safety of the whole empire on a 'What If?'. Right now, I need to get everypony down to the train station while there's still a train station to get to. I'm sorry, but it looks like your lesson's going to be placed on indefinite hold. By the way, how did things go with you and Sunburst?"

Starlight sighed, and confessed. "Terrible. We have nothing in common anymore," But just then, an idea came to him. "But he's a big, important wizard, he said so himself! And here I am, re-learning everything I thought I knew!"

"Of course!" Shining gasped! "Why didn't I think of him before?! If there's anyone who can find a copy of that spell and figure a way out of this mess, it's Sunburst! Good thinking, Starlight! You go find Sunburst and tell him what's going on, then bring him back here! Hurry, time is of the essence!"

"I won't let you down, sir! I promise!" Starlight vowed, and rushed out of the library as fast as she could!

"Starlight, wait!" Shining called out, as his student rushed away! "There's something you need to know about Sunburst!" But Starlight was already too far away to hear. " _Rats! I knew I was forgetting something! I should've figured Sunburst wouldn't willingly confess to what he_ _ **really**_ _is._ " The prince thought to himself.

"You'd better go with her, Spike," Twilight advised. "And the both of you stay safe. Be careful not to get lost, we can't afford any setbacks!"

* * *

Spike quickly caught up with Starlight, and the two of them raced to Sunburst's house as fast as they could! Starlight frantically knocked on the door, now was not the time for formalities!

Sunburst was quite surprised to see Starlight again. He'd thought for sure that as long as she thought he was a big, important wizard, she'd leave him alone. "Starlight?! What's going on?! Is something wrong?!" He asked with concern.

Panting heavily, Starlight pointed towards the nearest window and told Sunburst! "Sunburst! Haven't you looked outside yet?!"

"What do you me..." Sunburst began, before he looked at the window and his mouth dropped wide open! "Oh my goodness! Snow?! But, that's... not right. I-I mean, the Crystal Heart should—"

"It's gone!" Starlight explained. "Shining Armor and Cadence's baby – it's an alicorn! Named her Flurry!"

"Really? I'd no idea. I-I mean, I knew they'd had a foal and that it was a girl, but they'd never mentioned what species it was," Sunburst corrected. "Then again, it's only been a month."

"Yeah, well the baby's an alicorn!" Starlight told Sunburst, pausing only occasionally to catch her breath. "And her magic is a little berserk, and well, I guess she destroyed the Heart! But Twilight thinks she can fix it, and Prince Shining Armor thought you'd be able to help. You know, since you're a big, important wizard and all."

"What? Me?" Sunburst asked, suddenly appearing to hesitate.

Starlight nodded. "It makes perfect sense! You're an important wizard in the Crystal Empire! Come on, we've got little time to waste!"

But Sunburst didn't move forward. In fact, he moved backward, bumped into a bookshelf, and nervously stuttered while reorganizing the shelves. "Right... right... right right right. Uh, you know what, I'd like to help, I-I really would. It's just that, I-I just have so much, um, important wizard work to do around here. So sorry."

"Sunburst, I know you're busy, but surely you heard what I just said," Starlight protested. "This is serious!"

"Oh, I heard you alright," Sunburst sheepishly replied. "But-but like _I_ said, when you're an important wizard, the work just piles up. I can't help that."

"Sunburst!" Starlight scolded, all but pleading with him. "Please! You're the only one who can make things right! This isn't like when we were young, when some grown-up could always clean up whatever mess we made! The entire empire's in danger!"

Sunburst sighed. " _She's not going to let up until she knows the truth. I just wish it was under more pleasant circumstances._ " He thought to himself, then he looked Starlight square in the eyes and told her. "Look, Starlight, it's not that I don't want to help, because I do. But I just can't. I wish I could."

"W-what do you mean?" Starlight asked.

With a gulp, Sunburst confessed. "Fixing an ancient relic? I-I can't even come close to doing something like that! Believe me, I've tried."

"But, I don't understand," Starlight replied to Sunburst. "I thought you were an important wizard! How can you _not_ know how to fix something like the Crystal Heart?! You always said you wanted to be a big, important wizard. And now, here you are in all your wizardly glory."

"Well, you were wrong, okay?!" Sunburst angrily confessed! "The truth is: I'm not an important wizard! In fact, I'm not even a wizard at all!"

"WHAT?!" Starlight gasped, taken aback at Sunburst's statement!

"You heard me!" Sunburst snapped! "I'm nothing but a washed up former magic student! I'm not the important wizard I wanted to be! Now go ahead, have your laugh!"


	130. Chapter 130: To Fix The Crystal Heart

Having now confessed to Starlight a secret he'd wanted nothing more than to keep secret, Sunburst found himself letting out a lot of grievances he'd long kept to himself. I know it's hard for you to understand, Starlight, but not all of us end up achieving greatness." He complained.

"What? Why wouldn't I understand that?" Starlight hissed. "All this time, you let me believe you were this big hot shot, because you thought I couldn't handle the alternative?"

"Oh really? You're gonna play _that_ game?" Sunburst bitterly remarked. "You're the personal protege of the Prince of Friendship! I doubt he just picks any random pony for such a position!"

"Well, technically she's more student than protege," Spike corrected. "In fact, she's only been a student for about a month or so."

That fact meant nothing to Sunburst, he just continued to complain. "Whatever. Look, I'm sorry, Starlight. Sorry I'm not the big, important wizard you and everypony else wanted me to be. But it's not like I didn't try, because you better believe I did! But I never made it past the first semester, I could talk the talk, but I couldn't walk the walk!"

Starlight just shook her head. She could hardly believe Sunburst was like this. "Sunburst, I don't care if you're a wizard or not. All I wanted was my friend back, the pony I knew _before_ his parents sent him off to magic school. But what I don't get is, how. How could a pony like you flunk out of magic school, especially Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns? You always knew so much about magic. I mean, look at all these books!"

"It's because as I learned the hard way, Starlight," Sunburst remarked. "Reading about magic is one thing, but putting it into practice is quite another! You don't know what it was like at magic school, you weren't there! To know so much and not be able to do any of it! You think you can look me in the eye and tell me what that's like?!"

Those very words were enough to make something inside Starlight snap! "You know what, Sunburst?! You're right, I _don't_ know what it was like for you at magic school!" She told him quite bluntly. "But _you_ don't know what it was like to be left behind! You were all I had, Sunburst, the only friend I ever knew! You meant everything to me, and when you just up and left without saying goodbye, I was devastated!" When Sunburst began to gasp, she then added. "That's right, you're not the only one with a past full of regret and disappointment! When you left, I had no one I could turn to! I grew bitter and lonely, until finally I decided to take out my frustration on what I thought was the source of my troubles, cutie marks!"

"You what?!" Sunburst exclaimed in shock!

"I'm not done yet!" Starlight scolded, and then rambled on! "I ended up creating an entire village, where I became a dictator! I made everypony give up their cutie marks and live under my rule, because I thought that would make me feel better! But Shining Armor and his friends brought that all crashing down when they exposed me! So I decided to steal from the Starswirl the Bearded wing of the Canterlot Archives, and travel back in time to rewrite history so I could get back at him! Yet I was still defeated, because the prince took pity on me! And now, here I am, on my first major friendship lesson, trying to reconnect with you! Now, tell me if you know what any of _that_ is like!"

Sunburst was rendered speechless! His glasses all but fell off his face! When at last he found his composure, he asked Starlight. "Did you actually travel through time?"

"Oh she did more than that." Spike taunted.

Sunburst now felt a tremendous sense of guilt well up inside him. " _Here I am, wallowing in self pity, and my oldest friend went off the deep end because of my absence._ " He thought to himself, and he apologized to Starlight. "Well, for what it's worth, Starlight, I'm sorry I allowed myself to lose touch with you over the years. Perhaps, if I done a better job of keeping in contact with you, you wouldn't have been driven to go to those extremes," He paused for a second, before he added. "But for what little it may still be worth, I partially lost touch with you because I was too ashamed to admit I was and am a failure at practical magic - definitely nowhere near as powerful as others. Sure, I have a great deal of knowledge, but I lack the power to put that knowledge to real use. And I was bullied almost constantly too, which I was **ALSO** too ashamed to admit before."

Starlight sighed, relieved to have gotten such a huge burden off her chest. "Well, it's a bit late, Sunburst, but I'll take what I can get. It's really my fault, I should've told you sooner how I felt, like maybe the day you left for magic school. But for now, let's just say I know what it's like to have something you're not exactly proud of."

"Guess Shining Armor's lesson isn't a failure after all," Spike commented. "And see, Starlight? Didn't I tell you from the start that it was best if you came clean?"

"You're right, Spike, in more ways than one," Starlight replied, lightly ribbing him. "Just please don't rub it in. Speaking of Shining Armor, that's why I came to get you, Sunburst! Even as we speak, Twilight and Princess Cadence are trying to fix the Crystal Heart, but Shining Armor's giving the word to evacuate the empire! So unless you know a spell that will drive back the Frozen North and fix the Crystal Heart so the baby can have her Crystalling, you'd better pack up your things and get out of here while you still can!"

"Crystalling..." Sunburst thought aloud, before suddenly an idea came to him! He gasped, as his eyes lit up like stars in the night sky! "Of course! I know how to stop this! Just hope I'm not too late!"

* * *

"This way, hurry!" Shining instructed, as he led the panicking crystal ponies towards the train station! "Come on, there's no need to panic!"

"Just a little bit further, ya'll!" Applejack encouraged over the roaring winds! "The train station's just up ahead! We're goin' to make it!"

But just then, Starlight and Sunburst stepped forward, blocking the path! "Stop! We have to go back!" Starlight commented. "I've brought somepony who should be able to fix the Crystal Heart!"

"Ah, Sunburst, thank the stars you're here!" Shining exclaimed, pulling the unicorn close! "You really think you know what needs to be done?! Twily and Cadence are already working on a solution now, but I've no idea if it'll hold."

"Well, it's kind of complicated, it involves combining multiple spells," Sunburst confessed. "But get me to the Crystal Heart, and I think I can make it work!"

"At this point, what choice do we have?!" Starlight encouraged. "The empire's all but frozen already!"

"Under different circumstances, I'd detest that kind of logic," Shining frowned. "That usually leads to bad decisions. But in a situation as dire as this, I'm willing to try anything that stands even the faintest hope! Any plan, no matter how far fetched, is better than the alternative! Come on, Sunburst! If we don't hurry, there may not be time to see whether your idea works!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Twilight and Cadence were hard at work trying to repair the Crystal Heart. But when they tried to utilize the spell Twilight had discovered (and briefly read) earlier, it only worked for a second before the Heart fell apart again.

"The spell failed," Twilight commented in a defeated tone. "Granted, it was a long shot to begin with it, but I was really hoping it would work. Now, I don't know what else to do."

"Well, a former student of mine believes that he does," Princess Celestia declared, as Sunburst stepped forward. "I had hoped for the two of you to meet under more pleasant circumstances. Anyway, Twilight, meet Sunburst. And Sunburst, meet Twilight."

"No time for introductions, let me get a good look at the Heart!" Sunburst instructed, and immediately rushed to the scene! What he saw amazed him. The Crystal Heart lay shattered into a million tiny pieces. "The baby did all this?"

Twilight nodded. "She's an alicorn, her name's Flurry. But you probably already knew that. Anyway, I tried to put the Heart back together with—"

"The spell of Relic Reconstitution? Yes, I see," Sunburst commented. "But that alone won't work. The Crystal Heart's been around for millennia. Restoring a relic like this is way beyond one spell. You need to combine it with something else. Something unique to the relic itself. Something that strengthens it and provides it with power...?"

Twilight took but a second to catch on to what Sunburst was proposing. "The Crystalling! Of course!"

Sunburst nodded. "Glad you're catching on, Twilight. I'd expect no less from Princess Celestia's most promising student," Clearing his throat, he added. "Combining that spell with the light and love of everypony gathered for the ceremony, together with... Somnambula's Weather Abjuration to clear away the snow... and a little Fledgling's Forbearance for the parents... Heh. That should help curb the little one's power fluctuations. It should be enough to fix the Crystal Heart and push back the Frozen North. And with Flurry's powers under control, we won't have to worry about this happening again."

"You're not going to take away Flurry's incredible powers, are you?" Cadence asked with concern. "Even if Flurry is all powerful, taking away what makes her unique is wrong."

Sunburst smiled. "Relax, it's not like I'm gonna lobotomize her or anything. I'm merely curbing the strength of her surges, so they'll be no more powerful than any normal foal. It'll even help her, since that'll mean less magic build-up induced headaches."

Flurry giggled, as Shining approached Sunburst and said to him. "Well, I _had_ planned on asking Twilight to be our crystaller today, but since it seems like she'll be busy..."

"I'd be honored, sir!" Sunburst bowed.

"Enough talk, are we ready for this?!" Soarin asked! "Time's running out! So if you're gonna act, you'd better do it now!"

"Soarin's right, the time for talk is over!" Big Macintosh added.

Taking that as a cue, Shining Armor, Cadence, Twilight, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna, all lit up their horns, as did Starlight, Sunburst, and even Fancy Pants and Rarity (the two of them figured that every bit of magical assistance that could be provided would help to increase the chances of success, even if they themselves weren't the most magically powerful of their kind).

It worked quicker than anyone had hoped! Even as the wind howled and the snow fell harder, the Crystal Heart began to put itself back together one piece at a time! Soon, Sunburst was able to step out onto the podium, and hold Flurry aloft as he cried out! "Citizens! May I present, the newest member of the Crystal Empire!"

Flurry playfully laughed, and the entire crowd clapped and cheered. To them, Flurry was the most beautiful sight they'd ever laid eyes on! And all their magic found its way into the purity crystal Shining had chosen earlier, which Sunburst inserted into the Crystal Heart, just as the last pieces of it were put together! With the heart now fully restored, the harsh blizzards subsided, and everyone was basked in a brilliant crystal glow! Some even had their manes and tails restyled.

"Best Crystalling Ever!" A crystal pony shouted in delight!

And as everyone breathed a much needed sigh of relief, Celestia smiled and looked at Sunburst as she spoke in a warm and friendly tone. "I'm glad to see that you've found a way to share your unique gift, Sunburst. You may be more of a wizard than you think."

"Thank you, Princess Celestia," Sunburst replied. "You were right after all, I don't have to be a wizard to be useful."


	131. Chapter 131: PrinceFatherTeacher

Soon after the Crystalling had concluded, and most citizens of the Crystal Empire (as well as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna) had gone back to their homes, Shining Armor and Twilight were most surprised to learn that their parents had arrived. Sure enough, on the platform at the train station, stood a unicorn stallion with a coat the same color as the night sky, with an even darker blue mane and tail styled so that the mane went into a slight curl to the right, moderate amber eyes, and a cutie mark depicting two crescent moons. And next to the stallion stood a unicorn mare with a whitish-gray coat, a moderate purple and light gray striped mane and tail styled similar to Twilight's, light arctic blue eyes (not unlike those of Flurry's), and a cutie mark depicting three purple stars.

"Mom! Dad! You're here!" Twilight happily exclaimed, as she rushed over and hugged them both tightly.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I had no idea you guys were coming." Shining smiled.

"We thought we'd come in early and surprise you," Night Light spoke up. He then laughed, as he added. "But you would not _believe_ the crazy weather that delayed our train. I tell you, it came right out of nowhere! One moment everything was just fine, and the next, boom, huge blizzards! They had to halt and wait for the storms to clear, so we got a bit delayed."

"But it was all worth it to see this peaceful little angel," Twilight Velvet cooed, as she approached Flurry. "Why, she even has my eyes, and she almost has my coat color," Just then, Flurry began to stir ever so slightly, which only prompted Velvet to coo even more. "Aw, aren't you just a little cutie? Cute as a little button," As she took the baby alicorn into her magical embrace, Velvet asked the parents. "By the way, Shining, Cadence, what are we supposed to call the dear? Or are we just going to spend the whole trip here calling her 'the baby'?"

"Well, you'll be happy to know we already thought of a first name," Shining informed his parents. "Flurry, to go with her almost snow white coat. But it was the middle name we had trouble with."

Cadence beamed, as she informed them. "After a lot of thinking, we decided to go with 'Heart', making her officially Flurry Heart Sparkle, or just Flurry Heart. To mark the occasion of her joyous crystalling."

"Flurry Heart? I think I like that name!" Night Light cooed, as he approached his granddaughter and pinched her little cheeks. "Feel free to bring the little one by when you get a chance, I'm sure she'll just _love_ seeing all of you and Twilight's baby pictures. I'm sure you've already got quite a collection yourself."

"Dad!" Twilight and Shining both playfully whined, while Velvet and Cadence just laughed

Meanwhile, Starlight was saying her goodbyes to Sunburst. "Well, looks like you're finally that big, important wizard you always dreamed of being. Even if that means you're gonna be changing diapers." She half commented/half teased.

Sunburst just blushed. "Y-yup, sure looks like it. But being a crystaller is a full time responsibility, I doubt I'll have a lot of time to just spend on my intellectual pursuits."

Starlight only smiled and said to Sunburst. "Well, I can't think of anypony more qualified than you to do the job."

"You sure you wanna go back to Ponyville and live in the castle?" Sunburst asked Starlight, as he then offered. "If you'd like, I think we could work something out at my place. Or maybe there's a guest bedroom in the castle here that you can occupy. We'd see each other every day."

Starlight shook her head. "As tempting as that may sound, I think for the time being it's better for all involved if I stay in Ponyville. All of Shining Armor and Twilight's friends are there, and in a way they've kind of become my friends too. Still, promise me you'll stay in touch from now on?" She slightly hesitated, before she added. "After all that's happened, I can't stand to have you not be a part of my life anymore."

"I know, I feel the same way. But for now, I think it's best if we just remain friends," Sunburst said to Starlight. "Trying to start a romance now would be moving too fast. Still, I'll make sure to write to you as much as possible. Because there's no way I'll let myself lose touch with my oldest and closest friend. And I look forward to seeing you whenever you can make the trip up here. It's actually pretty nice when the Crystal Heart is working properly." He and Starlight then shared one final hug.

* * *

Shining had been watching from afar, even as he'd chatted with his parents and tended to Flurry. He found it hard not to smile, as Starlight approached him a second later. "Looks like everything worked out for the best in the end. For your first major friendship lesson, you did pretty well." He informed his student.

"Yeah, it sure looks that way," Starlight acknowledged. "But, if you knew about Sunburst's past, and my own, why didn't you tell either of us what had happened to the other?"

"Your past was something I wanted Sunburst to hear about from you, not from me. Even if I'd told him, I don't think he would've believed me," Shining explained to Starlight. "And as for Sunburst's past. Well, that's partially because I was distracted with... obvious things. But also partially because it wasn't my place to tell you. It was for him to decide when and how to tell you. I hope that makes sense."

"I guess it kind of does," Starlight nodded very slowly. Then, looking into Shining's eyes, she asked. "So, what's next for me? You got some sort of lesson plan or something?"

"Like I said before all of this, I'm still pretty new to this whole 'teacher/student' thing," Shining commented. ""Any plans I _might_ have had for you are definitely gonna have to be put on hold, more or less. Flurry Heart needs a lot of attention, and I can't make Sunburst and Cadence do all the work alone, especially considering she's probably going to need a lot of discipline to keep her on the straight and narrow. My parents tell me I was a pretty well behaved foal for the most part, but Twily was always the curious one who got into trouble, and it seems that got passed down to Flurry."

"I can see that," Starlight chuckled, and then asked. "So, what? Are you cutting me loose already?"

Shining shook his head. "No, no, no. You're still very much my student, Starlight, and it's my responsibility to see to it that you remain on the straight and narrow as well," He then added. "However, _I_ will only be involved a little with your reformation process from here on out. I'm gonna leave it up to my sister to make sure your lessons are carried out in a timely manner, and that you're making progress. So I'd better not hear about you slacking off or sliding back, Starlight! I may have spared you from the dungeons once, but I won't be able to do it a second time!"

"You've got nothing to worry about," Starlight vowed, raising a hoof to her forehead in salute. "You have my word that I'll do my best to learn about the magic of friendship, and make you proud!"

"Good, see that you do," Shining nodded. "Now then, I believe you have a train to catch back to Ponyville. Oh, and before you go."

"Yes?" Starlight asked. She was really worried that she might have forgotten something important.

"You've got to learn to let go of your past," Shining advised. "Most ponies I know prefer not to dwell on it, and Ponyville in general is one of the most welcoming places in all of Equestria. I'm sure you'll find that, if you give ponies a chance and open up your heart to them, they'll be more than happy to get to know you."


	132. Chapter 132: Dragon Lord Spike?

Roughly two weeks had passed since Flurry Heart's Crystalling, and not much had really transpired in the time since. Life went on as it normally did, except for Shining Armor who had to adapt to the changes that fatherhood brought on.

Meanwhile, his student, Starlight Glimmer, stayed in Ponyville. Aside from a brief letter from her old village about how they were "reluctantly" accepting her apology, she hadn't heard a word and hadn't really bothered to interact with others. She still felt very much like a stranger and an outcast.

Then, one day, the peace and quiet was unexpectedly interrupted. Twilight was busy entertaining Princess Celestia and Princess Luna at her brother's castle, when Rarity suddenly came bursting in, completely caked in mud! She had a noticeable look of anxiety on her face, and she hadn't even bothered to take off her tacky orange miner's helmet. She spoke not a word, as she placed Spike on a table Twilight had set up. All could now see that Spike had a strange (perhaps even otherworldly) glow that surrounded him.

"What's going on?! I thought Spike was helping you with gem hunting!" Twilight commented to Rarity.

"We were," Rarity nodded, still panting heavily. "But all of a sudden, he started glowing like this and couldn't stop! I don't know what to do! Is something wrong with him?!"

"I don't know, I've never seen this before in my whole life!" Twilight replied, also stricken with anxiety! She hated not being in the know!

Fortunately, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna remained calm. They knew what was going on. "I believe I've seen this before," Celestia somberly commented. "It is the call of the Dragon Lord. Spike has been called to the dragon lands. He must go there at once."

"WHAT?!" Twilight and Rarity both gasped!

"Indeed he must, the call of the Dragon Lord is absolute," Luna explained to Twilight and Rarity. "The only way the glow stops, is when the reason for the Dragon Lord's summon is no longer binding."

"But... but... but..." Twilight stuttered, trying to find the words of protest she needed.

As if she could read Twilight's mind, Rarity spoke out in protest! "But Spike can't go to the dragon lands! From what he told us of his time spent there, the dragons are nothing but fiendish and selfish brutes! He wouldn't last five minutes!"

"Besides, he's just a baby!" Twilight spoke in outright defiance! "I'm his guardian for crying out loud, and I say no way! No matter what we might learn about dragon customs, I won't allow him to go off and get hurt! He's risked his life plenty of times as it is!"

But Celestia only shook her head. "I'm afraid it's not up for argument, the glow will only get brighter and brighter the longer Spike remains here."

"Besides," Luna added. "He is only a baby in terms of dragon years, and that is because dragons live for a very long time, over 1,000 years in fact. I'm sure both of you can attest that he's quite mature in pony years, and having spent almost all his life among ponies, I think _that_ counts more."

"Guess that settles it then," Spike commented. Looking at Twilight and Rarity, he then requested. "But, I wouldn't feel comfortable going there on my own? You girls will be there with me, right?"

Rarity smiled, hugging Spike close. "Oh of course, my dear Spikey-Wikey, you didn't even have to ask. I'd worry myself sick knowing you're out there all alone, with no one to watch your back."

Twilight was much more enthusiastic! "Yes, I'd love to go! Just think of all the research opportunities that this trip presents! I could probably write an entire book on dragon customs with my findings!" She briefly pranced in place, before she looked at Spike, and remembered the personal connection she shared with him. "A-and, I'll go to support you, Spike. You've always been part of my family, and we Sparkles stick together no matter what!"

"I'm going too!" An unexpected third voice joined the chorus. Its owner soon revealed itself to be none other than Starlight Glimmer.

"Oh no, there's absolutely no way you're going too, Starlight!" Twilight protested with a shake of her head. "You need to be working on your friendship lessons, per my brother's instructions, not looking for an excuse to weasel out of them."

But Starlight adopted a guilty look, and pleaded. "Please, you must let me go! Spike was the one who kept me on the straight and narrow back in the Crystal Empire. When I was looking for the first opportunity to get out of my lesson, he held my hooves to the fire and made sure I did what Shining Armor wanted. And he supported me when I needed it most. I couldn't call myself a good friend if I wasn't willing to return the favor. Like it or not, I'm going to the dragon lands with the rest of you, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

Twilight groaned, and let out a sigh. "Well... it's not my decision to make, Starlight. You're my brother's student, so he should hold the final say," She was quick to warn. "But, if he says 'No', then that's final."

"But how are we going to contact him? He's all the way up in the Crystal Empire?" Starlight asked. "And there's no way we can just teleport up there and ask him."

"Precisely why I arranged for an alternative form of communication, in case of emergencies," Twilight said with a wink. "I never anticipated needing to use it so soon though," She then cleared her throat and instructed. "Spike, take a letter please, you know where to send it."

Spike quickly wrote down the necessary information and breathed fire on it, causing the scroll to vanish completely. But it didn't appear in front of Princess Celestia, as Starlight (and Rarity too) was expecting. A short time later, Spike belched out a new scroll.

Twilight grabbed the scroll with her magic and scanned it carefully. "It's from my brother, Shining says you can go, Starlight..."

Starlight cheered, interrupting Twilight! "Alright! Next time I see him, I'll have to let him know how grateful I am for this opportunity!"

"-If I could get back to where I was before, Starlight," Twilight commented, as she cleared her throat. "You can go, but my brother's also going to be tagging along. In fact, he's on his way here right now."

"What? But he lives in the Crystal Empire, it's not like he can just take the train down here." Starlight pondered.

Yet just seconds after Starlight had spoken this, there was a faint flash of violet-pink magic, and Shining Armor now stood before all occupants in the castle in all his glory. His mane and tail looked a bit singed and frazzled, but otherwise he seemed none the worse for wear. "I don't think I can keep doing this every time something comes up, Twily," He commented. "We need to work out a better way to get to and from the Empire and Ponyville. Otherwise, a few trips back and forth, and I'll be all worn out," Then he looked at Starlight with a stern, uncompromising glare. "Twilight's letter caught me up to speed on everything, including your reasons for wanting to accompany Spike. So, you really wanna do this, huh?"

"You bet!" Starlight nodded quite firmly. "I thought one of the most important things a friend can do for another, is be there when their support is needed most! And right now, Spike looks like he needs all the support he can get! Besides, a part of me always _has_ been fascinated with dragons."

Shining opted to give off a faint sigh. "I'm going too, Starlight, and you will do as you are told, is that clear? The Dragon Lands are outside the jurisdiction of Equestria, and the last thing the princesses need, is an international incident on their hooves." He warned.

"Don't worry, I'll behave, I promise." Starlight answered and then said no more.

"If you're all going to the Dragon Lands, then we wish you the best of luck," Luna informed the small party. "Our help's always needed somewhere in Equestria."

"And even if it wasn't, dragons don't kindly to ponies intruding on their home lands," Celestia cautioned. "So I suggest the four of you find a convincing disguise. There's no telling what might happen if the dragon lord spots you."

"Not to worry," Rarity beamed. "I have fashioned a dragon costume for just such an occasion. It may take a little bit of modifying, but I think we could all fit into it."

But Twilight spoke up. "Actually, I have a more effective idea in mind."

* * *

As it turned out, Twilight's idea involved all four ponies traveling inside of what looked like a giant rock. No one had a problem with this, except for Rarity. "At least with _my_ idea, we were traveling in style." She grumbled.

"Shh!" Spike cautioned, as they neared the border of the Dragon Lands! "Keep it down, or you're gonna give yourselves away! And if you get caught, then we'll _all_ be in trouble!"

"Sorry, Spike," Shining softly apologized. "You heard him. Pipe down, everypony! That's an order!"

So the ponies more or less clammed up, carefully shimmying their hooves along the rocky terrain that defined the Dragon Lands. The smell of soot and volcanic ash hung heavily in the air, and the wafting smoke gave the sky overhead an ominous dark-gray color to it.

All of a sudden, there came the sound of flapping wings, and a snarky voice taunted. "Well, well, well, if isn't the namby-pamby, pony loving, pipsqueak. I didn't know they let ponies be a part of this." The voice quickly revealed itself as a red scaled dragon of medium size. He had light grayish-olive eyes, vivid orange spikes down his entire body, and light amber wings.

Spike knew who this dragon was, he'd met him back during the dragon migration a few years ago. "It's nice to see you too, Garble." He sarcastically commented.

"I didn't say it was nice to see you, did I?!" Garble snarled. "Because it isn't, I'm pretty sure I made that clear!"

" _What? You've never heard of sarcasm before?_ " Spike thought, but he didn't dare to say it out loud. In fact, his mind was soon drawn to other things, namely the fact that Garble was sitting atop the rock that was actually a disguise for his friends. "Hey, that's my rock!" He commented.

"Oh, I don't see your name on it," Garble teased, dangling his tail over the edge. "You aren't using it now, so I am! Simple as that! That is, unless you're looking to make something of it!" Spike said nothing, much to Garble's delight. "That's what I thought."

Just then, a tremendous roar shook the ground! Spike, Garble, and all other dragons gathered, turned to the source of the noise. which revealed itself to be a massive dragon perched atop a huge rock. Said dragon had grayish-arctic blue scales, moderate reddish-orange wings, and most noticeable of all, two large horns that were both a pale, light grayish-gold and moderate range in color. "Greetings, my fellow dragons." The dragon spoke in a deep, booming voice.

"Who is that?" Spike wondered aloud.

"That's Dragon Lord Torch of course," Garble sneered. "Didn't you learn _anything_ from the migration?"

"I meant _her_ ," Spike explained, pointing a claw to a female dragon hovering off to Torch's left. She was of the same size as Garble, but she had brilliant cyan scales except for the inside of her wings, which ranged in color from moderate indigo to light cobalt blue, dark blue spikes on her head and tail, light apple greenish-gray horns, and ruby red eyes. "She's..." Spike trailed off. He couldn't explain it, but something about that dragon drew his attention. Was it possible he maybe was developing feelings for her? " _Get a hold of yourself, Spike!_ " The little dragon gave himself a mental pep talk. " _You don't even know what she's like! For all you know, she could be as big a brute as the rest of the dragons!_ "

"Oh, her?" Garble questioned, before he realized Spike was _indeed_ referring to the female dragon. "That's Ember, Torch's daughter. If you were thinking of doing _anything_ with her, you can forget it! Torch is way overprotective of his only daughter, he never lets her out of his sight. Besides, she'd never go for a pony-loving dragon like you."

"Ember? That's such a beautiful name." Spike murmured to himself.

Meanwhile, Dragon Lord Torch was speaking at length. "I have been proud to call myself Lord of All Dragons for over a thousand years," With every sentence, his deep voice shook the ground. "Unfortunately, I must now retire per the few rules that govern us. Sad, I know," But none of the dragons expressed anything close to sadness, so he bellowed out! "BE SAD!" And they all obeyed!

Twilight was watching the whole thing from inside the rock, jotting down notes with a quill. "Fascinating. It seems dragons will obey any command given to them by their Dragon Lord. We're already learning so much." She happily beamed.

But the quill kept brushing up against Rarity's nose, prompting something akin to a tickling sensation. "A-a-a..." She stuttered, trying to suppress the urge. It wasn't working!

"Oh no, whatever you do, do **NOT** sneeze!" Shining pleaded! "If you sneeze now, you'll give us all away!"

"A-I'm-a-trying-a-to..." Rarity twitched, as the urge to sneeze grew more and more urgent!

All of a sudden, from beneath the rock Garble was sitting on, there come a faint "Achoo." Spike quickly covered for the source. "Uh, that was me, sorry." He apologized as convincingly as possible.

"Ugh, you even _sneeze_ like a pony," Garble groaned. "I swear, it's like you actually are a pony in a dragon costume."

Meanwhile, all inside the rock breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close." Starlight remarked, wiping the sweat from her brows.

"I'll say," Shining commented softly. "But it looks like that mini shield I threw up managed to lower the sound. We can't afford anymore close calls like that though."

* * *

Fortunately, no one suspected a thing about the rock, and Torch continued to speak to the dragons. "Now, I very well can't just give up my title of Dragon Lord to the first one who wants it. So I've arranged for a way to ensure that only the best of the bunch gets to have the honor of being my successor," He produced what seemed to be a small, purple rod, with a big ruby fastened to the tip. "So I have arranged for a 'Gauntlet of Fire' that leads into the heart of this active flamecano. And whoever is the first to retrieve the bloodstone scepter from the flamecano and bring it to me, will not only win the gauntlet, but also take my place as the Lord of all Dragons. Don't think it'll be easy though, only the toughest and strongest of dragons will have what it takes to even get to the flamecano. But all of you are welcome to participate, it makes no difference to me." And with that, Torch effortlessly flicked the scepter into the mouth of the flamecano, prompting a massive wave of fiery-red energy to wash over all the dragons.

When it had faded, all took notice of the fact that the glow around their bodies had faded. Everyone quickly rushed off to take part in the gauntlet, except for Spike.

"Looks like Spike's purpose has been fulfilled," Twilight commented. "We can all go home now. A bummer, I was hoping we'd get to learn more about dragons. The stuff I've gathered so far, probably wouldn't even fill up a page. But I suppose that's better than having Spike be thrown into extreme peril."

"My thoughts exactly," Rarity agreed. "There's no reason for us to hang around here anymore. Let's go home."

Spike began to push the rock his friends were hiding inside of, and made his way towards the border of the Dragon Lands. But he hadn't gotten very far, when Torch suddenly bellowed out! "And where do you think _you're_ going?!" All the other dragons parted, allowing Torch to turn his full fury on Spike.

Spike found himself breaking out into a cold sweat despite the hot climate. He very well couldn't tell Torch the real reason behind his wanting to leave. "W-well," He stuttered. "I-I just thought, s-since I don't have a chance against all these other dragons, I-I'd j-just leave. I-I mean, w-why would I want to be Dragon Lord? I-I'm j-just f-fine with my life as it is, t-thank you."

" _All_ dragons are to participate in the Gauntlet of Fire, no ifs, ands, or buts!" Torch roared in defiance! "That includes you, little dragon!"

Just then, Ember swooped down in front of her father, and told him. "Just let him go, he's rather puny. You really don't want _him_ around."

Torch pondered this comment. "Hm, I suppose you have a point, he doesn't look like much more than a pipsqueak. Heck, I could probably crush him with the palm of my claw if I wanted to."

"Y-yeah, heh-heh, good one." Spike nervously chuckled.

Torch was anything but amused. "That wasn't a joke. When I want you to laugh, I'll tell you to do so."

"See, Dad?" Ember commented. "He doesn't even know how you work, and he smells like he's spent all his life with ponies. You've got a fine crop of participants for your gauntlet as it is, you can afford to lose this runt."

"Hey, I am **NOT** a runt! And for the record, I happen to _like_ living with ponies, thank you!" Spike protested.

The protest from Spike was all Torch needed to hear, to make up his mind. "You've got an attitude, little one, and I don't think I like it! And even if I did, I'd sooner roll over and lie down than allow a pony lover like yourself to participate. You want to go home so badly? Fine, I'll grant your wish. Get out of here and don't ever show your face in my presence again!" And with that, Torch turned his attention away from Spike, dismissing him with a claw.

But just as soon as Torch had done so, Ember flew right into his outstretched claw. Torch knew immediately that meant his daughter wanted something, and there could be only one thing she'd want at a time like this. Even so, he was surprised. "What is the meaning of this, my daughter?!"

"Let me participate in the gauntlet, Father, I'm not your precious little princess anymore!" Ember pleaded. "I could wipe the floor with those hulking brutes in an instant, and you know it!"

Torch wasn't so convinced. He shook his head and made a tsking sound, as he remarked in a condescending tone of voice. "Ember, Ember, Ember, you just don't see things the way I do. It takes a big, strong dragon to win, because it takes a big, strong dragon to lead! And while you may not be a hatchling anymore, you're still far from the most powerful dragon there is, you wouldn't get past the first obstacle," Then he added. "Besides, I said no! And what I say goes!" His last statement was punctuated with a roar that blew Ember back.

Ember just growled in frustration. "Oh, I hate when you do that!" With a snarl, she flew off while muttering to herself. "Just you wait, Father. You'll learn to see it my way!"

* * *

Spike quickly went back to pushing the rock his friends were in. But even as he made way across the Dragon Lands, it was hard for him not to overhear all the "boasts" various dragons were making about what they'd do if they became the next dragon lord.

"When I'm dragon lord," A pink scaled dragon loudly proclaimed. "I'll make burps an official form of greeting for all dragons." She emphasized her point by letting out a huge belch.

"Oh yeah? Well when I'm dragon lord," A chubby, brown scaled dragon announced. "I'm gonna lead an army to steal all the pillows from Equestria. Just think, no more sleeping on the hard, rocky ground."

"Pah, that's kid's stuff!" Garble scoffed, as he then gleefully declared. "When _I'm_ dragon lord, and let's be honest, no one else has any real chance, I'm gonna get revenge on those friendship loving, namby-pamby ponies. I'll initiate a raid on Equestria. We'll take only what we need, and then burn all the rest! And the best part is, those ponies will be powerless to stop us."

Needless to say, those comments gave Spike and his friends cause for concern. "I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but I hope the burping dragon wins," Rarity commented. "It's shameful to think that she's the least worst option."

"I'm more worried about Garble," Spike replied as his lips quivered. "Knowing him, he might just be crazy enough to _actually_ do what he says he's going to do."

"So, why does that matter? Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would put a stop to him in a heartbeat if he tried anything." Starlight boldly declared.

"Or the royal guard, myself included," Shining added. "If Garble thinks we're powerless, he's got another thing coming to him."

"Sure, you and I know ponies are stronger than the dragons will give them credit for, but Garble doesn't," Spike explained. "And there's no telling how many innocent dragons will suffer if Garble has his way. I couldn't live with myself knowing that I had a chance to stop him from becoming dragon lord, and I chickened out."

"Spike, think about what you're suggesting!" Twilight gasped, stricken with concern! "You don't honestly think you're going to win the Gauntlet of Fire, do you?!"

"So maybe I'm a general longshot to win, that doesn't matter!" Spike vowed, clenching his claws in fury! "What matters is that I stop the likes of Garble from ever rising to power in the first place! If entering the gauntlet is the only way to do that, then so be it! I doubt most of the dragons will be focused on me, they'll think I'm an easy target. They'll knock out the tough competition early on, and leave the weaklings to pick off at the end. If I keep my head low and my sights focused on Garble, I'm confident I can at least stop him from winning, if not knock him out of the gauntlet entirely."

"And what if you somehow win?" Twilight asked. "What happens then, Spike?"

Spike paused, he hadn't really considered that faint possibility. But after a moment of consideration, he glanced back to his friends and told them all. "Then, I'll reluctantly have to stay here and be the best dragon lord I can possibly be. And if that should happen, then it's been an honor getting to know all of you. And an honor to have served with you both." He said to Twilight and Shining Armor.

"Be very careful, Spike," Shining advised. "This time, there's nothing any of us can do to help you. You're gonna be on your own more or less. Twilight, Starlight, Rarity, and I, will only be there for moral support."

"That's all I can ask for. This is something I gotta do on my own!" Spike vowed, and rushed off to join the other dragons! He just hoped that the gauntlet hadn't started already.

* * *

Fortunately for Spike, the gauntlet hadn't. In fact, Torch was just about to start it, when Spike bustled in amidst the group of contestants (which included Garble and also an unknown dragon covered in heavy armor). Torch was both surprised and annoyed to see Spike again! "I thought I released you!" He scowled in disapproval.

"You did, but I changed my mind," Spike declared. "After all, you said _all_ dragons were to participate in the Gauntlet of Fire. And regardless of how I was raised or what I believe, I'm still a dragon."

Torch just growled, and rolled his eyes. "Fine, participate in the gauntlet if you wish. It's no skin off my back. I just hope you've said your prayers, little dragon." Then, he let out a huge breath of fire in the air, which was the signal for the Gauntlet of Fire to begin.

One by one, all the dragons took to the skies, except for Garble and Spike. "Hey, pipsqueak, break a leg." Garble taunted.

"Wow, a compliment, I guess I should be grateful." Spike remarked, though he was a bit uncertain as to why Garble would compliment him.

"No, seriously, break a leg!" Garble jeered, and knocked Spike off the cliff. "Your efforts are gonna come up short, peewee! Get it?! Short?! Because you're too small to win this!" He laughed, as he took to the skies.

"I was planning on swimming anyway!" Spike called back, even though he knew Garble was too far away to hear even if he wanted to. He quickly set to work on swimming as fast as he could across the water, the flamecano dead in his sights.

* * *

As it turned out, swimming gave Spike an advantage. It was not a straightforward flight to the flamecano, heavy boulders were sent whizzing through the air, knocking back any dragon unfortunate enough to get in the way. A couple of dragons were quickly left behind as a result, but unfortunately Garble wasn't one of them.

Then, all of a sudden, one of the boulders struck the heavily armored dragon, causing said dragon to fall from the sky! The dragon landed in the water with a splash, the armor causing him (the dragon's actual gender couldn't be determined, but something about it looked awfully familiar to Spike) to sink! Without even a second's hesitation, Spike dove beneath the waves to rescue the dragon!

Snatching up the waterlogged dragon, Spike carried him under one arm and paddled for the nearest shore. He was so focused on saving the dragon, he didn't even notice his friends were already on the island, disguised as seaweed. "Hey, are you okay?" Spike asked, as he removed the dragon's helmet. When he did, he got a good look at the dragon's face, and gasped! "Ember?!" He exclaimed!

Ember expelled the last of the water from her lungs, glaring up at her rescuer. She was anything but pleased. "What are you doing?!" She glared at Spike, as if accusing him of something!

"Only saving your ungrateful scales of course, your 'highness'!" Rarity jeered, before she realized her mistake!

"Wait a minute! Did that seaweed just talk?!" Ember gasped, and her eyes soon discovered that a quartet of ponies now stood before her, previously having hid themselves amidst a thick collection of seaweed. "Ponies?!" Ember exclaimed!

"They're not just ponies, they're my friends! In fact, one of them's my mother, another's my uncle, and a third is my new big sister!" Spike proclaimed, stepping forward to defend his friends.

"But... but, dragons don't do friendship!" Ember protested, making a gag face.

"This dragon most certainly does," Spike announced. "And it's because of what they taught me, that I decided to save your life. The least you can do now, is tell me why you're here. I thought your dad didn't want you participating in this gauntlet?"

"I was about to ask the same question," Shining commented. "If you wouldn't mind, Ember. Spike's never one to be satisfied without an answer."

Ember sighed, and narrowing her eyes she looked out to the horizon and explained. "My father thinks I can't be a big, strong dragon, and everyone always looks down on me because I'm a princess. Well, I'll show my dad, and anyone else who thinks I'm just some namby-pamby princess, that I can take care of myself! If winning the Gauntlet of Fire is the only way to prove that, so be it!"

"Uh, not that I mean to 'interrupt' the moment but... WE'VE GOT COMPANY!" Starlight exclaimed, as Garble smacked down onto the sand with a thud, having been struck and pinned by one of the boulders! Reacting quickly, Ember put her armor back on, while Shining, Starlight, Twilight, and Rarity, disguised themselves as best they could on short notice.

Garble tried his best, but he couldn't lift the huge boulder that kept him pinned to the sandy shore. "Peewee, little help here please!" He ordered with a groan.

Spike dashed to Garble's side, and then he hesitated. " _Do I_ _ **really**_ _want to do this? I could just leave him stuck here, and he won't be able to win the gauntlet. Then it doesn't matter if I win or not, Equestria will be safe,_ " He thought to himself and briefly turned away from the rock, before he then considered. " _But if I leave him here now, I'm no better than he is. Sure, maybe_ _ **he**_ _wouldn't do the same if the roles were reversed, but Twilight didn't raise me to turn my back on someone who needed my help. Besides, I can't leave Garble here to suffer like this, even a monster like him doesn't deserve that,_ " Reluctantly, he leaped on top of the boulder and started to shatter it by using his tail as a jack hammer. " _I'm probably gonna hate myself in the morning for this._ " He thought, as in a matter of seconds, Garble was free.

"I can't believe I had to depend on the likes of you," Garble snarled, as he stood up. "Don't expect any favors or anything like that, you're as weak as I thought you were," He then sniffed the air, something about it felt different. "Hey, I smell ponies. And it ain't coming from you."

Before Garble had a chance to investigate, Ember (wearing her heavy armor) spoke in a gruff voice. "Uh, that's me. I... uh, robbed some ponies on my way over here."

"Ah, okay," Garble nodded, before he realized that he didn't recognize the dragon that had just spoke. "Say, who are you? I don't think I've seen you around."

Now it was Spike's turn to speak up and cover for the others. "Uh, that's just my new dragon friend. Yeah, that's it! His name is... uh... Sandy... Shores. Sandy Shores."

"Whatever, just don't get in my way, 'cause I'm winning this gauntlet!" Garble jeered once again, then took back off into the sky.

Once Garble had left, Ember removed her helmet and asked Spike. "Why did you stick up for me just then? You could've ratted me out to Garble."

"And you could've snitched on my friends, but you didn't, did you?" Spike replied back.

"W-well, I couldn't very well let Garble have his way with them. Not that I care or anything, I don't even understand you ponies and your 'friendship'," Ember remarked. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna get back in there and win!"

"You know, we could actually team up," Spike suggested. "At least until we get past the hard stuff. You _do_ kind of owe me for saving your life."

"You sure that's a good idea, Spike?" Twilight asked. "How do you know you can trust Ember not to stab you in the back?"

"As I believe the saying goes 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'," Spike explained to Twilight. "And even then, she's not really much of an enemy. She could be a powerful ally. Plus, she's really the only way I can get to the flamecano without having to swim the entire length, and then scale the cliff," He then told Ember. "If you're curious about how _I_ can help _you_ , I could warn you about incoming boulders and tell you where to go. So, whadya say? Truce?" He held out his claw, and waited to see what Ember would do.

Seconds passed slowly, before Ember reached out her own claw and used it to shake Spike's. "Fine, truce, for now. But, just so you know, this doesn't mean we're gonna pick flowers, or braid each other's hair, or any of that fru-fru pony junk."

Spike only giggled. "It's not all about 'fru-fru' stuff, Ember. You'll see soon enough. Now come on, let's get going! Garble and the others are probably halfway there by now!" Hopping onto Ember's back, he held on tightly, as the two took off into the air.

"Well, guess it's back into the drink for us," Starlight reluctantly commented. "Should I cast the spell again?"

"Actually, that rock gives me a better idea," Rarity commented, with a gleam in her eyes. "Twilight, Starlight, if you two wouldn't mind?"

* * *

Despite the weight on her back caused by Spike, Ember had no more trouble with the boulders that were being hurled her way. Spike just get barking out. "Down!", "Up!", "Left!", and "Right!" as needed to steer Ember out of harm's way, and it was of little surprise that they eventually caught back up to the front of the pack (the dragons in the lead had realized that they needed to slow down, so as to avoid being knocked down by the boulders).

At last, Ember landed about midway up the flamecano, and Spike rolled off her back. But as soon as the two set foot inside, they discovered a new obstacle that awaited them, a series of sharp rock pillars in a tunnel, that occasionally swung out from one side to the other!

"You've gotta be kidding me," Ember groaned. "Out of the frying pan and right into the fire."

"My thoughts exactly," Spike echoed, looking at Ember. "I gotta hand it to your father though, he knows how to plan one heck of a gauntlet."

"Listen, Spike. I wouldn't have made it this far without you. So I guess, if you want to, we could keep working together. I mean, just until we get through that tunnel." Ember offered.

"So, shall we extend the truce for a bit longer then?" Spike asked.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Just keep your head down, and watch out!" Ember called, as she then took off.

Spike and Ember carefully weaved their way around the pillars, ducking under them or flying (or jumping in Spike's case) over them as needed. At last, after a few close calls, they managed to make it through unscathed.

All the other dragons ended up getting stuck by the huge pillars, even Garble. But unlike the others, Garble refused to give up! When he saw Spike and Ember rushing through the other end of the tunnel, he felt his blood begin to boil! " _So, the pony loving pipsqueak's got himself an ally, does he? Well, not for much longer! I will not be cheated of what is rightfully mine! Not after I've come so close to victory!_ " He mentally vowed, as he found the strength to force himself to keep going, no matter how many times he was hit by the pillars.

* * *

When Spike emerged from the tunnel, he barely had time to catch his breath, before Rarity exclaimed! "Oh, you made it! Oh, we were so worried!"

"About us?" Spike scoffed. "Please, that tunnel was a piece of cake! I'd say getting that far was the hard part."

"Wait a minute, how did you all get through?" Ember demanded.

"Simple, we took the long way around," Twilight explained. "A lot less dangerous. Sure is hot in here though."

"And dangerous too, this flamecano looks very unstable," Shining commented. "We _really_ shouldn't be in here! One false move and we're as good as dead!"

As if to emphasize Shining's point, the ground began to rumble, and the ground beneath Rarity gave way! Rarity let out a yelp, taken by surprise at the sudden development!

Spike quickly leaped into action! "Rarity!" He shouted, and thinking fast, he grabbed Rarity by the hoof, and pulled her to safety! "That was too close!"

"Oh, thanks, Spike, you're a lifesaver." Rarity panted, catching her breath.

"It was nothing, really. I'm just glad you're safe." Spike sighed in relief.

"What? You call that 'Nothing'?" Ember remarked, as her eyes widened a bit. "You just risked everything to save her! And these ponies are putting themselves in danger just to support you! I don't get it."

Spike smiled, this was the perfect teaching moment. Maybe he could convert one of the dragons to at least be more sympathetic to his point of view. "Well, that's just what friends do, Ember," Then he asked her. "Don't you have anyone who looks out for you? Even just a little?"

Much to Spike's surprise, Ember replied in a somber tone of voice. "Well, not really. Unless I count you," And then, the words that next left her lips made Spike's heart sink. "Which I don't! Because we were only helping each other get through the tunnel, and now we're through the tunnel, so that's it."

"Wait, what do you mean? The truce is off?" Spike asked in a sad tone of voice.

Ember nodded. "Don't take it too personally, Spike, but let's be honest. This is the only way it could end. There can be only _one_ winner, _one_ scepter, and _one_ Dragon Lord. So I guess it's every dragon for themselves now."

"Oh. So we aren't really friends? Is that it?" Spike asked, hoping beyond hope he was wrong.

But Ember only coldly replied. "Maybe if we were in Ponyland, but like I said, dragons don't do friendship. From this moment onwards, we're enemies. So don't get in my way, 'kay?" And then, flapping her wings, she took off.

* * *

Spike tried his best to push Ember to the back of his mind after that. But he found that the princess kept lingering in his mind no matter what he did. "I can't believe Ember just ditched me like that," He complained loudly, as he made his way along the upper levels of the flamecano. "You think you know a girl, and then she just up and leaves you when you least expect it."

"Don't take this the wrong way, Spike, but you're acting like you had a crush on her, and she just dumped you," Starlight teased with a snicker. "And here I thought Rarity was your one true love."

"Ember is **NOT** my girlfriend!" Spike snapped back rather rudely! "I hardly even like her! And exnay on the Rarity bit, you know she can hear you."

"Spike, there's a time and place for such 'feelings' but here and now isn't one of them," Rarity commented, opting to change the subject in no small part due to the fact that she herself was still uncertain of her feelings towards Spike. "Honestly, you're better off without that Ember girl anyway. She was only looking out for herself. She's just like all the other dragons."

Spike shook his head. "She wasn't though, that's what you all don't understand. She saved me, even when she didn't have to. So I don't care what she says. That makes us friends in my book."

"Let's just focus on finding the scepter, shall we?" Shining suggested. "As long as it remains untouched, Garble could still win this. Besides, the longer we stay here, the more in danger we become. This wasn't even supposed to be part of our mission. If any other dragons spot us, the consequences could be quite dire for both races."

A short time later, Twilight commented. "Is it just me, or have we seen this crevasse three times already? Please tell me it's just me."

Unfortunately for Twilight, Spike commented back. "It's kinda hard to tell. They all look the same," But then suddenly, his green eyes were drawn to a fiery red light emerging from a nearby crevasse! "Except for this one!" He realized, and quickly rushed through it!

Spike and the ponies found themselves facing what appeared to be the very heart of the flamecano, with only a narrow passageway of unstable rock formations to serve as a path. And there, resting atop a huge batch of crystals, rested the Bloodstone Scepter! "We made it! I can't believe I'm the only dragon to make it this far!" Spike happily exclaimed!

"Well too bad, you're not!" Garble protested, appearing on the scene with his claws drawn out! "And I'm not losing to a puny pony-loving dragon like you!" He then lunged at Spike, and the two began to tussle!

Having disguised themselves as rocks when Garble showed up, the ponies could only watch in horror, as they saw Spike struggle to fend off his attacker! "We have to do something, and fast!" Rarity remarked, even as her voice was muffled behind her disguise. "Spike's not going to hold out for long on his own!"

"Look!" Twilight exclaimed, and everypony's eyes were drawn to a figure that was fast approaching from the sky!

"Is that who I think it is?!" Shining gasped!

Sure enough, the figure revealed itself as none other than Ember! With one swift swoop, she effortlessly knocked back Garble and snatched up Spike!

Spike could hardly believe his eyes! "Ember, you came back! But I thought it was every dragon for themselves! Why did you save me?!" He asked, as he was set down safely on the path.

"Because that's what friends do," Ember somewhat replied, before she nervously added. "And I am. I mean, we are. I never should have left you back there. Agh, please don't make me talk about my feelings! This is so confusing."

Garble didn't stay dazed for long though, he soon not only discovered who his attacker had been, but also who she was helping. And to make matters worse, he'd discovered that a few ponies had somehow found their way into the heart of the flamecano! Needless to say, Garble was anything but happy. "What the?!" He remarked, before he began to growl ominously. "If there's one thing I hate more than pony loving dragons, it's ponies themselves!"

Ember quickly swooped in to protect her new friends (or rather, the friends of her new friend. And boy did it feel weird to consider anyone a friend). "Spike! Get the scepter!" She instructed! "I'll hold him off!"

Garble replied with a hiss, as he tried to overpower Ember. "I'm sick and tired of you two helping each other out! Dragons don't do helping!"

"Well, _these_ dragons do!" Ember retorted.

"Not for much longer!" Garble shouted in defiance! "Your little 'friendship' ends here!" However, just then, Garble felt himself get hit by a blast from behind! "Alright, who has the nerve?! Who's the dead punk who did that?!" He demanded.

"That would be me," Shining declared, stepping forward with a determined smile on his face. "You leave the princess alone, Garble, it's us ponies you want. And if you want to lay a finger on them, you're gonna have to get past me. Care to try your luck with me?"

"Of course, anyone who gets in my way is my enemy!" Garble roared, as he lunged towards Shining with all his might!

But Shining wasn't deterred even the slightest. He effortlessly lit up his horn, enveloping Garble in his violet-pink magic aura and pulled the teenage dragon close. "Be honest, did you _really_ think that was going to work?" He half asked/half taunted.

"Uh... if I say 'yes', does that mean you won't hurt me?" Garble gulped, stricken with a sudden sense of dread.

"Doesn't matter either way to me, I'm not going to waste my time beating up a cowardly bully like you," Shining said with a shake of his head. "But all the same, you need to be taught a lesson," He proceeded to toss Garble onto the ground without fanfare. Garble groaned, and tried to move, but Shining only enveloped him with his magic, and pinned Garble down. "Please, don't get up, because I could do this all day."

* * *

Twilight then rushed forward and cried out! "Now's your chance, Spike, grab the specter! And whatever happens next, I just want you to know, I'm very proud of you."

Seizing the opportunity, Spike grabbed the Bloodstone Scepter and held it close as it let out a magical roar that enveloped the whole cave.

"No! I was so close!" Garble complained.

"Well, you know what they say about karma," Starlight snickered. "You can take comfort in the fact that my old self never got hold of you. Far as I'm concerned, you're getting off easy."

Garble gulped, and began to fall on his knees as he stuttered. "Dragon... Lord... Spike..."

"That's right!" Spike commanded in the most authoritative voice he could muster up on short notice. "Now, go start your long journey home. And give every dragon you see on the way a hug. But don't tell them why."

"Aw, but that'll be super embarrassing!" Garble complained. "Please, your majesty, have mercy!"

"After you've gone and hugged every dragon you meet on your way home, we can talk about mercy," Spike replied, dismissing Garble's complaint. "I command you to do it! Now get going, and don't let me see you in my sight again until you've done what I asked!"

"I can't believe this," Garble groaned and muttered under his breath as he flew off. "Outsmarted by a pony loving pipsqueak. I've never been so humiliated in all my life."

Meanwhile, Ember approached Spike and commented. "Dragon Lord Spike. Hm, that has a nice ring to it."

"Thanks, but Dragon Lord Ember sounds a lot better." Spike smiled, as he offered the scepter to Ember.

Ember, naturally, refused to accept the scepter. "What? No. _You're_ the Dragon Lord now, Spike."

"No, the Dragon Lord is whoever brings the scepter back to your father, Ember!" Spike explained. "Besides, you'll make a great leader. I was just doing this to protect my friends and family, the ponies of Equestria. But I know you'll protect them just as well as I would have. And the dragons will accept you far more easily than they would me."

"Are you sure this is wise, Spike? Think about what you're giving up." Ember protested, even as Spike gave her the scepter.

Spike nodded. "Absolutely. My home is in Equestria with my friends. I couldn't give that all up, even if I wanted to. Especially not when one of them is the closest I have to a mother."

"I see," Ember commented, as she reluctantly accepted the scepter. "Well, you'll have at least one friend here too, if you decide to visit," She was surprised to see Spike throw his arms around his hips a second later. "Uh, what are you doing?"

"It's called a hug, silly." Spike giggled.

"Oh. Well, I don't know if I like it," Ember said with a blush. "But... okay. And tell your pony friends they can write to me at any time, or even stop by the dragon lands for a visit, eventually."

"Will do, Ember. I know you'll make a great Dragon Lord," Spike smiled. "And you're a good hugger for someone who's never given hugs before."

No one said a word, but all four ponies present just smiled.

* * *

It was dark by the time the rag tag group returned to Ponyville, all were exhausted. But there was a general sense among them that they'd done a good job. Equestria and the Dragon Lands were both safe.

"I must say, you did a very good job in that gauntlet today, Spike," Shining commented, as they entered the familiar confines of the crystal castle. "Thanks to you, Equestria has another powerful ally, and a new friend to boot."

"And with Ember as a pen pal, I can learn a lot about dragon customs and traditions," Twilight smiled. "This will really help to change ponies notions of dragons, to say nothing of the research capabilities. And I'm glad that you're still gonna be hanging around here with me. I know I don't always show it, but I really _do_ consider you my son."

Spike couldn't help but blush. "Thanks, Twilight. I may not be a little kid anymore, but it's nice to know you still care about me. I couldn't have asked for a better pony to raise me."

"So, what about you?" Starlight asked Shining Armor. "Does this mean that from now on, you're going to be staying in Ponyville?"

"The answer is yes, and no, Starlight," Shining replied. "Even before all this Dragon Lord business cropped up, Cadence and I were working out an agreement. Because regardless of the circumstances in my life, you are still _my_ student and therefore _my_ responsibility," He proceeded to explain. "So, what we've decided on for the time being is simple. You're going to stay here in Ponyville and work on your friendship lessons, and I'm going to alternate my weeks between the Crystal Empire and Ponyville. But even in my absence, you're to continue to work on the lessons and make progress on your own. You are not a little filly, and you don't need me to hold your hoof every step of the way."

"I know that, Shining," Starlight bowed. "So, when's my next lesson?"

"Wait and see," Shining cryptically answered. "I'm still working on the final details, and this trip to Ponyville was a last minute decision. Tomorrow, I go back to the Crystal Empire for the rest of the week. And when I come back to Ponyville, _that_ is when your lesson plan will be finalized."


	133. Chapter 133: Return of the Magician

A few weeks had passed since Shining Armor had worked out a deal with Starlight Glimmer in regard to her lesson plans, but now the young prince (and father) was ready to start taking a more "hooves on" approach with his student. In fact, his decision came at an important time, because Princess Celestia expressed an interest in coming over for a casual dinner, which Shining saw as a chance to show how far Starlight was progressing.

Starlight, for her part, took notice of an odd fact as she helped set the table. "What's with the fourth seat? I thought this dinner was just supposed to be between you, me, and Princess Celestia?" She asked.

Shining smiled, and informed Starlight. "Well you thought wrong. And before you ask, that extra seat isn't for Twilight, or Spike. It's for your guest."

"Guest? You mean..." Starlight began rather nervously.

Shining nodded as he cut Starlight off. "I want you to bring a friend, a new friend. That way, Princess Celestia can see for herself how good a student you are. Plus, this gives me a chance to see how you spread the magic of friendship, which is what you're learning about."

"Oh, is that so?" Starlight asked, as a fiendish smirk briefly broke out across her face before she added. "Well maybe I'll 'spread' the magic by enslaving everypony in Ponyville, then I'll have all the friends I need!"

"Starlight!" Shining glared.

Starlight gulped and with a blush she retorted. "Too soon?"

"Too soon," Shining said with a shake of his head. "And that kind of stuff isn't funny to begin with. So kindly refrain from even 'suggesting' that at dinner. I know some ponies already think you're a mental case, and the last thing either of us need is for Princess Celestia to think the same way. I doubt she will, seeing as you've already met twice, but I'd rather not tempt fate."

"Well, in all seriousness, I've been trying to make friends, really I have," Starlight sighed, adopting something of a guilt ridden face. "But... it hasn't been easy. I've... made some 'mistakes'."

The way Starlight emphasized "mistakes", was enough to make Shining's happy mood fade, replaced by one of worry and concern. "Starlight, what have you been doing in my absence? Please tell me you haven't brought the wrath of the entire town down on you."

"Oh no, no, no, it's nothing like that," Starlight nervously laughed. "But, well, there are two cases where I did things I probably shouldn't have." And she began to flash back to those two occasions.

* * *

The first took place shortly after Starlight had become "reformed" (and changed her mane style in the process, her mane now had a curl that hung slightly to the right). Pinkie Pie had taken the liberty of introducing her to Mrs. Cake.

"H-hello Mrs. Cake," Starlight nervously greeted. "I assume Pinkie's told me about you, correct?"

Mrs. Cake replied with a nod. "Of course, deary, but she hasn't told me much. Still, it's always nice to meet a new face, and any friend of Pinkie Pie's is a friend of mine."

"O...kay," Starlight trailed off, unsure of what else to say. Then, suddenly, she got an idea! Recalling something she'd faintly overheard from Pinkie once, she decided to whip up a cake for Mrs. Cake. With her magic, it was easy to produce one in a matter of minutes, which she then presented to Mrs. Cake. "Nothing says 'Let's be friends' better than a cake, right?" She asked quite hopefully.

But Mrs. Cake was anything but impressed. "Starlight, did you just use my baking utensils, my ingredients, and my oven, just to bake a cake?" She asked.

"Yes," Starlight nodded. "It's not like there's anything majorly wrong with that, is there?"

"Well, I don't come into your house and use your things without permission, do I?" Mrs. Cake scolded.

Starlight frowned, and hung her head as she realized her mistake. "Good point, I'm sorry. I just... wanted to make a good first impression and I couldn't think of any other way."

Mrs. Cake adopted a gentler tone of voice, and a softer expression, as she then reassured Starlight. "It's alright, Starlight. But next time, please ask before you do something like that. Besides, a proper cake takes time to be made, it's not just something you can magically put together."

* * *

The second occasion that Starlight found herself remembering, involved someone who was a much closer friend of both Shining Armor and Twilight (not to mention Spike, for reasons Starlight couldn't figure out). About a week after the "Gauntlet of Fire" episode, Starlight decided to try her luck with friendship again, this time at Sweet Apple Acres.

Big Macintosh was bucking apple trees with his strong back legs, as Starlight and Applejack approached. "So, you're settlin' in to life in Ponyville, huh?" Applejack asked with a smile. "Well, I think I have just the pony for ya to meet if that's the case. Starlight Glimmer, meet Big Macintosh. I know you two already kind of know about each other, but think of this as your chance to really make your friendship personal."

"Howdy, Miss. Glimmer, or do ya prefer I just call ya Starlight?" Big Macintosh politely greeted, but said nothing more.

"Just Starlight will do, thank you. There's no need for us to be so formal." Starlight innocently smiled. In the back of her mind though she was thinking. " _He's got quite the body. I can see why all the mares want him. But didn't somepony mention he already has a marefriend?_ "

"Good, Starlight it is." Big Macintosh replied, but said nothing more.

Applejack quickly explained. "Don't mind Big Mac, Starlight, he's not much of a talker 'round strangers. It takes a while for him to warm up to new friends, and even then he tends not to say a lot. Ain't that right, Big Macintosh?"

"Eeyup." Big Mac nodded with his trademark catchphrase.

"Gee, that's too bad," Starlight innocently commented. "I do love a good conversation." Then, an idea came to mind. She lit up her horn, and aimed a spell right at Big Mac's mouth.

Big Mac was quite surprised, but he soon found out what had happened when he opened his mouth to speak. "Eeyup-yup-yup-yup-yup-yup-yup-yup-y-y-y-y-you did somethin'!" He exclaimed as he pointed a hoof accusingly at Starlight. "W-what's happenin', w-what did you do to me?! I-I feel really weird! I'm talkin' so much! And I'm so articulate! Enunciatin' with such precise pronunciation! Oh no!" He put a hoof to his mouth to try and keep himself from saying anything more, but unfortunately it didn't help as he then blurted out. "Annie Apple awoke and accidentally ate an auburn azalea!" He proceeded to let out a scream and dashed off, as he demanded. "Make it stop! Somepony, please, make it stop!"

Applejack immediately turned an extremely harsh glare on Starlight, but said nothing. She didn't have to, her glare spoke volumes.

"What? I can't help it if I can't exactly be good friends with somepony who doesn't talk much," Starlight innocently protested. Applejack just glared harder at her. "And I guess maybe my first instinct shouldn't be to just magically command ponies to do what I want?" Starlight replied, hoping that would satisfy Applejack. It didn't, the farm pony only glared even harder at her. "Okay, okay, I'll go change him back!" She finally relented, and went to track down a rather frightened Big Macintosh.

* * *

"So, between those incidents, and apparently not knowing just who the hay the Wonderbolts were until Soarin clued me in," Starlight explained to Shining. "I haven't exactly been feeling in the mood to tackle friendship lessons again. If it's taken until now for me to even hold a conversation with _your_ friends without messing up, how exactly do you think I'm gonna just be able to befriend somepony in time for the dinner tonight?"

Shining put a hoof around his student, and reassured her. "I know you still have your doubts, Starlight, but take it from somepony who's been down the same road as you once. Don't let a bad experience or personal worries stop you from giving friendship a chance. Nopony's perfect, and everypony makes mistakes. What's important is learning from your mistakes, so you don't repeat them," Then he added. "Besides, Ponyville is the friendliest place in all of Equestria. Just about anypony can make a friend here if they try, and I know you won't be any different. Now get out there and make a friend! I know you can do it!"

"Well, I guess I'll try. W-wish me luck." Starlight nervously called, before she slowed trotted out of the throne room.

"You don't need luck, Starlight." Shining called back, but Starlight was already too far away to hear. Shining let out a sigh. " _I knew I was undertaking a big responsibility when I decided to make Starlight my student, but I really can't help but worry about her. I know she has the potential to be good if she just learns to stop dwelling on her past. If only I knew how to make her see that._ " He thought to himself.

* * *

Fortunately for Shining, Starlight returned about two hours later with a massive smile on her face! "Shining, great news, I made a new friend all by myself!" She proudly boasted!

"Excellent news," Shining smiled. "So, who's the lucky pony? Mind telling me about 'em?"

"Oh, absolutely!" Starlight nodded and then began to elaborate. "She's unlike anypony else! She's great!"

"Great, huh?" Shining commented, something about that statement felt odd but for whatever reason he couldn't explain why.

"And she's powerful too! Great _and_ powerful you might say!" Starlight said with a giggle.

"Wait! 'Great _and_ powerful'," Shining began, then gasped! "But that can only mean-"

But he needn't have said more, for at that very moment, a familiar light blue unicorn with a light purple hat and cape appeared in the throne room doors. "Hello, _Prince_." She greeted. Was it Shining's imagination, or did that line seem to have been delivered with the faintest trace of malice?

"Trixie?!" Shining exclaimed! "How... unexpected. It's been a long time."

"Indeed it has, and it seems Trixie's missed a lot since last we met," Trixie greeted in a not so innocent tone. "But you can rest easy, Shining Armor. Trixie didn't come here to bother you today. In fact, she had no idea her new best friend was the student of the prince of friendship, and that said prince has his own castle right here in Ponyville. By the way, how's your family? I hear it's gotten bigger."

"They're doing quite fine, not that it's any of your concern," Shining slightly snipped, as he turned to Starlight. "If you'll kindly excuse my student and I for a bit. There's a little something I'd like to discuss with her, in private if you wouldn't mind."

Trixie nodded, tipping her hat to the prince. "As you wish, your highness."

* * *

Shining proceeded to pull Starlight close to him, and then whispered to her. "Look, I know I said I wanted you to make a new friend all on your own, but Trixie isn't quite the pony I had in mind. As you can see our past association is... complicated to say the least."

"Now that you mention it, Trixie _did_ mention a few 'incidents' from prior visits to this town," Starlight commented. "But whatever it is, it can't have been any worse than what I did, right?"

"Well, that's hard to say..." Shining replied, scratching the back of his head with a hoof as he began to recall Trixie's previous visit to Ponyville.

* * *

The now disgraced magician had somehow gotten her hooves on something known as the alicorn amulet. But at the time, neither Shining Armor (who was still just a unicorn, it wouldn't be for a few more weeks that he'd ascend to alicornhood) or Twilight were aware of this. All they knew, was that Trixie had become rather nasty, and an outright bully. She seemed to have it out for Twilight in particular, accusing her of having ruined the show mare's life when she defeated the Ursa Minor.

To that end, Trixie challenged Twilight to a magic duel. But Shining Armor quickly intervened. "I don't know why you're acting like this, Trixie, but I won't let you get away with hurting my friends and my sister!" He said quite boldly, as he stepped forward. "If you're going to pick on someone, try picking on me! I may not be as magically adept as my sister, but I think you'll find I'm a worthy opponent all the same!"

Trixie let out a wicked laugh. "Oh, this is too rich! Are you seriously going to challenge me, the Great and Powerful Trixie?!"

"Of course," Shining replied. Then with a smirk he added. "Unless of course, you're afraid you'll get your butt kicked."

"Pah! Me?! Lose to the likes of you?! Fat chance!" Trixie snorted.

"Then, why don't we make a little wager?" Shining offered to Trixie. "If I win, you'll leave now and take off that little trinket you're wearing. I think it's changing you somehow."

"Fair enough," Trixie remarked, idly dismissing Shining's comment. "But if _I_ win, and you know I will, you have to leave Ponyville, forever!"

Against his better judgement (and despite the protests of his friends), Shining accepted. "Looks like we have a deal. Now give me your best shot, Trixie!" In his mind, he thought. " _This is a gamble, but even with her new found power, Trixie's still only a magician. If I can just wear her down, I should be able to defeat her before she has a chance to hurt anypony._ "

But Trixie proved to be too powerful, effortlessly defeating Shining with a double age spell that she performed on Snips and Snails. "Trixie _is_ the highest level unicorn!" She boasted to her defeated foe. "And now it's time for you to leave Ponyville, Shining, as was our deal!"

"No! This has gone far enough, Trixie!" Twilight protested, stepping forward! "Whatever your deal is, take it up with me, and leave my brother out of this!"

"You fool, he's already gone!" Trixie laughed quite wickedly! And with a flick of her horn, she effortlessly tossed Shining out of town as if he were nothing but trash. Then she threw up a giant dome of dark red magic, effectively sealing off the town.

* * *

"I ultimately managed to get the upper hoof over Trixie in our rematch," Shining explained to Starlight, having drawn on his memories of the experience as best he could. "Ironically, or whatever, it was through smoke and mirrors and not traditional magic. And just as I thought, it was the Alicorn Amulet that made her so evil. But the fact that she got her hooves on it and put it on despite the dangers, it definitely gave me cause for concern. That's not something you can just do and walk away from."

"I... see," Starlight commented, unsure what to make of this new revelation. "But Trixie _did_ mention that you forgave her for the incident, didn't you?"

Shining reluctantly nodded. "She seemed to be truly sorry for what she'd done, and even stayed to help my sister show off her progress to Princess Celestia. All the same, given your past, and her past, I'm worried that you two might not be the best influence on each other."

"So, you're going to just decide I can't be friends with her because you two fought in the past?" Starlight asked in a tone of voice that was all but accusing.

Shining shook his head. "Don't go putting words in my mouth, Starlight. I _did_ tell you to make a new friend, and Trixie is certainly far from the worst choice you could've made," He paused for a considerable amount of time, before he added. "Part of having a student means letting the student learn on their own, even if it means they might get hurt. I can't do everything for you, and you'll certainly never learn how magical friendship can be if I pick and choose your friends. Just please promise me you'll be back in time for the dinner tonight, okay? And if it's not too much to ask, try to stay out of trouble, okay?"

"Don't worry, I assure you your trust in me isn't misplaced," Starlight smiled. "And I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by Trixie."

"Let's hope," Shining commented, as he then turned his attention back to Trixie and asked the magician. "So, Trixie, may I ask what brings you back to Ponyville after all this time?"

Trixie flashed a toothy smile at Shining. "Oh, I was wondering when you were going to ask. The Great and Powerful Trixie has come to Ponyville to make amends for her past misdeeds, and kick off her newest tour in style!" With a puff of magic smoke, she produced a flyer and showed it to Shining Armor. "I'm calling it 'The Great and Powerful Trixie's Equestria Wide Repentance and Apology Tour'."

"Wow, that really rolls off the tongue there." Starlight sarcastically remarked.

"It's a working title," Trixie retorted. "Anyway, if it's all the same to you, prince, I'll be 'borrowing' your student for the time being. She already promised to help me get set up for the show. 'Two heads are better than one.' as they always say."

But before Trixie could leave, Shining quickly called out to the magician. "Hey, Trixie!"

Trixie spun around. "Yes, Prince Shining Armor?"

Clearing his throat, Shining spoke in the most serious tone possible. "You listen and you listen good, because what I'm about to say is _very_ important. Starlight is my student, so you treat her well, understand? She trusts you, and so I shall reluctantly do the same. But if you give me any reason to think you're not being pure about your intentions, that you're just using Starlight for your own goals, or if I find out you hurt Starlight in any way, shape, or form, I'll make sure you regret it. And for both our sakes, I hope it won't come to that. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Trixie grinned. "And you have my word, prince. I shall take good care of Starlight Glimmer. See you tonight." And then she and Starlight departed the throne room without another word.

* * *

Shining spent the rest of the day getting things ready for Princess Celestia's visit that night, only slightly concerned when Starlight never checked in. He'd made it clear what time the dinner was and trusted her to manage the time she had carefully.

But as night fell and the dinner got underway, Starlight still didn't show. Assuming she must've gotten lost within the castle again, Shining searched all the rooms and hallways, but found no trace of Starlight's presence anywhere. So that could mean only one thing. " _I hope I'm wrong on this, I really_ _ **really**_ _do._ " He thought to himself, as he raced out of the castle and into Ponyville.

Sure enough, as he topped a hill, he saw a massive crowd of ponies sitting in front of a stage. And flyers just like the one he'd seen before were posted on either side of the stage. " _I hate when I'm right._ " Shining mentally groaned. What he was going to do next was not going to be pretty, but a line had to be drawn somewhere.

Making his way backstage (and to his luck finding the door open), Shining found both Trixie and Starlight talking and laughing, although Trixie had yet to put on her hat and cape. Clearing his throat, Shining caught the attention of the two unicorns. He proceeded to speak severely to Starlight. "So, let me get this straight. I specifically told you about the important dinner with Princess Celestia, and you gave me your word you'd be there. Yet now I find you here, halfway across town, without so much as a note or a heads-up about where you'd be?"

Starlight gulped and cowered ever so slightly. "I... didn't mean to forget about the dinner. I was gonna leave you a note, honest," She innocently insisted. "It's just, Trixie and I hit it off so well and I wanted to help her out. Be her assistant for her show. There's nothing wrong with that, right?"

"Any other night there wouldn't be, Starlight," Shining frowned. "But you already gave your word you'd be at that dinner, and it's rude to just decline at the last minute. It's even more rude to keep the princess waiting. I'm sorry, but Trixie will just have to perform her little magic show without you," Then, turning to Trixie, he added. "And don't think you're without blame in all this, Trixie. You should've asked me before you made Starlight your assistant, or at least asked if she had other obligations she needed to take care of first, not jump to conclusions and make her your assistant on a whim."

However, Starlight refused to budge. She instead said in a defiant tone. "I'm sorry too, Shining Armor, but I promised to be Trixie's assistant and I couldn't call myself a good friend if I backed out on her now. This is her big chance to truly make a name for herself and turn her life around. And if you ask me, that sounds far more important than some random dinner with Princess Celestia. If there's time, I might swing by the castle to visit, but you'll just have to tell the princess tonight isn't going to work out. I'm doing what you asked, I made a friend, and now I'm helping her out. You should be proud of me, not trying to tell me what I can and can't do."

"Starlight, you know that's **NOT** what this is about!" Shining glared in reply. "Any other night this wouldn't be a problem, but tonight it is."

"Then I guess you know where I stand!" Starlight said with a humph.

Then, much to the surprise of both teacher and student, Trixie decided to chime in. "Ha! You hear that, Shining Armor?!" She declared in a tone that might as well have been boastful. "Your own student has chosen to spend time with me instead of you. So it doesn't matter if you want to give me a second chance or not, because Starlight does, and that's all that matters to me. It looks like I finally win!" The magician gasped a second later, as the gravity of what she'd just said sank in! "W-wait, that came out wrong!" She insisted, but it was too late.

Starlight found herself struggling to hold back tears. "So, this was all just to settle some silly rivalry I didn't even know existed?" She shouted accusingly at Trixie. "Here I thought I'd finally met a pony I could truly connect with, a pony who really understood me, and you were just interested in using me for your own selfish purposes."

"Starlight, please, it's not what it looks like!" Trixie hastily insisted, trying to think of a compelling argument. "Everything Trixie said before was true. Beating Shining Armor was just a nice little bonus and... Oh, wow, my words are completely failing me tonight."

Now the tears were trickling down Starlight's face without end. In a sharp and hurt tone of voice, she snapped at Trixie. "I should've known! Hardly anypony else was willing to be my friend, why should you have been different?!" And before anypony could stop her, she ran off through the open backstage door and disappeared.

Shining, in vain, called out to her. But there was no reply, Starlight was gone. "Well, Trixie, I hope you're pleased with yourself," He remarked with a shake of his head. "I trusted you, and _this_ is how you repay me. What do you have to say for yourself? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't make you pack up your wagon and take your magic show somewhere else?"

To the surprise of Shining, Trixie burst into tears as well. And these weren't crocodile tears either, they were genuine. And even as they trickled down her face, Trixie replied. "Well, you're right, prince, I _am_ happy. Thank you so much for chasing away the only pony who's ever offered to help, the only pony I ever truly had a bond with. I most certainly _don't_ feel like my heart's breaking into a million tiny pieces right now. It looks like the Great and Powerful Trixie is back to being a solo act again."

"Trixie?" Shining asked with concern. "I-I'm sorry."

Trixie didn't acknowledge Shining's response, she merely went on saying. "Which is **EXACTLY** how she always wanted it! Trixie was always meant to be a loner, and that's the way it has to be! I wouldn't expect an apology from you, let alone Starlight, and I don't blame either of you. Don't waste your time with a sorry sight like me, go make amends and forget about me, you both deserve better." And with that, she ran back inside her wagon, and slammed the stage door shut!

Shining knocked on the back door in the vain hopes of getting Trixie to respond, but after several minutes of pointless knocking, all he'd managed to do was make his hooves sore. Sensing that he wasn't going to get anywhere with the heart broken performer, he decided that the best he could in this situation, was tend to his student and hope that _she_ could get through to Trixie.

* * *

It didn't take long for Shining to track down Starlight this time, he found her resting on top of the same hill from which he'd spotted Trixie's wagon a short time ago. But just by observing her from a glance, it was clear that she was greatly upset, and it was going to take a lot to get her to feel better.

"Starlight?" Shining called, as he carefully approached his student, pretending not to notice the tears in her eyes.

Starlight was merely looking out towards the stage. The crowd was going restless. The show was supposed to have long since started, but there were no lights, no announcements, not even a puff of smoke. It wasn't hard to hear their jeers, and the chorus of boos that were ringing out.

With a sigh, Starlight turned to face her teacher, hastily wiping away her tears. "Oh, it's just you," She glumly commented, and then sighed. "I guess you were right about Trixie after all, I never should've doubted you."

But Shining only shook his head. "This is part of what being a teacher is all about, Starlight. Sometimes, it means you have to let your student learn on their own, even if it means they get hurt," Sitting down and draping a wing over Starlight, he then added. "I know it's not easy to make new friends. I wasn't the best at friendship when I first came here, I felt it was never really worth it with my path in life. But coming here helped me to realize that I was wrong, that friends are one of the most important things anypony can have in life. If it wasn't for their help, I wouldn't be the pony I am today."

"I fail to see how this is supposed to help me with Trixie, you heard what she said back there," Starlight sighed again. "I just wonder, did she really mean all those things she said before then? Or was she just faking it to get on my good side and take advantage of me?"

"I can't answer that for you, Starlight," Shining replied. "You have to find the answer to that question yourself. It's up to you whether you think Trixie was being truthful or not. Whatever your choice, I'll be here for you if you need it, and I won't judge you."

Starlight just sat on the hill, thinking over everything that had happened to her since meeting Trixie, and even recalling her meeting with Trixie back at the spa earlier that day. Everything had seemed so genuine, it had truly seemed like Trixie wanted to be Starlight's friend with no strings attached. She'd claimed that her remarks back stage weren't her true intentions, but was that really the case, or had she merely been trying to save face?

Suddenly, the stage lights flickered on, and a depressed looking Trixie stumbled onto the stage as she spoke in a monotone voice. "Come one, come all. Come and see the Pathetic and Friendless Trixie's 'Way to go, dumb-dumb! You really messed it up this time!' Repentance Tour," The crowd stopped jeering, instead exchanging odd glances and whispers. "It's a working title!" Trixie grumbled, but said nothing more.

Starlight watched, as Trixie failed magic trick after magic trick with little effort. It seemed like the magician had lost her will to perform, and was just going through the motions. She didn't even seem phased by the crowd patrons getting up and leaving, or throwing tomatoes at her. Starlight expected such scenes to bring her satisfaction, but they just left her with an empty feeling in her stomach. It was then that she knew what she had to do! She rose to her hooves, and rushed to the stage! " _Hang on, Trixie, I'm coming for you, you big dumb-dumb!_ " She thought to herself!

* * *

By the time Starlight had reached Trixie, the magician had already decided to begin the grand finale. A fearsome manticore appeared on the stage, tied up with chains. "Behold, the Moonshot Manticore Mouthdive," Trixie spoke in a monotone voice. "For the grand finale of tonight's performance, the Pathetic and Friendless Trixie shall blast herself into the manticore's mouth, and then magically appear unharmed in the black box," The crowd began to gasp! Only one magician had ever been crazy enough to attempt such an escape trick, and when he'd died everypony had assumed the secret to the trick died with him. Surely, Trixie knew this and wasn't being serious! But Trixie's only response was. "Now now, save your gasps, for when Trixie emerges from the black box." Before she climbed into a nearby cannon.

All that remained, was for Trixie to light the fuse, and launch herself into the waiting mouth of the Manticore. But she couldn't bring herself to do it, not even as the crowd went back to jeering and booing.

Then, suddenly, the fuse was lit (though not by Trixie)! Before Trixie had a chance to perhaps reconsider her decision, the cannon fired, launching her through the air! Horrified, Trixie shut her eyes!

Everypony watched, as the magician was launched directly into the manticore's mouth and was swallowed whole! The manticore letting out a belch to indicate it was satisfied with its meal! But just a second later, there came a flash of magic, and the black box on the stage began to rumble and fall apart! Sure enough, Trixie emerged from the black box, dazed (and her hat and cape torn in several places) but unharmed, just as she'd promised! That was enough to get what remained of the crowd to applaud!

Trixie was surprised when she found herself back on the stage, and being helped to her hooves by none other than Starlight Glimmer. Her passion reawakened, Trixie cried out in a thunderous voice! "Mares and gentlestallions, I give you three cheers for my assistant and best friend Starlight Glimmer! Without her help, I could not have attempted the Moonshot Manticore Mouthdive, let alone pulled it off!" The crowd went wild, as the curtain fell upon the stage.

* * *

With the privacy of the red curtain, Trixie and Starlight shared a passionate hug. But it was soon interrupted when Shining appeared and called out. "Hey, Trixie."

Trixie groaned, reluctantly breaking off the hug with Starlight. "Oh great, what do _you_ want from me, Prince? Come to rub your victory in my face?" She grumpily complained.

"Not everything between us has to be a contest, Trixie," Shining laughed, and then explained. "I wanted to say, I'm sorry if I was hard on you earlier. Given our past, I was a little weary of your possible motives. But I see now, that you really meant no harm, you truly _did_ want to change. And I really do have to hoof it to you and Starlight, I certainly could've never done anything like that. Heck, when Twily and I were younger and we were just fooling around, we couldn't even do the magic box or the sawing a pony in half tricks right. Stage magic's definitely not as easy as you make it seem. So whaddya say? Friends?"

Trixie looked across to Starlight, who just smiled back at her. Tipping her still battered hat to Shining, Trixie smiled and bowed. "Friends. And this time, I really mean it when I say 'Thank you, Prince.'" And then she made some fireworks shoot off above the stage.

"So, about that dinner with Celestia?" Starlight asked, as the fireworks occupied the crowd.

"Well, it's getting late, but I think the three of us can swing by for a quick chat," Shining suggested. "After all, you two must be starving after a performance like that."

"It's like you read my mind, Shining," Trixie happily replied. "Whatever you've prepared has to be better than the grub I have to eat on the road."

"Is it true what they say? Do you really eat pine cones?" Starlight asked Trixie.

Trixie gagged. "Not in a million years! I don't know where ponies get such ridiculous ideas!" And that made her, Starlight, and Shining all laugh.


	134. Chapter 134: Rainbow Crash

It had been a long and rather painful first day for Rainbow Dash, who had finally risen into the ranks of the Wonderbolts proper (thanks to an old member retiring, and Rainbow Dash being at the top of the reserve list. A spot which now belonged to Thunderlane). During practice, she had misjudged a landing and wiped out (unluckily, right into a trash can). For the rest of the day, she'd gone by the rather unfortunate nickname of "Rainbow Crash", which distracted her and annoyed her to no end.

And then, to top it all off, she'd been informed of an unfortunate rule at the end of the day: The worst flyer of the group, had to clean the entire compound from top to bottom.

So it was that the newest (and youngest as far as she could tell) of all the Wonderbolts, was sweeping the dust that had gathered with a broom, occasionally brushing against a random paper ball or other piece of trash to dispose of. " _So much for making a big splash with the team. It seems like they're never gonna let me live it down._ " Rainbow Dash glumly thought to herself.

However, at that very moment, there came the sound of hoofsteps from down the hall. Said hoofsteps gave way to the presence of Soarin, who had changed out of his flight suit. "Hey, Rainbow Dash, just forget something in my locker. Be just a minute." He told her.

But Rainbow stopped sweeping, and looked at Soarin. "Did you just call me Rainbow Dash instead of Rainbow _Crash_?" She asked him, hoping beyond hope that she hadn't misheard.

"Yeah, I did," Soarin replied with a smile. "I reckon the team's been hard enough on you for one day. Though, if I'm being honest, Crash is far from the worst nickname you could get stuck with. I've heard worse."

"Easy for you to say, Clipper!" Rainbow grumbled. "If I had an awesome nickname like that, I wouldn't be stuck on compound duty. Though I guess it beats taking out the trash or cleaning the bathrooms."

Soarin stopped midway to his locker, and turned to face Rainbow Dash. He was glad the compound was now void of all other Wonderbolts. He didn't want others around to see this. "Rainbow Dash, if I'm gonna be honest with you, you don't know the half of my nickname."

"B-but I thought Clipper meant you were fast as a ship! I mean, what else could it mean?!" Rainbow stuttered in confusion.

Soarin sighed, as he leaned close to Rainbow and whispered to her. "You probably didn't know this, because it was long before you ever joined our ranks, but how I _actually_ got my nickname is a lot less impressive and a lot more humiliating," He proceeded to explain in no unclear detail. "On my first day as a Wonderbolt, long before I worked my way up to co-captain under Spitfire, I was super excited! All my life I'd wanted to be a Wonderbolt, and I was thrilled to be reunited with Spitfire, because the two of us used to do everything together when we were kids! But I became too excited for my own good, I didn't pay attention to what I was doing, and my hubris came back to bite me in a very big way."

"Why? What happened?" Rainbow asked, both out of curiosity and out of of concern.

With another sigh, Soarin confessed. "It wasn't pretty. I actually clipped my wing on a flagpole. Trust me, it hurt like you won't believe. I was out of commission for weeks, if not months."

Rainbow couldn't help but wince at the description and the image brought to her mind. She'd thought her own crash landings were painful enough, but the worst she'd ever done was break a wing that then took a week to heal. Clipping your wing on anything sounded far more painful, to say nothing of how much it must hurt to clip it on something like a flag pole. "But that just means these nicknames are more than just silly and childish," She complained. "If they made fun of you for something like that, even if you were acting arrogant, that makes them sound like jerks."

"I'll admit, we went overboard with the whole 'Crash' nickname calling," Soarin apologized. "Even I got swept up in the moment, and it's something I've been trying to work on," Then he added. "But I also realized that, like it or not, that nickname existed because I acted foolish and careless. Had I payed attention and not tried to show off, I probably wouldn't have clipped my wing and earned that nickname. At the same time, I realized that as much as I may hate being called it, it wasn't going to go away just because I said so. The best I could do, was use it as motivation to change how I was perceived. Once I was allowed back onto the ranks, I worked really hard! I obeyed orders, I didn't try to show off all the time, and slowly but surely I rose through the ranks as I doubled my efforts! Eventually, I impressed even myself with how much I'd improved, and my nickname of 'Clipper' became something to be proud of. At the same time though, having it around helped remind me of how I'd first gotten it, so I'd never forget that the first rule of being a Wonderbolt is: There's no I in Team, even though there's technically an M and an E."

Rainbow chuckled a little at Soarin's comment. "You sounded like Twilight there at the end. Don't tell me you're an egghead too."

"With age comes experience, Rainbow Dash," Soarin teased back. "The harder you work, the better you'll do. But you have to remember that regardless of how talented you are on your own, you're part of a team now. And being part of a team means learning to blend in just as well as you stand out. We Wonderbolts are like a well oiled machine, we work best when everyone knows what's expected of them and either does it well, or rises above and beyond it. Despite what you may think, we _are_ glad to have you with us. But you're still on the bottom of the totem pole, and we don't give special treatment to new recruits, even ones such as yourself. If you want to change how you're perceived, you've got to work hard and gain experience. Knowing you, I doubt you'll remain a newbie for long. In fact, you might _just_ be the pony who succeeds Spitfire as Captain one day."

"You really think I have a chance at such a position?" Rainbow asked Soarin, blushing a bit.

"I know so," Soarin said with a wink. "Just don't get any ideas about trying to bump Spitfire from that post. At best, you may work your way up to Spitfire's right hoof mare, or even third in command, positions that Fleetfoot and Misty Fly both occupy at the moment. Or I should say 'Flatfoot' and 'Hoof in Mouth'."

"Dare I ask how they got such nicknames?" Rainbow curiously inquired.

Soarin shook his head. "Nice try, Rainbow Dash, but you'll have to ask them yourself. I just wanted to make sure you're not planning on quitting, just because you had a rough first day. It's happened to the best of us. And after all the time we've spent waiting for you to join us, it'd be a shame to see you leave. Now, you'd better get back to cleaning the compound," He advised as he turned to leave. "Unless you want Spitfire to make you fly one hundred laps around the entire academy."

"Not funny, Soarin!" Rainbow called.

"Never said I was joking, Rainbow Dash!" Soarin called back, and then he departed without another word.


	135. Chapter 135: Opening Night

It may have been well into the night, but that didn't matter to the city of Manehattan. There were always plenty of ponies (and non-ponies) out and about after dark, which meant lots of clients for all sorts of businesses. One of them was a locally owned diner. And it was here that a very particular stallion was working on his latest story. He had a brilliant gamboge coat, brilliant gold eyes, and a buzz cut mane and tail that had locks of dark grayish brown, grayish gamboge, and light amberish-gray, as well as a cutie mark depicting a pencil and pad, which is what he had with him at his table.

Rarity was currently chatting with this stallion, largely because of why he had wanted to meet with her. "So it is my understanding you wish to do an article on my new Manehattan boutique, Mr..." She inquired of her guest.

"Lede. Buried Lede," The stallion replied. "You just successfully broke into the fashion scene here in Manehattan, Miss. Rarity, and they're already saying you're the hottest thing here since Prim Headline. Most ponies might wonder what it feels like. So here's how it gonna be. I'm gonna be conducting a series of interviews with you, your friends, and your 'business partner' as I understand you call him, so I can paint a picture of how it all came together. A word picture mind you, not an actual picture, I flunked out of art school. So, any questions?"

Rarity opened her mouth, only for Lede to cut her off. "Good, then we can begin," He declared, immediately proposing a question. "I'll start with the obvious question: Miss. Rarity, you've got shops all over Equestria. But this was your first foray into Manehattan. So, what made you think you could pull it off? Succeed where others had failed?"

"Well actually, I don't have shops all over Equestria," Rarity modestly corrected. "I just own two successful boutiques. One in my home town of Ponyville, Carousel Boutique. And one in Canterlot, Canterlot Carousel, run by another business associate of mine named Sassy Saddles. If you want the full story on that, I suggest you read _Cosmare_ 's article from a few months ago. Nevertheless, although it wasn't my intention to open a third shop so soon, when I laid eyes on it I was nothing but confident."

Lede soon found out, however, that nopony else in Rarity's group shared such feelings. "I would say it didn't quite go as planned, there were more than a few 'hiccups' along the way," Fancy Pants commented. "Though to be fair, no opening ever truly runs according to plan. And when you've got such dedicated friends as I have, there's really no need to worry. They seemed to have everything covered."

"If we're being honest, I've had royal guard training sessions go more smoothly than that boutique opening," Shining told Lede. "I'm actually surprised things went even half as well as they did. And for a while there, I wasn't sure we'd pull it off."

"Um, let's just say that if I could _choose_ ," Twilight added a short time later. "I probably _wouldn't_ do it like that again."

"Well... it wasn't exactly the funnest party ever." Was all Pinkie had to say.

Braeburn gave off a nervous laugh. "Uh, do you want my honest opinion on the matter? Because, well... let's just say things did not go smoothly."

Big Macintosh barely found the words he wanted to say. "To put it simply, I'd say it was a fluke everythin' worked out okay in the end."

Applejack was quite blunt about what she thought. "It was a plum puckered, pig pushin' disaster! I can't believe the store's still open."

"Hey, after a lifetime of awesome, I think everypony's allowed to mess up every now and then," Rainbow Dash confessed, before she looked across to Lede and nervously asked him. "Wait, are you actually writing this down?"

"I can't believe we just found the solution to all the problems just in time," Soarin told Lede. "It feels like one of those occasions that just defies all logic for how it happened."

"I... suppose maybe things could've worked out better," Thunderlane sheepishly confessed. "Still, I think we were able to get a good handle on things before they _really_ got out of control."

Fluttershy was the last to chime in about how she felt. "Um, it... didn't go _exactly_ the way I hoped but um, it... started out okay." She remarked.

From there, Lede began to ask just what had happened, and why. And slowly but surely, the more questions he asked, the more details started to be added. Soon, he had a pretty good feel for how events had played out. And this was the narrative he'd settled on:

* * *

It was a fine Summer day in Manehattan, the perfect day to pay a visit to the soon to be newest addition to Rarity and Fancy Pants' fashion chain, a store they'd opted to call _Rarity For You_.

And the location of the store was very important, as Fancy Pants and Rarity were explaining. "Here we are, Fashion Row," Fancy Pants called to his friends. "This is where fashion trends are born and thrive in the city of Manehattan. Only the best of the best make the cut."

"And with any luck, _Rarity For You_ will someday soon join the ranks!" Rarity fondly exclaimed! "At the least opening day should run more smoothly than it did for _Canterlot Carousel_ , that could've gone so much better."

"Well, if it's truly the fashion capital of Equestria, then where's _Stinky Bottom's Discount Hat Emporium_?" Applejack asked. "It's the only place around these parts where a girl can get a hat for a decent price."

Rarity shook her head. "I'm afraid such a chain would never be welcomed here, Manehattans are a tough crowd to please. One must be at the top of their fashion game if they hope to even survive. Needless to say, deciding to open a shop here is quite the risky venture. It's why I've waited so long just to secure a location."

"So, where it is exactly?" Shining Armor asked Rarity. "No offense, but it feels like we've been walking around for hours."

"Not to worry, everypony," Rarity said with a wink. "Here we are."

It turned out that the shop was merely located on the first floor of a multi-story structure. And the shop itself seemed very old if the dust was any indication. Were it not for the display window and the ponyquin, one would've thought this place was abandoned and ill suited for business.

"It's most unfortunate that this was the only place available, but there's little room for upstart businesses in a city already overpopulated with them," Fancy Pants commented. "Which is why we're not going to be open for at least another season. There's still a lot that needs to be done if we're going to make this place work."

"But, with time, love, and care, this shop will stand proud with the other boutiques," Rarity beamed happily. "Thank you all again for agreeing to come with me. It'll make all the cleaning and prep work go much faster."

"Of course, Rarity, we'd be glad to help," Twilight smiled. "Just tell us what we need to do, and we'll do it."

Just then, a voice called out. "Ah, Rarity, so good to see you! Your store is going to be a very good place, I think!" The owner of the voice revealed itself as a chubby earth pony stallion with a coat the same white as Rarity, Fancy Pants, and Shining Armor. He wore a navy blue jacket with white stripes on the front legs, a lighter blue scarf that was currently wrapped around his neck, and a gold medallion that hung from a similar colored chain on his neck. His eyes were a moderate magenta in color, and his mane and tail were moderate violet with grayish indigo highlights, which also held true for his goatee. On his flank, was a cutie mark depicting three purple-pink striped stars.

Rarity knew who that was.

* * *

"Mr. Stripes owns the building my boutique is located in," Rarity told Buried Lede. "He's actually a fairly pleasant landlord once you get to know him. Although, he can be pushy at times. Okay, all the time, but my point still stands."

Fancy Pants didn't think nearly as highly of the landlord, for he told Lede. "If not for the fact that there were no other options, I wouldn't have bothered entering into a lease with Mr. Stripes. Not only is he pushy, but he sets a bad example for his daughter."

* * *

"Oh, Mr. Stripes, this is a pleasant surprise," Rarity greeted. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I was merely stopping by to wish you luck on your first day of business," Mr. Stripes replied to Rarity with a smile. "After all, fliers you put out said today was day you open."

Rarity's eyes grew wide upon hearing this, as did Fancy Pants'! "Wait a minute, what are you talking about?!" Fancy Pants demanded! "What flyers?!"

Mr. Stripes hoofed Fancy Pants one of the flyers and told him. "The ones you put out on street to advertise your store. Hardly my fault if you no check them for errors."

Sure enough, printed on the flyer were the words: " _Rarity For You_ , opening on the last day of this season."

Fancy Pants could hardly believe his eyes! "I thought I told the printing company we were not opening for business until the last day of _next_ season?!"

"Like I said, hardly my fault," Mr. Stripes told Fancy Pants. "You only pay me rent, not to correct mistakes on your part. I assumed words on flyer were intentional."

"But, there's absolutely no way we can get everything ready in time! We haven't even hired all the sales associates yet!" Fancy Pants protested. "Heck, we haven't even cleared away all the dust!"

"Leave it to me, I'll get out there and make sure ponies know the truth!" Soarin offered. "This store's not open for business today, they'll just have to come back when it _is_ open."

But Rarity shook her head and protested. "No no no, we _can't_ do that! We should've caught this error much sooner, if we correct it now, the damage to our store could be irreversible. We'll just have to work extra fast to clean up and be ready for when the customers arrive this evening," With a sigh, she added. "It's a good thing I picked today to start accepting applications for sales associate. And that I already found one. With any luck, she'll be here shortly to lend us another set of helping hooves."

"Which brings me to the second reason for visit today," Mr. Stripes said to Rarity. "You've met my daughter, Plaid Stripes? The apple of my eye, the hay in my hoof. You will let her work with you, no?"

Rarity looked across to Plaid Stripes. She was a young earth pony mare with a light orange coat, deep red eyes, a somewhat curly/somewhat bushy mane and tail that was moderate purple and grayish mulberry in color, and a cutie mark depicting a plaid-colored heart. She also wore braces, a pinkish fury scarf, and a plaid shirt colored light blue and yellow. She hardly seemed like the kind of pony one would want working in a fashion store. So, she politely told Mr. Stripes. "Well, it's just, I'm dreadfully busy preparing for tonight's grand opening, as you can see."

Mr. Stripes was not deterred. "Rarity, there are only two things I love more than being pushy," He firmly told her. "One is my daughter, the other is miniature doll furniture. And I would sell my entire mini-furniture collection to make my daughter happy. You understand?"

Rarity still refused. "I'm sorry, Mr. Stripes. But I just don't think it's going to work. Perhaps if there was more time before the opening, I might be willing to give her a shot. But if she wants to submit an application, I'll gladly look it over when I find the time."

"Perhaps I was not clear earlier," Mr. Stripes commented in an ominous tone. "Let me say another way, a way you'll understand. Hire her, or I raise rent until you no can afford."

Having overheard this conversation, Shining Armor stepped in. "Now wait just a minute there, Mr. Stripes. Maybe you weren't aware, but what you just said sounded an awful lot like extortion," He quickly warned. "You wouldn't be thinking of trying to extort money from one of my friends within earshot of the prince of friendship, now would you? Because if you are, that could present a problem. I could blow the whistle on you, and you might find yourself in hot water with the judge."

But Mr. Stripes just cracked a smile, as he said to Shining. "Oh, prince, it is hardly extortion. I thought it goes without saying: When rent must be raised if Rarity turns down offer, it is because of 'protection'. 'Protection' from bad accidents and such. After all, security does not come cheaply."

'Protection from bad accidents'? What are you implying?" Shining glared at Mr. Stripes. "I don't take kindly to those who threaten my friends. Explain yourself, or back off!"

Mr. Stripes' smile only grew wider, as he explained. "Oh, you care about your friends, prince? You consider them like family?" When Shining nodded, Mr. Stripes added. "Well, without higher rent cost, I no assure your friends are protected from bad accidents. And I would be devastated if someone in my family suffered bad accident because they were not protected. So, either your friend takes my daughter on and all is well. Or she refuses, and I raise rent to insure she and her store are 'protected', assuming she and her boss can afford to pay. You see I impose reasonable standards. But if you insist on legal challenge, I will present my case in court."

Before Shining had a chance to decide, Fancy Pants spoke up and told Mr. Stripes. "There's no need for such actions, Mr. Stripes. Your daughter gets the job, we could use another sales associate."

Mr. Stripes smiled happily. "Excellent!" Turning to his daughter, her told her. "Now you be good and uphold family name, sweetie. And if you are not being treated fairly, give me a call. Now, I shall depart to check on other tenants. I trust all will go well tonight."

* * *

"I still can't believe Fancy Pants would just up and accept Mr. Stripes' terms like that," Shining complained to Buried Lede. "I'm pretty sure he had no legal right to do what he did there. I have a feeling I know what he really meant by 'bad accidents'."

Fancy Pants had another view of it. "Although Mr. Stripes' daughter has some 'interesting' ideas when it comes to fashion, I wasn't going to risk an argument with him," He explained to Lede. We really _were_ starving for more workers, and any help was better than none. With time, I think she'll make a decent sales associate, and if it keeps Mr. Stripes from driving up the rent, I'm not going to complain. All the same, his remarks do leave me a bit concerned. I can only hope they haven't rubbed off on his daughter too much."

* * *

After Mr. Stripes had departed the building (and Plaid Stripes was brought onboard as a sales associate), everyone quickly set to work on cleaning up. However, some problems soon presented themselves.

When Rarity went to the back stockroom, she soon let out a shriek and called out. "Fluttershy! Your assistance is required in the stockroom, post haste if you please!"

Fluttershy entered the room, to find a family of raccoons had set up residence there, much to her surprise. "Oh, hello there." She greeted to the creatures.

Rarity was more frightened than curious. "B-but what are they doing here?" She demanded. "You're the animal expert, please tell me what these trash loving animals are doing in my stockroom."

One of the raccoons spoke up, and Fluttershy translated. "Smoky made too much noise eating garbage, so Softpad's mother made them all move out of the trashcan."

* * *

The raccoons had taken a shine to Fluttershy, and she had allowed them to come with her to her interview with Buried Lede. She even told him their story. "Then Smoky Jr. found a nice new home in the crawl space behind the building. But Mr. Stripes demolished it, so they were all temporarily camped out in the back until they found a new place to live. Isn't that right, Softpad?" She asked the raccoon off to her right.

Said raccoon just chittered in what seemed to be a happy tone of voice.

* * *

Unfortunately, the raccoons were a no sell for Rarity. "No, no, no. I simply can't have a family of rubbish-scented raccoons living in my boutique!" She complained. "They'll have to move or they'll frighten away all the customers, assuming the health department doesn't shut us down first," Then from upstairs came the sound of what sounded like dance music, and the chandelier began to creak ominously. "Uh, did you all hear that?" Rarity asked her friends.

"Hard not to. In fact, we _felt it_ ," Braeburn commented. "Sounds like... party music."

"Party music?!" Rarity exclaimed!

* * *

It was indeed party music, and Rarity remarked to Lede in an annoyed. "Well, it turns out, there's a Club Pony Party Palace upstairs."

Pinkie Pie eagerly testified to the same! "Turns out there's a Club Pony Party Palace upstairs! Can you believe our luck?!"

* * *

Rarity went upstairs to check on the source of the music, and discovered that the top floor of the building was occupied by a party hub known as: _Club Pony Party Palace_.

And as luck would have it, the club was currently hosting DJ-PON-3, the most popular DJ on the club circuit. So the music was playing nice and loud, and patrons were pouring in by the minute.

Rarity wanted to march right up to the DJ and give her a piece of her mind, only to be stopped by a security guard. He spoke not a word due to the earplugs he was wearing, but his body language made it clear he wasn't going to let anyone enter the dance floor without a good reason.

"I'm terribly sorry," Rarity apologized as best she could, hoping to get her point across. "But I'm from the residency downstairs, _Rarity For You_ , and the loud music is distracting my work. Could you please ask her to turn it down, just a little?" There was no reply, Rarity pressed harder. "Could you ask her to turn it down, please?" But again there was no reply, and Rarity pleaded loudly. "Turn it down, please! Oh, please! I'll do anything if you just get her to turn it down!"

But the security guard didn't reply, and in fact he only lifted the velvet chain rope to allow two more club patrons to enter. It was clear that there would be no chance of talking to DJ-PON-3 while she was working the turntable.

* * *

"I swear, foals today listen to their so-called 'music' far too loudly," Rarity grumpily told Lede. Then she giggled as she added. "I realize that probably makes me sound like an old mare..." However, she then added in a serious tone of voice. "But this is business! Honestly, would it kill those club patrons to soundproof the walls and floors?!"

* * *

Meanwhile, downstairs, the loud music and vibrations were proving to be a hassle to all trying to clean up.

"Man, I wish we were having as much fun as _they_ are!" Soarin complained. "They get to dance to their heart's content, and we're stuck sweeping."

Twilight chimed in. "Well, sweeping can be fun too. Just watch," She twirled her broom, and then began chanting to the beat. "Sweep, sweep, sweep, sweep. Sweep, sweep, sweep, sweep, sweep..."

* * *

Shining Armor found himself unable to keep from laughing when asked to discuss his sister's "sweeping" song. "I swear, sometimes it's like that little filly I used to know never truly grew up," He giggled hysterically. "I think our mom rubbed off on her too much. Twily, if you're reading this, I'm so sorry. But just the idea of _you_ , making up a dance remix for sweeping. It's too funny!"

Rainbow Dash and Applejack thought the same way, as Rainbow chimed in. "Hah, only Twilight could make up a dance remix about sweeping. She's such an egghead sometimes. I mean really, how lame is that? Sweeping in time to dance music?"

"Yeah, and it wasn't even catchy." Applejack teased.

"Nope, not at all," Rainbow replied, hoof bumping Applejack. "But, we were bored, and there wasn't anything else to do. So... yeah, we joined in."

"It actually wasn't so bad, it kind of grew on ya after a while." Big Macintosh simply commented.

* * *

Twilight's "sweeping" remix _did_ help the cleaning go by faster. But by the time it was done, Rarity had come back down with bad news. "Apparently, DJ-PON-3 is being hosted at the club upstairs, but security won't even let me speak to her. Had I known I'd be setting up shop beneath such an environment, I wouldn't have signed those lease papers."

"Maybe they'll listen if _I_ talk to them," Fancy Pants offered. "I'm sure if we use reason, we could get them to lower the volume just a little."

Rarity only shook her head. "Not a chance. We'll just have to think of someway to work around that. Or with any luck, the party will be over by tonight, and things will quiet down," Just then, a loud honking noise rang out. "Aah!" Rarity cried out! "What in the name of Celestia was that?!"

"Plaid Stripes, I'm afraid," Thunderlane sighed. "She decided to install one of her dad's antique horns to replace the store's bell."

"And you just let her?!" Rarity complained! "Do you realize what this could mean for the boutique?!"

"I tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted the store should have something with a little more 'pizzazz' as she put it," Thunderlane replied with a shake of his head. "That mare has some really crazy ideas."

"And it gets worse," Fancy Pants added. "The merchandise shipment from Ponyville for the window display arrived a short time ago, but..."

Rarity didn't bother to hear the "but" part, she immediately dashed over to the boxes. Only to be dismayed at her discovery! "It's completely disorganized! Oh, of all the things to go wrong today, this has to by far be the worst!"

"You sure we can't still call off the opening for tonight?" Twilight asked Rarity. "No offense, but it seems like this isn't working out. Maybe it's time to just cut the losses and go back to the original plan."

Rarity again shook her head. "Everything must be perfect, Twilight! No exceptions! If ponies believe the store's opening tonight, we can hardly afford to correct them now! I'll... I'll think of something, some way to make this all work out! I just need some time!"

Just then, a sharp "Achoo" caught everypony's attention. There was Coco Pommel, except she didn't really look good. Her eyes had bags underneath them that indicated a lack of sleep, and her nose was bright red. Not to mention the fact that she was sniffing.

"Ah yes, Miss. Pommel," Fancy Pants greeted. "Glad you finally showed up. I hate to have to add more to your already overwhelming plate of responsibilities, seeing as you're still the only full-time sales associate we have at the moment. But due to a misprint, it looks like we're going to have a lot more to do before tonight than we first thought. That's not going to be a problem, is it?"

But in a stuffy voice, Coco protested. "Actually, that's what I came here to talk to you about. I... achoo! I can't work tonight. I've come down with a terrible case of hay fever."

"Oh dear," Fancy commented, as he looked at Coco's disfigured appearance. "Well, we certainly don't want you spreading that to the customers. You just go home and get some rest, and we'll manage without you. Get better soon, my dear."

"Will do, boss. Thank you." Coco replied, and then departed (though not before blowing her nose).

"Okay, so to recap, we have to deal with opening night tonight, when we already have to deal with: Car horns, disorganized clothes, and loud dance music," Rarity commented to herself, as she sat down on the floor. "Am I forgetting anything?" At that very moment, the raccoons came rushing past, prompting Rarity's right eye to twitch as she cried out! "What am I going to do?!"

* * *

"I know Rarity tends to be a bit on the... dramatic side of things to side the least," Twilight told Buried Lede, as she recalled that crucial point earlier in the day. "All the same, opening a store in Manehattan is a pretty big deal. It's natural that Rarity would be a _little_ bit stressed about how it was going. Since it wasn't going well at all. Still, I think she handled it all right. Probably better than I would've handled it."

"I'm still not sure it was best to keep goin' after that point," Big Macintosh commented. "Even growin' up on a farm, we learned that there are times when the job's not gonna get done when you originally planned it, and it's not gonna do you any good to keep tellin' yourself it will. But Rarity was quite determined we go through with the openin', and so, well, things took quite an unexpected turn from there."

* * *

"Well, I think we can still pull this off if we all work together and do our part," Fancy Pants suggested. "But time is of the essence."

"Fluttershy? Thunderlane? You're absolutely sure you can manage those... strong-smelling raccoons for me?" Rarity asked.

Both ponies nodded. "Of course, you leave everything to us." Thunderlane promised.

"Just leave Plaid Stripes to me," Applejack suggested. "Big Macintosh can just listen to her 'good ideas', so she'll feel occupied. And if she tries to do anythin', she'll have to run it by me first."

"I think Pinkie Pie and I can work on the music problem up at the club," Braeburn offered. "Pinkie's got some connections on the party circuit that should come in handy."

"And I'll have tons of fun, and eat some cake and set off party cannons and—" Pinkie began, before Rarity cleared her throat. "And then make them be quiet." She added in a reluctant tone of voice.

Looking at the boxes of clothes, Twilight commented with a smile. "I'm pretty sure I know somepony who wouldn't mind organizing this merchandise shipment for you, Rarity," When there was no reply, she explained. "I'm talking about myself of course," But Rarity only looked at her with an odd glance, prompting Twilight to plead. "Oh, please, let me organize it! I haven't been able to organize anything lately!"

"Well, this all sounds splendid," Rarity commented to her friends. "But there's still the matter of hiring. Somepony has to take charge of that in my absence."

"Well, why don't Soarin and I take a crack at it?" Rainbow Dash offered. "It can't be harder than any of the other things we've tackled."

Soarin was a bit more skeptical. "I wouldn't go _that_ far."

But those concerns fell on deaf ears for Rarity, she was relieved that everything would hopefully work out okay. "Oh! This is it, my dears. If you can handle all these problems, I'll focus on the designs for the front window display. We'll show Manehattan what _Rarity For You_ is all about! Oh, what would I do without you?"

* * *

"What would she do without us? Huh. Lemme think," Rainbow Dash commented to Lede, before she began to imitate Rarity. "'Oh darlings, I'm absolutely doomed, doomed, doomed!'" Giggling in her normal voice, she remarked. "Heh, I sounded just like her there," Before she noticed Lede scribbling on his pad and she asked. "Hey, you're not writing this down, are you? I was only joking. If Rarity finds out about this, she'll kill me!" But Lede didn't reply.

Soarin spoke next. "Everything seemed to start off okay, as we all went off to do our assigned tasks. I should've known it was just the calm before the storm."

* * *

Pinkie Pie and Braeburn made their way upstairs to the club, the party was already in full swing by the time they arrived.

"You ready to do this, Pinkie?" Braeburn asked. But much to his surprise, Pinkie found herself feeling rather conflicted.

"Oh, I can't really stop a super fun party in the middle of mega-happy fun times, can I?!" She asked herself, before she added. "Come on, Pinkie, think! Think, think, think!" But when no answer came to her, she only groaned! "Oh, what would Rarity want?!" She then imagined a shoulder angel and devil version of Rarity, appearing on both sides of her.

"Keep that party going 'til the break of dawn, Pinkie!" The devil Rarity insisted.

"Really?" Pinkie asked, as the angel Rarity appeared.

"Indubitably! And as for the roof, get jiggy! Raise it, Pinkie! Raise it like you've never raised it before!" The angel Rarity encouraged.

Satisfied with the answers, Pinkie got up. "Oh! Well if you say so!" But she was suddenly reigned in by the devil Rarity.

"Oh, please, Pinkie Pie. Never in a million years would I say such balderdash!" The devil Rarity commented, before she and the angel Rarity disappeared, leaving Pinkie to sigh in defeat.

" _I just can't win!_ " Pinkie mentally complained. But she had to what she assumed her friend wanted, and if that meant ruining a party, so be it. "Okay, I'm ready, Braeburn," She told the stallion. "Just follow my lead."

Reluctantly, the two ponies approached the security guard, who raised up a hoof to stop them. Braeburn told him. "DJ PON-3 only plays the sickest of beats you know. And Pinkie here has the latest music to hit the party circuit, you can't host a party without it."

Waving a record in front of the security guard stallion, Pinkie added. "Exactly. I'd hate for you to be the one who kept DJ-PON-3 from missing out on the coolest new music straight from the back-alley underground, zip-zap party scene!" With the record in tow, she made her way up to DJ-PON-3 and told her. "I'd play the whole thing if _I_ were you, no matter what other ponies think. You'll thank me later."

DJ-PON-3 examined the record and hesitated for a second. But if Pinkie told her this was the latest music on the party circuit and it was what club goers wanted, the DJ very well couldn't argue with the tastes of her clients. She wasn't paid to be critical of musical choices, she was just payed to play what the crowds wanted. So, she popped it in.

The music changed from happy, bumpy party music, to rather boring shopping mall music, much to the displeasure of the party goers. Pinkie and Braeburn quickly exited the scene in shame.

* * *

Rainbow Dash and Soarin had lined up all the potential sale associates who had shown up. As it turned out, only three had come, and they were quite surprised to learn that if they were hired they'd be going to work in less than half a day.

Still, it was better than nothing, so Rainbow spoke to the job applicants and told them. " _Rarity For You_ is only hiring the best of the best. And to me, that means the fastest. Now, uh, before we begin, uh..." She began to hesitate though, and said to herself. "Wait, am I doing this right? What would Rarity want?"

"Everything okay, Rainbow Dash?" Soarin asked, looking across to his hesitant partner. "I'm all set to put these associates through whatever training exercise you think is suitable."

Nervously, Rainbow replied. "Um, actually, change of plans!" She quickly zipped over and presented a small piece of fabric as she then asked the associates. "Who here can be the first one to tell me what fabric this is?"

A blue coated mare immediately told Rainbow. "That's organza. It's a thin, plain weave. Sheer fabric traditionally made from silk."

"I... see, but... are you sure?" Rainbow asked the mare. "Maybe just... look at it more closely, can you do that for me?"

" _Dash, what are you doing?! How is this supposed to help?!_ " Soarin thought to himself. But he knew that he lacked the knowledge about fashion to question Rainbow's judgement. Maybe she knew something he didn't?

* * *

Back in the store, Plaid Stripes was chattering on and on to Big Macintosh, who did his best to look interested. But eventually, she grew bored of not being acknowledged, so she went over to Applejack instead. "Hey, Applejack, I've got an idea. And I was told I had to run it by you first," She spoke up, approaching the farm mare. "Your brother seemed to think I might be onto something, but he just said 'Eeyup' when I asked him if I should talk to you about it. Now, what are all clothes made out of?"

"Uh, fabric?" Applejack guessed.

"Bingo!" Plaid Stripes smiled, before she shook her head. "But not in this store anymore, nu-uh!"

"Oh no? And whyever not?" Applejack innocently asked.

"Two words: 'Spoon Clothes'," Plaid Stripes smiled at Applejack. "From now on, all clothes will be made out of spoons! So, whaddya think?! Great idea, right?!"

Applejack wasn't so sure. "What would Rarity want?" She asked herself. Then after thinking for a little bit, she looked at Plaid Stripes and told her. "You know, I kinda like you, Plaid Stripes. And if it were up to me, we'd have a spoon clothes store right next to _Stinky Bottom's Discount Hat Emporium_. But it ain't up to me, it's up to Rarity, so I'm afraid the answer is no."

Plaid Stripes began to tear up, and Applejack tried hard not to feel guilty. " _Way to stick me with a tough decision, brother!_ " She angrily thought to herself.

" _I'm sorry, sis,_ " Big Macintosh thought to himself, upon noticing his sister's disapproving glare. " _I tried to hold out, but her ideas are so out there. Even to a stallion who's not very knowledgeable about fashion, they don't sound like winning ideas. Who knows? Maybe she's onto something I haven't thought of?_ "

* * *

Applejack seemed to think so, as she told Lede. "Well, personally, I think spoon clothes ain't such a bad idea. Useful, too. Eatin' soup, stirrin' gumbo, diggin' little holes. You get the idea."

* * *

Twilight was busy organizing the clothes, and soon she was done. "All nice and organized, just the way I like it." She happily beamed.

"Well, do you think it's what Rarity would want?" Shining Armor asked his sister, looking over the organized display. "After all, she's the one who's going to be using it."

"I hadn't thought of that, but you make a good point, B.B.B.F.F," Twilight pondered. "I remember the time I thought I'd help you out by reorganizing the library shelves, only to find out you already had your own filing system and I'd unintentionally messed it all up. I should've asked Rarity how she likes it organized, because I don't know if she'd like it sorted by color. Guess I have to start over!"

"Would you like me to go ask her? I'm sure she wouldn't taking some time off from the window display," Shining offered. "And it seems like our friends have everything under control here, so it's not like I have much else to do."

Twilight shook her head. "You can help me re-reorganize this display so Rarity can understand it. She's working hard enough as it is on that perfect window display, no need to bother her with questions when she's 'in the zone'." And with a great deal of reluctance, she began to undo her perfectly organized display. But at least this time, her brother was helping her, so the work would get done sooner.

* * *

Thunderlane and Fluttershy, however, weren't having much luck with the raccoons in the stockroom. Mostly because Fluttershy was the only one who could understand them.

"Hello, Smoky, Softpad, Smoky Jr.?" Fluttershy called, attracting the raccoons' attention. "I have some... interesting news. I, oh... I'd like you all to stay here forever, but..." She found it hard to decide how she should say what needed to be said. And so she asked herself. "What would Rarity want?" Soon, she found what she believed to be the answer, and told the raccoons. "I'm sorry, you have to move out! Please don't hate me!" She sobbed.

The raccoons didn't take kindly to that request though, they began to shriek and chased after Fluttershy and Thunderlane, driving them out of the stock room!

As it turned out, they weren't the only ones having trouble completing their task. Rainbow Dash was still struggling to decide how to pick out the best qualified sales associate. "I don't know which one of you to hire! Just... keep guessing fabrics!" She stammered, throwing a whole bunch of them over the three candidates!

Plaid Stripes had complained to her father about Applejack shooting down her idea, and Mr. Stripes was currently giving Applejack an earful! "Spoon clothes is good idea! You will listen to my daughter!" He demanded of both Applejack and Big Macintosh.

And even Braeburn and Pinkie Pie were suffering a setback, as a new blend of party music could be heard coming from the floors above them. "She didn't-" Braeburn began.

Pinkie just groaned! "Oh, no! Not a shopping music mashup! Any other time it would be great, but why now?! Why the one time where it's a problem?!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Fluttershy apologized, as the raccoons chased after her!

Amidst all this chaos, Fancy Pants exited the window display, and was incredibly dismayed at what he saw! "What in the name of Celestia is going on here?! I thought things were under control!" He demanded of his friends!

Just then, the door knob to the window display began to turn again! Shining immediately leaped into the air and dove for it! " _Rarity can't see what a train wreck this is turning into! She deserves to have_ _ **something**_ _go right for her today!_ " He thought to himself! And as luck would have it, he was able to reach the door and effectively lock it before Rarity had a chance to get out.

* * *

"Yeah, locking Rarity in the window display was _not_ something I wanted to do, ever," Shining shamefully told Lede. "But she would've taken one look at the mess unfolding in the store, and had a nervous breakdown. That's the last thing anypony needed."

Fluttershy added a short time later. "Um, when you get around to writing your story, Mr. Lede. Could you maybe just skip over the part where we locked Rarity in the window display? Please?" She asked with a nervous chuckle, but her request was not acknowledged.

* * *

Rarity continued to fumble with the door knob, unaware that a huge chair was propped up against the other side, blocking the exit. "Uh, hello? Anypony there?" She called to her friends. "The door appears to be stuck!"

Nervously, Twilight called. "Uh, yes, we know. We're... we're workin' on it! Just... get back to working on that window display and we'll let you know when it's fixed."

"Okay, now somepony please tell me what the heck is going on here!" Fancy Pants demanded. "How did all of this happen?"

One by one, everypony confessed to what they had done, and how they believed it was what Rarity had wanted.

Fancy Pants just sighed, and shook his head. "Well no wonder things are in such a mess, you really shouldn't have assumed Rarity's way was the way she wanted you all to do things. If it was, she'd have to tended to all the problems herself," He then added. "But we can still fix this. Doing things our way _is_ what Rarity wants. It's not too late. Let's all dig in and seen if we can't at least make things better, before Rarity has to see this calamity with her own eyes. So, listen up. Here's what you're all going to do."

* * *

Fluttershy and Thunderlane approached the raccoons, and Fluttershy apologized to them. "I'm sorry I asked you all to leave earlier. The place is yours if you wanna stay, just as long as you clean up after yourselves. Though I would like to ask you all just one favor if you wouldn't mind."

"It's not anything big," Thunderlane added. "But let's just say, your staying here comes at a price."

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie went upstairs to talk to DJ-PON-3 at the club. "I'm sorry I ruined the party and made you play that un-fun, super boring music. Though I greatly admire how you remixed it into something really good."

"But if you're up for it, Miss PON-3 or whatever your real name is," Braeburn offered. "Pinkie and I have an idea on how to make the party even better! You up for it? It could be just the thing to boost your career."

Back downstairs, Rainbow Dash said to Soarin. "Okay, I know I don't get fabric. But what I _do_ get is speed."

"Ah, now you're thinking!" Soarin commented, as he told the sales associates. "You all seem to know your way around fabrics and fashions pretty well. But what this store needs is a sales associate who's fast on their hooves! Somepony fast enough to tend to all the customers! So... first one to the river and back gets the job! Better put your backs into it!"

Inside the store, Applejack was talking to Mr. Stripes. "I owe your daughter an apology. She's got good ideas, and I reckon I should at least give 'em a chance" She apologized to him.

Mr. Stripes smiled. "Ah, you see what I was seeing with my daughter's spoon clothes idea."

Big Macintosh nodded. "Eeyup. And here's what I'm thinkin' we could do."

And while all that was going on, Twilight and Shining Armor worked as fast as they could to properly organize the merchandise in the way they felt Rarity would be expecting.

* * *

Unaware of what was unfolding in her boutique, Rarity simply used her time locked in the window display to put up the perfect dress for the ponyquin to wear. At last, her work was complete, and just in time. " _The customers will be here any minute,_ " She thought to herself. " _And if that door won't open on its own... well, I'll just have to_ _ **make**_ _it open!_ " She backed up and ran full tilt towards the door, expecting to have it force the obstruction to move! But as it turned out, the door now opened on its own, so Rarity overcompensated, and fell flat on her face on the floor of her boutique.

"Wow, looks like we fixed that door just in time!" Twilight awkwardly commented. "Sorry, should've said something a little sooner."

Rarity just picked herself up, and got a good look at her boutique. Everything looked spotless, far better than how it had been when she'd last laid eyes on it. "Oh! What's all this?" She asked with eyes all aglow.

"It's nothing short of a miracle, Miss. Rarity," Fancy Pants smiled. "But thanks to our friends, everything is ready, and just in time."

* * *

Twilight proudly told Lede. "Well, I needed a little bit of help from my brother, but with our combined magical powers, it was a snap. The whole place organized by style, cross-referenced by size, and reverse-indexed by fabric. She'll be able to find anything in three seconds flat! Not that I mean to brag, but it was definitely some of my best work. Just ask my brother if you need any works to use for comparison."

"It's true," Shining added. "Twilight and I put together one heck of an organized system. And best of all, it'll make it easy to see when you're starting to run low on something."

* * *

Rarity smiled, and looked at her friends as she happily told them! "Oh! I knew I could count on you! All right... I suppose this is the moment of truth. Oh. I hope that car horn was removed..." And sure enough, when the door opened, the traditional jingling bell rang out loud and clear. Happily, Rarity declared! " _Rarity For You_ is now officially open for business!"

A huge crowd of ponies were waiting outside, much to Rarity's surprise! Word had spread fast about her shop's opening! "Oh, dear. I wasn't quite prepared for such a crowd. How will I handle them all?" She asked herself. "I didn't have time to get more sales associates."

But Rarity needn't have worried, because a mare called out. "Hello there, my name's Blue Bobbin. I'll be your personal shopping assistant this evening."

Rainbow was quick to encourage. "Right this way, everypony, and one of our talented salesponies can help you out!"

* * *

"Well, if I'm being honest, they were all pretty slow," Rainbow commented to Lede. "But they still finished the race, and they knew more about fabric than me. So I decided 'Oh what the heck, might as well hire them all.', a good call on my part."

"Would've liked to see more hustle from those sales associates we were interviewing," Soarin remarked. "But they were the only candidates available, and after they'd hung around so long they deserved something. Rarity and Fancy Pants can probably train them better than I could."

* * *

Customers soon discovered that this grand opening was unlike any other for two reasons. One was the fact that raccoons were running about, all cleaned up and in tuxedos, tending to customers. And another was the presence of electronic party music, courtesy of none other than DJ-PON-3, which all entertainment magazines had touted as an up and coming musical talent! She was there for all the greatest social scenes, and booking her as a headliner was hard to do!

It turned out that Pinkie had played a role in getting the DJ to come down to the boutique, instead of staying up at the club. And Fluttershy and Thunderlane had bathed the raccoons, then trained them how to tend to to customers without a fuss.

* * *

"Well, the way I see it," Pinkie commented to Lede. "Rarity designs fashion, and DJ PON-3 designs beats. So what better combination than a boutique/dance club? It worked out pretty well if I do say so myself."

"I gotta admit, I wasn't too sure Pinkie's idea would work out," Braeburn confessed. "But I was more than happy to be proven wrong. In fact, I think gettin' DJ-PON-3 to perform for the openin', went a long way towards ensurin' the night's success."

* * *

Even Plaid Stripes' spoon clothes proved to be a useful idea. The guests appreciated being able to enjoy hot soup without worrying about spilling it on their fine clothes (for those that couldn't use unicorn magic to grab silverware).

Rarity and Fancy Pants occupied themselves with taking orders and assisting customers with trying out clothes, or working the cash register. By the end of the night, they had gotten more sales and more orders than they knew what to do with. And after it was time to close up shop, the raccoon butlers proved quite adept in helping to clean up (they'd also been facility trained, which was a big plus).

* * *

"Ah, so _that's_ how it all went down," Buried Lede commented to himself, once all the interviews had finished. "Most impressive. I get the feeling this is going to make quite the scoop. Ponies will eat up this article like hot cakes! And soon, all will know the name of Buried Lede, the greatest free-lance journalist there ever was!"


	136. Chapter 136: A Nice Changeling

It had been a few months since Flurry Heart's birth, time had flown by quite fast. The young princess proved to be quite a hoofful and full of surprises, but thanks in no small part due to Sunburst's spells, her powers were kept under control.

And it seemed like whenever Shining wasn't tending to Flurry, he was busy working on Starlight's friendship lessons.

However, the relative peace that had settled in since Starlight's attempt to change the past, was about to be suddenly and rather rudely ended.

One morning, at the Crystal Empire, Shining was just finishing his morning cup of coffee, while Cadence was feeding Flurry Heart. As usual, the mail arrived and was brought to the kitchen for the royal couple to sort out. And Shining was surprised to discover a letter with the royal seal of Princess Celestia on it.

Shining immediately opened up the letter and read it, and a knot formed in his stomach. "Oh dear, this is bad." He commented.

"What is it, dear?" Cadence asked with concern.

"Apparently, there have been possible changeling sightings not far from the Crystal Empire," Shining explained, as he looked at his wife. "And Princess Celestia has instructed me to step up security for the foreseeable future. That means more guards, more patrols, and more inspections. Just when Starlight and Twilight are supposed to be coming up for a visit too." He groaned.

"Maybe I should write to Twilight and tell her to call off the trip?" Cadence suggested. "This is probably a bad time for visitors."

But Shining shook his head, he would not hear of such an idea. "No, we can't allow ourselves to live in fear," He then reluctantly added. "This will probably blow over soon. You know how easy it can be to mistake something for a changeling. Still, better safe than sorry."

* * *

Even though it had been a while since he'd had to oversee the Crystal Guard, Shining felt right in his element as he stood in front of the recruits and sported his familiar captain's helmet. "Alright, troops," He spoke in a firm and commanding tone. "Now, you all know why you've been called up, don't you?"

"Of course, Captain, it's because of the changeling scare. It's all anypony's been talking about." Flash Sentry replied.

Shining firmly nodded. "Which is why it is imperative we increase security. From this moment on, all guards will patrol at assigned times, and in pairs. Search everywhere, and report any suspicious activity to either me or your nearest superior. But if you happen to spot a changeling, do not attempt to engage it by yourself, changelings are very tricky. Instead, report it to a trusted source, and we'll assemble a unit to go after it," Pausing for but a second to catch his breath, Shining then instructed. "And due to their shape shifting nature, we need to ensure we don't get caught by surprise. To foil any attempts of infiltration by a spy or a mole, expect to be asked questions that only the real you would know. And expect those questions to be asked at any time."

"Even while we're going to the bathroom?" One guard teasingly asked.

"Well... no, but-" Shining began.

"Or even while we're eating?" Another guard joined in.

"No, not then either, but-" Shining began again, only to be again cut off.

"Or how about when we're sleeping?" A third guard joked. "You can't possibly ask us questions then, right?"

Shining groaned. "Okay, okay. So maybe not _any_ old time, but you know what I meant. In fact, I think it would be beneficial to start asking the questions now. That way I know for sure there's no changeling already among us."

* * *

Despite the jokes, the guards cooperated when Shining asked them the personal questions. All of them answered truthfully, whether it involved what their favorite food was, the name of a loved one, where they originally hailed from, or even why they'd joined the royal guard.

However, it didn't take long after that for trouble to erupt. When Twilight, Starlight, and Spike didn't seem to be aware of the changeling scare going on, panic swept the streets. And the three found themselves being questioned at spear point by the royal guards.

"Sorry, but for security reasons we're going to need proof of identification." A purple coated guard told the trio.

"Nothing personal, we just need to make sure you are who you say you are." A yellow coated guard added.

"Proof of identification? I'm the little sister of the Prince of Friendship for crying out loud!" Twilight complained.

"And I don't even know what a changeling is!" Starlight protested. "Please, just let us through. We came here to on a visit, we don't mean any harm to anypony."

Having overheard the commotion, Shining Armor, Cadence, and Sunburst (with Flurry Heart in tow) came upon the scene. Cadence then approached Twilight and began to chant. "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake?"

To Cadence's relief, Twilight joined in. "Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"

"Okay, that takes care of Twily," Shining informed the guards, as he then approached Starlight and Spike. "I think I can handle these two myself, so lower your spears," Opting to ask Starlight first, Shining looked at what he hoped was his student, and asked of her. "What's the name of the magician you befriended a while back?"

"That's easy, Trixie. Or if you prefer, The Great and Powerful Trixie," Starlight smiled. "Good enough for you?"

Shining nodded. "Yes, very nice. Now for you, Spike," And he then asked. "Who became the new dragon lord after the Gauntlet of Fire you participated in?"

Spike effortlessly replied. "Technically, it's dragon _lady_ , Dragon Lady Ember. I actually won the gauntlet, but I felt she'd make a better leader and the rules only said that whoever brought the bloodstone scepter back from the flamecano was the winner."

Shining breathed a sigh of relief, turning to the guards. "It's okay, everypony. They're real as can be."

"Mind telling us just what's going on? Not that I mean to be rude, but that sure was a funny way of saying 'Hello'." Starlight commented with a raised eyebrow.

"If you must know, there's been reports of a possible changeling sighting not far from here," Shining explained to Starlight. "We're not sure of the validity of the source, but we're not taking any chances. Until this whole thing blows over, we're doubling security and increasing the patrols."

"But why would a changeling come to here of all places? There's not a whole lot of ponies around." Spike wondered aloud.

"We suspect it has something to do with the Crystalling." Cadence answered.

Sunburst nodded, as he adjusted his glasses. "Since the Crystalling, there's been an outpouring of light and love for the new baby. It's like an all you can eat buffet for a changeling. But they can only get it if they're disguised as a pony, or a friend of a pony."

Flurry Heart just giggled and clapped her hooves, unaware of what was being discussed.

"At least they're not trying to ponynap my favorite niece," Twilight cooed, as she approached Flurry's foal carriage and pinched her cheeks. "They wouldn't last five minutes with her."

"Speaking of five minutes," Shining spoke up, as he turned to Spike. "The guards are just about to go out on another patrol of the land just outside the empire's boundaries. Would you like to tag along with them, Spike? I think the Crystal Ponies will breath easier if they know Spike The Brave and Glorious is looking out for them."

Uh, B.B.B.F.F, are you sure that's a good idea?" Twilight nervously asked. "This _is_ Spike we're talking about here. He's still technically a kid."

Spike snorted and blew flames from his nostrils, as Shining just laughed and reassured his sister. "Don't worry, the guards are under orders to not go very far, and to stay in groups. Spike will be in capable hooves. Besides, he's old enough, he can take care of himself. Lest you forget, he risked his neck participating in the Gauntlet of Fire to protect Equestria. He's more than proven he's not a defenseless baby who needs others to watch over him."

Twilight reluctantly sighed, and conceded. "Oh, alright, I guess there's no harm in letting him be a part of the patrols just this once," However, she quickly added. "But if anything happens to him while he's out there, that's on you. So you best hope you comes back in one piece."

"Twilight, please, you don't need to worry," Spike replied with a smile. "I'll be fine. This isn't the first time I've been on a patrol. Or did you forget all the visits to the royal guard barracks while we lived in Canterlot?"

"That was different, those were just harmless patrols down the streets of Canterlot," Twilight protested. "This is far more serious, Spike. What if something bad happened to you out there?"

"It's not like I can't defend myself. I have claws and a flame breath," Spike told Twilight. "And that's not to mention my thick scales. I'll be just fine, you'll see."

Twilight sighed again. "Just please be careful out there, Spike. If you got hurt or worse, I don't know what I'd do."

"Relax, _Mom_ ," Spike teased with a huff. "It's like Shining Armor said, I can take care of myself."

* * *

But it didn't take long for Twilight to regret her decision. As minutes ticked by, she grew steadily more worried, to the point where she was pacing back and forth in her room in the Crystal Empire. "I knew it was a mistake to just let Spike go out there. Regardless of what everypony else says, he's still a kid, and he still has those occasions where he gets ahead of himself and doesn't pay attention." She commented.

"Well, I'm a little bit worried too, but I'm sure Spike will be just fine," Starlight replied to Twilight. "It's just one patrol after all."

"One patrol that should've reported back almost half an hour ago," Shining thought out loud. He sighed and shook his head. "Guess I'll have to go get Flash Sentry and the rest of the troops, and we'll have to form a search party. It was just supposed to be a routine and basic patrol, how could things have gone wrong?"

"You don't think the changelings got to them, do you?" Twilight asked Shining. "I mean, they could potentially try to replace Spike to sneak past our defenses."

Shining shook his head. "Unless the changelings have been doing their research, they wouldn't know Spike's a hero. And even if they _did_ encounter him, a stray changeling would be no match for a fire breathing dragon." Then he set off to go find Flash Sentry.

But as luck would have it, there was no need to get Flash. For two of the guards from the patrol were right there with Spike, apparently laughing at something he'd just said.

"Not only are you 'Spike the Brave and Glorious', you're also 'Spike the hilarious'." A yellow coated guard laughed.

"You really know how to crack us up, Spike," A purple coated guard added. "But take my advice, save the jokes for our next comedy night. You're sure to knock 'em dead!"

Spike furiously protested. "But I'm not joking! A changeling could be nice! I know, I met one!" The guards only laughed harder at Spike's statement.

"Ahem!" Shining loudly cleared his throat, attracting the attention of both guards and Spike. "So, apparently you two have the time to slack off and joke around, when you should be out on patrol, is that it?"

"N-no sir, Captain!" The purple coated guard protested. "We were just..."

But Shining shook his head and stomped his hooves. "I don't want to hear any excuses, get back out on patrol before I have you both placed on probation! I think Sunburst would greatly appreciate the extra set of hooves tending to Flurry Heart, and she just loves new playmates."

The guards gulped, and with their hooves shaking they ran off. Shining approached Spike and apologized. "I'm sorry about that, Spike. I guess the guards around here have been getting sloppy on their training. Gonna have to work on that. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Spike replied with a nod. "But uh, can I ask you something?"

"What is it, Spike?" Shining asked, suspecting nothing.

Somewhat gulping, Spike looked at Shining Armor and asked the alicorn. "Well... do you think it's possible that the changeling that may or may not even exist, could be nice? You know, if they could change their physical appearance, then couldn't they change who they are on the inside as well?"

Shining nearly jumped back in surprise at the question! "What?! Why would you ask that, Spike?!"

"Uh... no real reason," Spike innocently replied, even as he rubbed the back of his neck with a claw. "I just... thought maybe..."

With a sigh, Shining looked Spike square in the eyes and told him. "Spike, let me make one thing perfectly clear. Whatever you're trying to hide from me, don't bother! If you're trying to cover for a changeling, just come out and say it!"

"So, you don't believe a changeling could be nice?" Spike asked. The way he phrased the question made it sound like he was trying to guilt trip Shining.

"Don't go putting words in my mouth, Spike!" Shining sternly warned, glaring at the dragon. "I never said one way or the other what I thought! What I wanna know is, why would you even ask me such a question?! After all I've been through because of changelings, do you really want to know what _I_ think?! Maybe there _are_ nice changelings out there, but if there are, I haven't yet met them."

But Spike only shook his head, sighed, and trotted away. "It's just as I thought," He mumbled to himself. "You _don't_ believe a changeling could be nice, no matter what."

Shining barely resisted the urge to chase after Spike for that comment. " _What are you up to, Spike? Now's not the time to be keeping secrets from me,_ " He thought, putting a hoof to his chin. " _Is it possible_ _ **you**_ _are the changeling? Or are you just trying to cover for the real changeling that must be out there?_ "

* * *

Unable to piece together Spike's motives, Shining reluctantly kept his conversation with the dragon to himself. He also decided against trying to spy on Spike, least he betray the little guy's trust for a possibility that Shining couldn't even be sure existed.

Sometime later, however, things unexpectedly heated up.

"Spike," Cadence called, luring the little dragon to the throne room where Cadence now rested on her throne, and Flurry Heart remained in her little foal carriage held in Sunburst's magic. "Just a little while ago, Twilight told me you were off with a 'friend', Crystal Hoof was it?"

Spike looked across to a young crystal earth pony with a moderate blue coat, a darker blue mane and tail that hung limp, and green eyes. "Oh, yeah, Crystal Hoof and I have been pen pals since the Equestria Games," He said with a nervous laugh. "He's just a little shy though, so you probably haven't seen him around that much."

" _'Crystal Hoof'? There's nopony named that,_ " Shining thought to himself. " _But a changeling would know that too, they wouldn't disguise themselves as something so obvious. Unless, they_ _ **knew**_ _I'd think they would know that, and they disguised themselves as something so obvious specifically_ _ **because**_ _I'd be expecting somepony I knew to be the changeling. But what if they knew, I knew, they knew, I would think that, and so they wouldn't disguise themselves as something so obvious? But what if they..._ " Shining paused in his mental ponderings. " _Ah, forget it, I'm thinking way too much about this! If Crystal Hoof_ _ **is**_ _a changeling, he won't be able to keep up his disguise for long when he's so close to Flurry Heart. Can't believe my own daughter's being used as changeling bait like this._ "

"I see," Cadence remarked, her tone remaining neutral. "Well, any friend of Spike the Brave and Glorious is a friend of mine. Now, why don't you say hello to Flurry Heart? She loves meeting new faces. Don't worry, she doesn't bite."

Crystal Hoof slowly made his way over to Flurry Heart's location. The baby alicorn just babbled and cooed, looking up at the crystal pony. "Oh, she's so beautiful!" Crystal Hoof exclaimed! "There's just... so much light and love coming from her! I..." Without warning, he doubled back, and in a flash of lime green magic the crystal pony was gone. In his place stood a changeling, who hissed and stuck out his tongue!

"A changeling?!" Shining exclaimed, rising to his hooves! "Quick, men, seize him! We need to find out what he knows, and whether there's more like him on the way or already here!"

"You heard him!" Flash Sentry shouted! "Grab the changeling! Don't let him escape!"

But Spike rushed over to the changeling, and threw his arms in front of the advancing guards! "Stop! Don't hurt him!" He pleaded!

"Spike, what are you doing?! Get away from that changeling!" Shining demanded! "He was about to feed off of the love for Flurry Heart!"

"No he wasn't!" Spike protested, refusing to budge! Everyone in the room gasped (except the changeling), as Spike added. "That's right, 'he', this changeling has a name! His name is Thorax, and he's not a threat!"

"Is that why he's hissing so loudly and ominously?! And is that why he disguised himself to get close to the baby?!" Flash Sentry demanded! "I'm sorry, Spike, but you don't really expect us to believe that, do you?! That changeling must have you brainwashed or something!"

Spike shook his head. "He's not brainwashing me, he's my friend! And if you want to hurt him, you'll have to go through me first!"

Shining stepped forward, motioning for the other guards to step back a bit. "Spike, please, don't make this anymore difficult than it already is!" He pleaded with the dragon. "Just stand aside and let us capture this changeling! Just because _you_ say he's a threat, doesn't mean he is! He could be an agent of Chrysalis for all we know!"

"No, I'm not with Chrysalis!" Thorax spoke up amidst the hissing. "I'm not with the hive either!"

"Then why have you come here?! Why show your face in my presence like this?!" Shining demanded! "And if you're not here because of Chrysalis or the hive, why are you hissing like that?! Were you trying to steal my daughter?!"

"P-please!" Thorax pleaded. "Just, get me away from the baby, and give me a chance to explain myself."

"Fine, even a creature like you deserves a fair chance," Shining reluctantly commented, before he lit up his horn and placed what could best be described as magical hoofcuffs around Thorax's legs. "These are so you don't think of making a run for it. And I hope you won't mind, I'm bringing the rest of the guards along with me, as well as Spike, and my sister. I won't fall for any mind games this time."

* * *

Thorax was led out of the throne room and out into the hall. To Shining's surprise, the changeling immediately stopped hissing once he was not in the same room as Flurry Heart.

"So, Thorax was it?" Shining questioned the changeling. "You said you're not working for Chrysalis?"

Thorax nodded. "I never could stand her, I despised the way she coldly treated us as nothing but servants and drones," He went on to add. "I protested her decision to invade Canterlot, but I _was_ still part of the attack. I think I tied up some of your fellow guards. But, I couldn't bring myself to feed on love, it didn't feel right. And, seeing you and your friends come together the way you did, to fight against seemingly impossible odds, it was inspiring. After that, I knew I couldn't go back to the hive. Not if it meant fighting against a magic so powerful as the friendship you and your friends displayed."

"But why come here? Ponyville would've been far more welcoming," Shining told Thorax. "I don't really remember much about Cranky and Matilda's wedding, since I was crying so much, but I seem to remember one of the guests being a changeling. Albeit, one that hightailed it out of town when the wedding was over."

"I had no real idea of where I could go, or where if anywhere I'd be accepted," Thorax explained. "Plus, I'm starving! Do you know how hard it is to feed off of love when there's none around?! That's what drove me here, I could sense that this place was so full of love, it drove me crazy! All I could think about was a way to feed off of it, just enough to be satisfied! And being so close to the source of it all, I couldn't help myself, my instincts took over!"

"Is that why you were hissing in the throne room, but stopped as soon you left it?" Shining asked, hoping beyond hope that was the reason.

"Yes," Thorax slowly nodded. "I'm really sorry about that. And I'm sorry for all the secrecy, I made Spike stick his neck out for me, when I should've just showed up as myself."

Shining shook his head. "No, Thorax, had you done that I would've seen you as nothing but a threat and tossed you into the dungeon."

"As you would've been rightfully entitled to, you had no way of knowing I wasn't a threat!" Thorax protested.

"But I would've been judging you based on my own bad experiences with your race," Shining reluctantly confessed. "After what happened at my wedding a few years back, I didn't think it was ever possible for a 'nice' changeling to exist. I thought all changelings were as bad as their leader, Queen Chrysalis. I see now, that I let my own perceptions cloud my judgement."

"For what it's worth, Shining Armor, I'm sorry for the way Queen Chrysalis acted. What she did, still makes me sick to my stomach to this very day," Thorax commented in a rare hint of anger. "I only wish I'd had the decency to defect before she actually went through with her plans, rather than allow her to give my race such a bad reputation. The best I can do now, is work to fix that reputation. Maybe in time, if other ponies can see that a changeling can be nice, they'll think better of the changeling race as a whole."

Shining smiled, as he released the magical hoofcuffs. "Well, I'm glad to know that you're not a threat. But, I still need time before I'll fully trust you."

"However long that takes, I'm willing to wait," Thorax bowed to the prince. "If there's anything I can do to prove myself to you, you just name it."

"Well actually, I think I know of a way you could help me," Shining commented. "Flurry Heart took a real shine to you back there before you revealed yourself. And if you could get your little 'hunger mood swing' under control, I think you'd make an excellent playmate and caretaker for her when I'm not around. And if you need to feed, you could always just change into myself or Cadence, and feed off of Flurry's love for us. Just so long as you leave some for us."

"Does that mean I'll have to change her diapers too?" Thorax asked with a gulp.

Shining grinned a bit, as he told Thorax. "Yes. But you could always change into something that doesn't have a sense of smell. Besides, that way you can _really_ prove your loyalty. The free love comes at a price. On the positive side though, with you helping to take care of Flurry Heart, I now have more free time to work on Starlight's friendship lessons."


	137. Chapter 137: Ogres & Oubliettes

Although it had been a week since the changeling scare and the aftermath, Spike still felt uneasy about the fact that he was being called to Shining Armor's private chambers. In public Shining said he forgave Spike and seemed to be getting along well with Thorax, but who knew how he felt in private? What if he still suspected that Spike was a changeling or had been brainwashed?

The little dragon felt very uneasy, and it took every ounce of nerve he had not to turn tail and run. He'd been allowed to come to the Crystal Empire on his own, and Shining Armor was still family to him. There was no reason to suspect this was something other than a formal visit, right?

Approaching the door of Shining's private chambers in the castle, Spike reluctantly knocked on it. "Come in." Shining's voice called from the other side. It didn't sound hostile but Spike wasn't sure that meant it _wasn't_.

"Guards, please leave us. I wish to speak to Spike alone." Shining requested, as Spike entered the room. The guards nodded and obeyed without a word.

Spike tried not to gulp. "So uh, you said you wanted to... discuss something with me?" He reluctantly asked.

"Indeed I did, something that mustn't leave the confines of this room," Shining replied as he approached Spike and bluntly asked. "Is it true that you and Big Macintosh have your own little 'Guys Night' while you're in Ponyville?"

"Y-yes." Spike hesitantly answered.

"And is it also true that just recently, coming back from a trip to Yakyakistan, Twilight found the two of you playing with Discord during your 'Guys Night'? More specifically, a real life version of _Ogres & Oubliettes_?" Shining inquired just a tad more seriously.

"Um... yes?" Spike replied, his tone of voice changing from worried to confused.

Shining turned his full attention to Spike as he then told the dragon. "Well, why didn't you just say so?" He jokingly laughed.

"I thought I did." Spike grumbled.

"I meant your 'Guy's Night'," Shining explained. "You know how much I love _Ogres & Oubliettes_. Don't forget, I was the one who taught you, Twily, _and_ Cadence how to play it. And not that I mean to brag, but I do like to think of myself as kind of an expert on the game. After all, it was all my friends and I would play when we were in high school, we even hosted our own club for it."

Spike nervously massaged the back of his neck with a claw as he answered. "W-well, it was kind of a spur of the moment thing really. Whenever the rest of the guys were busy, and the girls were off doing Celestia knows what, I kind of grew bored. So, I just mentioned the game to Big Macintosh one day, and we sort of made it a tradition. It was our little secret," He somewhat laughed as he added. "Guess it wasn't much of a secret, Twilight and the others caught on pretty quick. Because that's the only reason I can think of as to how Discord learned about our 'Guys Night' and decided to take over. We had to work out a compromise on what could be real, but once we did Discord took to the game like a duck takes to water. Just don't ever make him the dungeon master, he loved throwing Big Mac and I right into the heat of battle."

"I see," Shining innocently commented. "So, how would you feel about playing with the pros, Spike?"

"Beg your pardon?" Spike asked.

"It's simple," Shining explained. "You, Big Macintosh, and of course Discord could all join in on the next game night with my old friends. You know, Poindexter, 8-bit, Gaffer, and Cherry Fizzy?"

"And you want to be a part of Discord's real life version of _Ogres & Oubliettes_, right?" Spike guessed.

Shining nodded and with an eager smile he told Spike. "Absolutely! I know the guys will love it too, we always dreamed of finding a way to make a life sized version of the game. That way it'd be a lot more exciting and anyone could join in. So, whaddya say? Can you help me out here? Be a pal?"

"Well..." Spike nervously trailed off. "I'd have to talk to Fluttershy, she's the only one who knows about to get in touch with Discord at the moment. And even if I talk to him, I'm not entirely sure he'll agree. Same goes for Big Mac, he often has chores to do, and sometimes he's not available for 'personal reasons'."

"But if you get their okay, can you bring them by this coming Friday?" Shining pleaded.

"I'll try, no promises," Spike replied. "And shouldn't you be focusing on Starlight's lessons?"

Shining shook his head. "I hear she's been doing pretty well on the ones I've given her so far, reckon she deserves a small break," Putting a hoof to his chin he added. "Though I wonder, would she maybe be interested in seeing Sunburst again? Cadence is going to be looking after Flurry Heart for the weekend, so Sunburst will be free."

Spike giggled. "Oh, she'll _definitely_ like that more than being a damsel in distress," When Shining looked at him funny, the dragon explained. "Long story, don't really have time to fill you in."

Shining didn't press for more details, he was pretty sure he knew what Spike meant.

* * *

The rest of the week came and went in a flash for Shining, who eagerly counted down the days until Friday. At last, sundown on Friday came along, and after taking one final stroll down the hallways, the prince was ready! A bright smile plastered on his face, he dashed along to his private quarters where a huge space had been cleared! And there were all his old friends, even Cherry Fizzy.

Seconds later, the doors burst open, and in strolled Spike, Big Macintosh, and Discord himself! "Oh goody, more foolish mortals willing to throw themselves into grave danger!" The chaos maker smiled.

"Excuse you?" Poindexter asked, raising an eyebrow at Discord's statement.

"Oh it's nothing, just getting into the role is all," Discord replied with a fiendish cackle. "Relax, everypony, I'm reformed now. Been that way for almost two whole years."

"Remember, Discord," Spike cautioned. "You're just making the game real, not the pain."

"Oh relax, 'Garbuncle'," Discord teased, waving a paw. "It's like you don't even trust me. And after all I've done for you?"

Big Macintosh intervened to break up the argument. "Okay, okay, settle down y'all. Let's just get this game started, shall we? Everypony's picked out their character, right? I'm SirMcBiggin, the noble unicorn warrior."

"Garbuncle the wizard ready and waiting!" Spike chimed in.

"And once I've got the game set up, you can rely on Captain Wuzz the archer. My arrows never miss!" Discord boasted.

One by one, Poindexter, 8-bit, Gaffer, Cherry Fizzy, and Shining Armor all called out their characters as well. Poindexter was "Gizmo" a rogue (since the rogue boasted the most cunning and intellect of the classes), 8-bit a bard simply named "White Mage", Gaffer an archer named "Golden Arrow" due to the shade of yellow on his character's clothes, Cherry Fizzy a warrior named "Scarlet Thunder", and Shining Armor a higher end wizard (due to experience) called "Merlin The Strong". And the game world was set up effortlessly by Discord.

However, before the game could get under way, Cadence strolled into the room with Flurry Heart held in her magical embrace. Cadence carefully deposited her daughter into her husband's lap.

"Cadence, I thought you were supposed to watch Flurry Heart? Tonight's Guys Night." Shining pouted.

"Sorry, important royal business came up," Cadence apologized. "Besides, Flurry Heart is _your_ responsibility too. You need to spend time with her, and I don't just mean when you get up in the night to change her diapers or heat up her bottles."

Flurry Heart just giggled, as she played with her father's mane and wondered who all these weird grown-ups were. She especially liked the strange one made up of all sorts of different animals, he looked like he was fun to play with.

"But Cadence..." Shining pleaded, now was really not the best time to be stuck with foalsitting duty.

"It's close to her bedtime anyways," Cadence replied to Shining. "And don't worry, I just changed her so she's good to go. Just play with her for a while and wear her out, then put her to bed. Remember her whammy though, you know how fussy she gets when her whammy's not close by." The princess of love proceeded to levitate the stuffed snail close to Flurry, who happily accepted it. Cadence then turned around and departed the room without another word.

"Guess that means the fun's over already," 8-bit complained with a sigh. "I was so looking forward to this."

"Me too," Poindexter nodded. "I don't think this is the kind of game foals should be playing, it's got some pretty gruesome stuff."

Discord, however, snorted and scoffed at such suggestions. "I didn't come all this way just to have my work shut down by a foal. I suppose I can tone down a few things for the sake of the little tyke. Just keep her away from me, I'm no fan of getting drooled on," After a quick snap of his paws, Discord looked at the gathered group and asked them. "Are you ready to enter the world of _Ogres & Oubliettes_?"

One by one, everyone said "Yes", and Discord zapped them all into the game, each with the clothes of their designated character and class. Shining was relieved that Discord had taken the liberty of giving him a matching foal poach to wear on the front of his costume, it was just the thing needed to keep Flurry close to him. "Now then, what's the story this time?" Discord asked.

"Well, seeing as Flurry's taking part in this whole thing whether I like it or not," Shining began. "How about this? Merlin The Strong recently rescued a foal from the clutches of the evil Squizard, and now the party is going from town to town trying to find out what the Squizard wants with the foal."

"Sounds good to me, I do love a good escort mission." Spike smiled.

* * *

The party traveled from one town to the next, battling any stray skeleton warriors the Squizard sent their way to try and steal the foal.

At last, just as night was falling, they came upon a village that to Shining Armor seemed to resemble the Crystal Empire if it were made of foam blocks.

Not far from the entrance of the village, was what appeared to be a small inn. "Why don't we ask in there if anypony can tell us about this foal?" Merlin The Strong suggested to his teammates. "At the least it will provide us with a place to stay for the night, and we can pick up some supplies to care for our young charge until her parents can be found."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Gizmo replied. "But before we enter, I decide to quickly scout the location to check for any traps."

A huge red die suddenly landed behind the party, and began to roll! "Come on!" Gizmo pleaded. "I need a ten or higher!" The die slowly rolled to a stop, and White Mage flew up to examine it.

"It's an eleven, Gizmo scouts the area!" White Mage announced.

"Okay then, that's exactly what I do!" Gizmo replied, quickly dashing around to the back of the inn.

Suddenly, a wicked voice cried out. "Curses, how did you figure out this inn was a ruse?! I had hoped to trap you inside it!" The inn was demolished a second later, as a paper like squid holding two magic wands and wearing a crown appeared!

"The Squizard!" Garbuncle gasped, readying his magic staff! "I might have known you'd rear your ugly head eventually!"

"Quite correct, Garbuncle! And that foal is no ordinary foal!" The Squizard laughed. "Her raw magically ability exceeds that of any wizard or mage I've ever encountered! With such power at my control, I would be invincible! Ahhahaha!"

"That's what you think, Squizard!" Merlin The Strong firmly replied! "That foal doesn't belong to you, and we won't let you take her! Not without a fight!"

The Squizard just cackled. "Then by all means, try to bring me down. I've learned from our last encounter, you won't find me so easy to defeat this time."

Merlin The Strong quickly turned to his teammates, as he cast a shield spell around them for protection. "Okay, guys. Here's how we're gonna take down that big bad Squizard once and for all," He told them. "Gizmo, you'll start by examining the Squidzard for any weaknesses, while White Mage and I will protect the group with our defensive spells. Scarlet Thunder and Sir McBiggin will take the lead on offense to keep the Squizard occupied, allowing Garbuncle to aid Golden Arrow and Captain Wuzz in shooting special arrows. Garbuncle tells me the Squizard's especially weak to ice arrows."

"Uh, I think Flurry Heart has a different idea in mind." Garbuncle commented, as he pointed a claw to the sky. Sure enough, Flurry Heart had somehow managed to get out of her foal pouch and with her whammy clutched firmly in hoof, was flying towards the Squizard!

"Flurry, no!" Merlin The Strong shouted as he rushed towards Flurry! " _Oh man, Cadence is gonna kill me if anything happens to Flurry!_ " He thought to himself.

"What's this?" The Squizard wondered aloud.

Flurry just giggled, stuck out her tongue at the paper creation, and lit up her horn. A beam of magic later and the Squizard crumpled into nothing. "Noooooooooooo!" He cried out, just seconds before the blast hit.

* * *

"Well, that was anti-climatic." Discord remarked, as the fantasy world of _Ogres & Oubliettes_ faded and everyone went back to normal.

Spike was chuckling. "But you have to admit, it was pretty funny how Flurry Heart took out the Squizard like that. You think she gets it from you, Shining?"

"Let's hope not," Shining commented, as he carefully grabbed the young alicorn with his magic. "Or Cadence will never let me hear the end of it when Flurry gets older, and starts looking for 'bad guys' to 'beat up'."

Flurry just babbled something in response, before she yawned and went to sleep. That battle had been just the thing to tire her little body out.

"I'll go put Flurry to bed really quick, guys, then we can start a new game if you like," Shining suggested. "Might wanna cast a sound proofing spell though, so we don't wake her up." And then he carefully and quietly exited his private chambers, heading down the hall to Flurry's nursery.

Carefully lowering the sleeping baby alicorn into her crib, Shining kissed Flurry on the forehead and put her whammy close to her for comfort, before he pulled up the sheets. "Goodnight, Flurry Heart," He whispered, making sure no one was around to hear him. "Daddy is so proud of his little adventurer. Don't ever lose that sense of exploration, because one day you might grow up to be just like your mommy, daddy, and aunts."

Exiting the nursery, Shining couldn't help but wonder. " _Maybe I should start getting back into personally being involved with Starlight's lessons? It's been quite a while since I checked her progress._ " He thought to himself.


	138. Chapter 138: Progress Report

Shining Armor smiled, he was looking forward to being back in Ponyville for the next few weeks. Aside from the guy's night at the Crystal Empire and the opening of _Rarity For You_ , he hadn't really been involved in much. He'd missed quite a few things, including Rainbow Dash finally becoming a Wonderbolt (and Thunderlane moving up to take her spot in the reserves), Fluttershy pushing her brother to finally get a job, the Applewood Derby, and even things as insignificant as Hearth's Warming Eve (though spending it with Cadence and Flurry Heart had made up for not being with Twilight) or Starlight fixing the table map.

In fact, Starlight was very much the reason Shining was coming back to Ponyville. Having mostly entrusted the friendship lessons to his sister, Shining had gotten only occasional glimpses of Starlight's progress. But there was something troubling him. A nagging fact that he couldn't ignore.

" _I don't think I've seen Starlight tackle a single friendship problem since Trixie came to town,_ " Shining thought, as he was trotting to the castle. " _Guess that makes now as good a time as any for a friendship pop quiz. I'll just stop by, see how Starlight's studies are coming along, and go from there._ "

However, when Shining reached the castle and trotted inside he could hardly believe the sight that awaited him. The castle was flooded with water, storm clouds hung overhead, traces of cake batter and spider webs could be seen, and most noticeable of: Starlight was in a massive heap alongside Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. All of whom seemed to have narrowed eyes.

"Starlight?!" Shining angrily exclaimed, his eyes casting daggers at his student. "What in the name of Celestia is going on here?! How did you make such a mess?!"

Starlight gulped. "Well, I can explain, but I don't think you'll like what you hear."

* * *

And indeed Shining did not. After some initial cleaning up with help from Twilight and Spike, Shining pulled his student alongside and demanded of her. "You'd better have a good explanation behind what I saw earlier. I thought things were under control."

"W-well, your sister took notice of the fact that I hadn't done any friendship lessons in a while, totally not my fault they slipped my mind by the way," Starlight began with a nervous laugh. "A-anyway, I accidentally ended up scheduling a whole bunch of friendship problems all on the same day at the same time. So when I couldn't get them all done individually, I decided to try out a little something I'd come up with recently. A mix of _Fiducia Compelus_ to speed things along, _Cogeria_ to make my friends more open to suggestions, and then to ensure it stuck I added in a hint of _Persuadere_. But it turns out _Fiducia Compelus_ needs a trigger to work, a command if you will. So I told Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash to listen to my voice, and they sort of took it too literally. They only did what I asked them to do, and nothing more. And things got quite out of hoof because of that."

Shining frowned, putting a hoof to his forehead. "Starlight, what in Equestria were you thinking?! You can't just mix spells like that, even ordinary unicorns know better than to do that! What's even worse is that you mentally manipulated your friends, brainwashed them if you will!"

"Well, they said they were okay with it when I told them what I wanted to try," Starlight protested. "I just thought it'd be a harmless combination that would sort out my problem and get things done. I wanted to impress you and Twilight, so you'd stop hounding me on my friendship lessons all the time."

"You forget that I didn't take you on to learn magic, Starlight," Shining scolded. "I specifically told you that the terms I struck when you were released into my care, were that you were to learn about _friendship_. Yes, I know friendship is magic, but that doesn't mean magic is what you should be learning about."

"You also wanted me to fix the table map that I sort of broke when I tampered with it," Starlight nervously laughed. "That involved having to learn magic."

Shining just shook his head. "Be that as it may, I certainly don't approve of you neglecting your studies to try and master new spells. Especially not when it leads to problems like this," He then added. "I noticed the scorch marks in the kitchen, and Pinkie tells me you caused some cakes to burn which almost set the entire castle on fire! I shouldn't have to hire a foalsitter to watch over you whenever my sister or I am not around!" The prince took a moment to take some deep breaths, before he went on to say. "I apologize if I'm being harsh on you, Starlight, but you need to realize how serious this is! You did a very bad thing, something that you should've known better than to do. There are ponies as it is who think I was wrong to let you have a second chance, and when you do stuff like this you're making me think they might have a point."

"So that's it then? One mistake, as big it was, and you're cancelling my lessons?" Starlight accused.

"No. If anything, you've proved that you've still got a ways to go before I can say your friendship lessons are even close to being done," Shining told Starlight. "And I can't be _too_ harsh on you for this. Part of this is my fault as well, I should've kept a closer eye on your studies and made sure my intentions were clear from the start."

"You couldn't help it, you were busy being a father and a husband," Starlight protested. "Not to mention the whole changeling fiasco a while back. Like you said, I shouldn't have needed somepony to tell me what I was supposed to do."

Shining nodded again, and sighed. "My sister's still working on undoing that whammy of a combination you put on everypony back there. Once they've recovered, I expect you to apologize to them. And then you're going to clean this entire castle from top to bottom. No buts, you caused this mess so the least you can do is clean it up."

"Do you think the girls will ever forgive me for what I did?" Starlight nervously asked Shining.

"That's not for me to say I'm afraid," Shining reluctantly commented. "That's up to them. And don't think you can buy their apology with gifts or favors. "

"Is there anything else I should know about?" Starlight inquired.

"I'm gonna be putting you on a friendship probation of sorts," Shining informed his student. "After you've cleaned up the castle and apologized to Twilight's friends, you're not to learn anymore magical spells or assist in any magical situations for an entire month. And, so another incident like this doesn't occur, I'll be staying here in Ponyville to conduct your lessons myself."

"You sure? But what about Flurry Heart, or Cadence, or Sunburst and Thorax? Heck, what about the Royal Guard?" Starlight asked with concern.

Shining was quick to answer. "They'll all be fine without me, even Flurry Heart. Thorax can easily imitate me, and if I'm needed for anything I have that emergency teleportation spell I can use. Right now, what's most important, is that I start taking a more active role in teaching my student."


	139. Chapter 139: A Invitation You Can't Deny

Several weeks had passed since the unfortunate spell combo disaster Starlight had unleashed, and Shining had reluctantly stayed behind in Ponyville to keep a closer eye on his student. As much as he longed to be with his wife and daughter, his responsibilities as a teacher had to come first and Starlight had proven to be a student that just couldn't be left to her own devices.

Luckily, Starlight had bounced back quickly from the set back. She still struggled to understand there were dos and don'ts when it came to magic, but restraint appeared to be slowly seeping its way into her vocabulary.

And so it was that on a peaceful mid Spring day, Starlight, Shining Armor, and Twilight, were all moving some boxes in the castle. Spike was helping too, but the boxes were quite heavy. "You know, not all of us have magic." He grumbled, struggling to keep his balance as he made his way down the stairs.

"Sorry about the load, Spike, but this had to be done sooner or later," Shining apologized. "Those books weren't going to sort themselves."

"I still can't believe you're letting me have my own bedroom now," Starlight commented to her teacher, as she set one of the boxes down carefully on the floor. "I thought I'd be stuck sharing the guest bedroom for years."

"Figured it was less expensive and less of a hassle to let you have your own room, instead of having to share one," Shining explained with a wink. "Besides, think of it as a treat. You're progressing quite well in your friendship studies, I daresay you've almost mastered the basics, almost."

Starlight blushed at the comment. "Well, I had an excellent teacher."

"Not sure if I'd say 'excellent', since I ended up doing most of the lesson plans until recently," Twilight ribbed. "And let's not forget the big mess you caused a few weeks back."

"I never knew we had so many spiders," Spike shivered. "Even Twilight's old study in Canterlot never had that problem. I couldn't sleep for weeks thinking about the possibility."

"Well you'll be happy to know the spiders were relocated," Shining told both Spike and Starlight. "Fluttershy found them more permanent homes. I didn't think they'd be willing to share their living space with a pony."

"Thanks again for doing all this for me," Starlight again commented, turning back to Shining. "It really means a lot to me that you would do this. For a time, it felt like I threw you a curveball. That you didn't know what to do with me, and that you only took me on to keep me out of jail."

Shining shook his head. "Starlight, I'm surprised you'd think such a thing. I'll admit, taking you under my wing was a spur of the moment decision. But it wasn't like I never considered the possibility of having a pupil someday, it was something I'd contemplated since I got my wings. Once I got to know what made you tick, I knew I had to do something. Like I said when we began all of this 'If you're willing to learn, I'm willing to teach you.' And that hasn't changed. In fact, I would say you've come a long way from the troubled unicorn I first met back at that village."

Starlight smiled, and hugged Shining tightly. "You're way too kind! I don't know what I'd do without you, Twilight, and Spike! All of you believed in me when no one else would, and kept me on the straight and narrow despite my slip ups. I'm not sure I'd manage without your guidance and support."

"No need to sell yourself short, Starlight," Shining informed his pupil, ending the hug. "What matters most is your continued resolve to better yourself. That's something no one can do for you, _you_ have to be the one to believe in yourself and believe that you can be better. As long as you think that, your future looks bright."

* * *

"Um, not that I mean to interrupt the moment but... something's coming!" Spike shouted, pointing out the nearby window. "And whatever it is, it's coming in fast!"

All three ponies rushed to the window, and saw a faint outline of some sort of flying figure fast approaching! "What is that?" Twilight wondered aloud. "Is it a bird?"

"Is it a parasprite?" Starlight pondered.

"Maybe it's a griffon or a dragon?" Shining considered.

"It's... it's..." Spike began, as the figure drew closer! But then he realized the figure's likely path and he dove for cover! "Incoming!" He shouted!

The figure swooped in through the window, hit one of the boxes, and tumbled into the wall on the opposite side of the room with a crash!

"Oh my goodness, are you okay?!" Twilight exclaimed, rushing over to the crash site.

The figure quickly got up, dazed but unharmed. It was now that all could see the identity of said figure. It was a familiar pegasus mare of medium build, with a grey coat, a blonde mane and tail, brilliant gold eyes which were wall eyed (derped, you might say), and a cutie mark depicting bubbles. She wore a red post mare's hat, but spoke not a word.

"Ah, the mailmare. Derpy was it?" Shining asked, identifying the pegasus by name. "This is a surprise. Usually I get my mail the old fashioned way, or v.i.a. dragon if it's super important."

"It _is_ the best way to send letters!" Spike boasted.

Derpy spoke not a word, she simply dug into her mail sack and pulled out an envelope. When Shining tugged at it with his magic, Derpy refused to let go and simply shook her head. She did the same thing with Twilight, but allowed Starlight to take it without a fuss.

"For me?" Starlight concluded, examining the envelope. "Who could possibly be sending _me_ a letter?"

"Maybe Sunburst or Trixie?" Spike asked.

"No, it couldn't be either of them, it doesn't have their seals or addresses," Starlight told Spike, before she carefully ripped open the envelope and read the letter to herself. When she had finished, her attitude changed from one of happiness to one of worry and her body language became tense. "It's the ponies from my old village, Double Diamond, Party Favor, Sugar Belle, and Night Glider."

"So, what's wrong with that?" Spike innocently inquired. "Are they mad with you for something?"

"Are they in danger?" Twilight wondered with concern.

"No, it's worse," Starlight said with a shake of her head and then gulped. "They've invited me to their annual Sunset Festival tomorrow."

Shining approached his student and put a hoof to her back. "Well, this is the perfect chance for them to get to know the new you. And I doubt they'd be so cruel as to invite you just to mock you. Plus, now you'll get to see just how far that old village has come since you left it."

Starlight wasn't so convinced. "I... need some time to think about it." She protested, and then dashed off before anyone could utter a syllable of protest.


	140. Chapter 140: The Star and The Moon

Against her better judgement, Starlight ended up going to the festival. Despite all the time that had passed, she still felt uncomfortable setting hoof in the same village she'd once ruled with an iron grip. The ponies there had said they forgave her, but had they really meant it or were they just trying to save face?

The unicorn didn't need to wait long for an answer. Almost immediately, her presence was noticed and the villagers all stopped what they were doing to look at her. "Uh, h-hey there, everypony." Starlight nervously exhaled.

"Oh... hey, Starlight," Party Favor coldly replied. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Starlight stammered. "I-I... I was invited. To the Sunset Festival? I brought my invitation."

Double Diamond spoke next, glaring at Starlight. "Yeah, but we didn't think you'd actually show up."

"You didn't really think we wanted you here, did you?" Party Favor hissed, ripping up the invitation with his hooves. "After everything you did to us, we're just supposed to forgive and forget? Well if you think so, you've got another thing coming."

"You trampled on our lives for the sake of your own vendetta, lied to us daily," Sugar Belle chimed in. "And now you come crawling back, expecting us to just forgive and forget because you say you've changed?"

"I don't care what Prince Shining Armor sees in you," Night Glider remarked, swooping down next to Starlight. "Far as I'm concerned, I never want to see your face around these parts ever again, or anywhere for that matter. You should be rotting in jail, not roaming free."

"But... I... apologized, you accepted my apology!" Starlight pleaded to the villagers. "I thought everything was fine, all peachy keen like."

All the villagers started to laugh. "Really? You _actually_ thought you'd be forgiven so easily after all you've done?" Double Diamond hissed, smacking Starlight with his tail. "Fat chance!"

The villagers laughs and jeers grew louder as they surrounded Starlight, causing the unicorn to tremble and throw her hooves over her face as she started to shake. "Please... Stop! Stop...!" She pleaded to no avail.

"What's the matter, Starlight? Not so tough without that puny stick of yours, are you?" Night Glider taunted. "I don't know what we ever saw in you, inviting you here was a mistake.

"Stop!" Starlight cried out, as her voice suddenly echoed! It took her but a moment to realize what was going on. It all had been a dream, a really horrible dream.

Sure enough, Princess Luna appeared but a second later. Starlight was still in a state of shock though. "P-Princess Luna?" She nervously trembled.

The princess of the night nodded, approaching the troubled unicorn slowly. "Dreams are my domain, Starlight Glimmer. I am here now because you need me to be. That is how it works."

"Oh, good, it's only a dream." Starlight sighed in relief.

Luna was quick to warn Starlight. "It may only be a dream, but the feelings in it are very much real. Your dreams are a reflection of your thoughts, your desires, and your concerns. And right now, it would seem your concerns are what hold power."

"Great," Starlight sarcastically remarked. "So I guess I'm more afraid to go back to that village than I previously thought. What am I supposed to do about that?"

"Take my advice, Starlight," Luna suggested. "I see much of myself in you, I too once struggled to overcome my guilt for the actions of my past. But when the whole ordeal eventually ended, I learned a valuable lesson that I now pass on to you. You can't run from your troubles forever, they _will_ catch up to you eventually. But you're not alone, you have many good friends, ponies who would gladly listen to what you have to say. If you talk to them, I'm sure they'll understand, and then things will indeed get better." She then flapped her wings, and the night princess started to depart from the dream.

"W-wait, Luna, there's so much more I want to discuss! So many more concerns I need to get off my back!" Starlight pleaded to no avail.

"My help is needed in many dreams, Starlight, I cannot stay long here just because you want me to," Luna replied. "You must confront these fears in the waking world, and you can start by talking to your friends. Otherwise, the nightmares will continue, and they will only get worse." And then, in a zap of magic, Luna was gone.

Starlight woke with a start! "Luna's right," She murmured to herself. "I have to tell somepony about this. Otherwise, I'll never get a good night's sleep again!"

* * *

Starlight did so the very next morning. As luck would have it, all of Shining Armor's friends were present to hear her out. The unicorn went on in detail about her nightmare, and her brief chat with Princess Luna. "...and Princess Luna said I should tell you all how I was feeling. So... there it is. I'm afraid to go back to the village for the celebration," She told them in no uncertain terms. "So, go ahead, have your laugh now about how pathetic that is."

But nopony laughed. Fancy Pants was the first to speak up. "Why would we laugh at such a thing, Starlight Glimmer? You said it yourself, Princess Luna recommended you talk to us. And I for one consider her opinion to be that of an expert in dream related subjects."

"But what if the ponies there really haven't forgiven me after all?" Starlight nervously asked. "The sad thing is, a part of me wants that to be the case. A part of me still says I don't deserve forgiveness."

"But look at how far you've come in such a short amount of time," Soarin commented to Starlight. "You're a totally different pony now compared to how you were when we first met you."

Big Macintosh nodded. "Nopony forced them to forgive you, Starlight. They did so of their own free will. That is, unless you've been secretly usin' some of your spells on them."

"That was only the one time, I said I was sorry!" Starlight whined, and changed the subject. "I've never even set hoof in that village since they chased me away. And a letter is hardly the best way for them to know the new me."

"You don't have to go if you don't want to, Starlight. Gettin' an invitation doesn't mean you're obligated to attend whatever you've been invited to," Braeburn suggested. "Though at the least you should write 'em a response lettin' 'em know you won't be comin'. I'm sure they'll understand your reasons."

Starlight shook her head. "Princess Luna told me I can't run from my troubles forever. Sooner or later I have to go back to that village, as much as I may not want to."

"You really think they'd be so cruel as to send you an invitation, just to mock and tease you, or heckle you?" Thunderlane remarked. "Even if they haven't fully forgiven you, I highly doubt they're still holding a grudge."

"If you're really so worried about going back to that village, Starlight, I have a suggestion," Shining spoke up, looking at his student. "Maybe it would help if you brought a friend along. Somepony you can trust to look out for you and be by your side."

"You mean, like you?" Starlight suggested, pointing a hoof.

Shining sighed, his expression changing from one of happiness to one of concern. "As much as I'd like to, I'm afraid I can't do that. I was hoping to break the news to you at a better time, but we've got changeling trouble."

"What do you mean? Is it about Thorax? I thought he was a good guy." Starlight asked.

"No, it's not him," Shining explained. "A threat was made against Canterlot, and now we've gotten reports of two changeling armies. One is headed for Canterlot, and the other the Crystal Empire. Chrysalis has been spotted with them. Cadence has already left to aid Celestia and Luna in defending Canterlot, but my help's gonna be needed to hold the line near the Crystal Empire."

"Why didn't you just say so? You say the word and we'll put that no good queen in her place!" Soarin remarked, smashing his hooves together in delight.

"No, no, no, that's too dangerous. If any of you were caught or injured, Chrysalis might use that as leverage against me, and I can't risk that," Shining replied with a shake of his head. "It won't be pretty, but I'm confident that the Crystal Guard _will_ hold the line! If worse does come to worse, hopefully the princesses will have driven back the force heading for Canterlot, and we can retreat and regroup there. Even as we speak, the invasion forces are on their way. I'm sorry, but it's best for all of you if you stay out of the line of fire and wait for things to blow over. I couldn't live with myself if any of you got captured or hurt."

"Great," Starlight frowned. "Now who am I gonna ask?" Then, suddenly, a light bulb went off in her head. "Wait a minute, what am I doing?! Why didn't I think of it before?!" She exclaimed, and dashed away! " _I hope I'm making the right call here._ " She thought to herself.

* * *

Sometime later, Starlight was waiting at the train station, just as a locomotive came puffing in. When the car doors opened, there on the platform, stood none other than Sunburst. "Hey, Starlight." He greeted.

Starlight barely resisted the urge to rush up and hug the stallion. "Shining said to bring somepony I trust along, and when he said he wasn't available, you were the next pony that came to my mind." She told him.

"Well, not that I don't appreciate the thought, but why me? I'm an important Crystaller for Flurry Heart," Sunburst inquired. "I mean, what about that magician friend of yours? Trixie, was it?"

"Oh, she's a good friend, there's no denying that," Starlight commented. "But it's kind of hard to get in touch with her when she's on the road all the time. I knew for sure I could reach you, and the festival's this evening, so I didn't wanna chance it in case Trixie didn't get my letter in time."

Sunburst smiled. "I see. Well, I'm flattered, Starlight, really. I've actually been really curious about that village ever since you mentioned it. You can tell me all about it on the train ride there," Then he motioned to his friend. "Now come on, climb aboard or the train's going to leave without us!"

"What about Flurry Heart?" Starlight asked. "I don't see her with you."

"Relax, I left her in capable hooves. There's plenty of nurses and nannies back at the Crystal Empire to take care of her, and I made sure to double up on all the spells needed to keep her magic under control," Sunburst reassured his friend. "I needed a break from being her foalsitter anyways. She's an adorable bundle of joy, but boy is she is a hoofful." The two unicorns then stepped into their assigned car, and the train left the station a moment later with a puff of steam.

Starlight was finally on her way.


	141. Chapter 141: Starlight's Breakdown

On the train ride to the village, Starlight reluctantly told Sunburst everything about the village. Including how she'd come to power, and how she'd ultimately been exposed and ousted.

Sunburst took the news surprisingly well. "Wow, you really _have_ been through a lot," He commented rather innocently. "I had no idea your past was so... troubled."

"And you're not bothered by this at all? I was a monster!" Starlight exclaimed with fright. "I still can't believe I got away with it for so long, or that I actually thought I could take down Princess Celestia! And now, to be forgiven on top of all that?! It's just too much too soon!"

"I'm definitely shocked, Starlight," Sunburst reassured his friend, lightly stroking her mane. "I just wish you'd told me sooner. You already spilled some of the beans back when we first met up again in the Crystal Empire, but I didn't know it went back that far," He sighed, and hung his head as he glumly added. "I really wish now that I'd been there for you. That I hadn't just up and left you like that. But you and I both know we can't change the past."

Starlight tried not to laugh.

"But I'm here for you now, Starlight," Sunburst boldly declared. "You don't have to face your past alone. Whatever the ponies of that village may feel about you, I won't let them take it out on you. And I'll do what I can to convince them you're not the same power mad unicorn you were last time they saw you."

"Do you promise?" Starlight reluctantly asked.

Sunburst nodded. "Of course I do, I'll even 'Pinkie Promise' if that'll make you feel better. How did it go again?"

Starlight giggled in spite of herself. "Just repeat after me, motions and everything. It goes like this: Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Just be careful not to-"

"Ow!" Sunburst cried out, as he unintentionally poked himself in the eye with a hoof.

" _I thought I was the only one who did that the first time._ " Starlight thought to herself, but was still content with Sunburst's promise. Even so, that did little to calm the unicorn's nerves. Having one friend to support her was nice, but against an entire village of ponies one friend might not be enough. And Starlight didn't _dare_ think of the alternative, that they would welcome her back with open hooves, pretend like nothing bad had happened.

* * *

At last, the train rolled to a stop at a small junction, and the two unicorns departed. It was a considerable distance from there to the village, which did nothing to help Starlight's nerves. She tried to take some deep breaths to calm herself, hoping that might work.

Sunburst found it hard not to notice how anxious Starlight became the closer they got to the village. While they were still a ways away, he stopped walking and said bluntly to Starlight. "You know, if this is too much for you, we don't have to keep going. I'm sure Shining and the others will understand. Princess Luna may have told you to face your fears, but she never said when. I'm pretty sure even she would agree to wait until you're darn good and ready. Has it even been a year since you left?"

But Starlight only shook her head, even as her mind kept screaming! " _You fool! Take this excuse and get out of dodge! Do it now! You don't have to go through with this!_ " All that came out of her mouth was. "No, I have to do this. If I don't, it's just going to keep haunting me."

"A-alright, just making a suggestion. I'm ready if you are." Sunburst firmly replied, and the two resumed their journey.

Just a few minutes later, Starlight found herself stepping hoof into the village and from there she seemed to be on auto-pilot right up until she approached Double Diamond and Party Favor. The two stallions were busy adjusting a banner for the festival.

Like in the dream, Double Diamond was the first to take notice of the guest in his presence and turned to greet her. "Ah! Starlight, you came!" He happily exclaimed. Starlight just waved a hoof and flashed a smile, hoping no one heard her nervous giggle.

"Ooh, and you brought a friend!" Party Favor exclaimed, eyeballing the stallion standing next to her. "Who are you, stranger?"

"O-oh, I'm Sunburst. Starlight and I go way back," Sunburst introduced himself. "We were friends since we were in diapers, at least up until the day I got my cutie mark. We just rekindled our friendship not too long ago, it's kind of a long story though."

Party Favor just looked across to Sugar Belle and winked, before he then commented. "Starlight, you didn't tell us you were seeing somepony. And I thought Sugar Belle and I were the only lovebirds hiding in the shadows."

Starlight and Sunburst both found themselves struggling not to blush. "W-what?!"

"Party Favor!" Sugar Belle scolded. "It's not nice to tease them like that! I'm sure Starlight would've told us if Sunburst was her special somepony. Though I have to admit, they would make a pretty cute couple."

"Couple?" Starlight stammered.

Night Glider swooped down and joined the teasing chorus. "Come on you two lovebirds, just kiss already and get it over with! What are you waiting for, Hearts and Hooves Day?!"

"I guess now I know why Starlight and I never really went beyond platonic," Double Diamond snickered. "She already had her heart set on somepony else."

"For the last time, we're **NOT** a couple!" Sunburst angrily burst out. "We're just friends, that's all!"

"Y-yeah," Starlight added. For some reason her cheeks felt like they were on fire, and she was pretty sure the blood was starting to rush to her hooves. "I mean, it'd be a long distance relationship anyways. Seeing as he lives in the Crystal Empire, and I live in Ponyville." She mentally wanted to smack herself for that. " _Why would I tell them that sort of thing? This is beyond stupid! Why do I even care what they think about Sunburst and I? I mean... do I even want to_ _ **think**_ _about a relationship right now?_ "

"Alright, that's enough of that," Sugar Belle insisted, and much to Starlight and Sunburst's relief she changed the subject. "How is it living in a castle, Starlight? It's gotta beat that old hut of yours, right?"

"U-um, well I... I really don't know," Starlight stammered, as she adopted a pose not unlike that of a deer caught in a search light. "It's alright I guess, now that I've got my own room anyways."

Party Favor spoke up next. "We were worried you wouldn't be able to make it! Are you staying the whole week? We have different events planned each day! Just 'cause the actual sunset's tonight doesn't mean the party has to end tonight! And not that I mean to brag but I think I've really outdone myself on the whole festival. In fact, you got here _just_ in time."

Starlight gulped a bit. "Whatever do you mean? I thought you just wanted me here as an honored guest?"

"We did, Starlight, but we were also hoping you could help us with a few last minute details," Double Diamond explained. "Party Favor wants everything to be just right."

"Yeah," Party Favor nodded and then asked Starlight. "We were having some debate about these here banners. Which do you think feels more 'sunsetty'?"

Starlight backed away and protested. "O-Oh, you don't need me to decide that, you're the party expert. Heh. Whatever you think is probably best."

"Well, how about helping us with the routes for the relay races tomorrow?" Double Diamond suggested. "They're going to be up in the mountains by the caves you ended up hiding in. And I haven't gotten much of a chance to explore them, been busy helping this village get back on its hooves. Somepony had to step up once you were gone, so I figured 'Might as well be me'."

"But you're not the only one calling the shots," Party Favor corrected. "We don't have a central leader anymore. Double Diamond's position is mostly ceremonious. You'll understand why we're a little reluctant to trust a central figurehead again so soon. All of just mind our own business, and Double Diamond sorts out whatever we can't settle on our own. And often times, he'll call on me, or Sugar Belle or Night Glider for help."

Sunburst smiled. "Seems like you've all come a long way. It's a lovely little slice of Equestria. I'm actually kind of surprised more ponies don't know about it."

"We're not interested in tourism at the moment, that's still a ways away," Double Diamond replied, and then turned back to Starlight. "Now, about the slopes? Can you take a look? I'll even let you borrow a pair of skis if you promise to bring 'em back."

But Starlight shook her head and tried not to stammer as she politely responded. "Oh, I-I shouldn't, skiing's not my thing. You all go ahead and do whatever you want. I-I just want to enjoy the festival, thank you."

"But you _will_ be a judge for the baking competition, right?" Sugar Belle asked. "I want you to see how far my baking's come. Even if we're not in a relationship, Big Macintosh is still nice enough to bring me apples every now and then. Heck, he recently gave me a new counter for my bakery, you gotta check it out while you're here!"

"While you're at it, we had a few questions about the order of the acts for the talent show." Double Diamond added.

"And the unicorns have a fireworks show planned! We could really use your help! Party Favor's not very good with his horn, and Sugar Belle's gonna be too busy baking!" Night Glider pleaded. "It's not a festival without fireworks!"

The villagers all began to crowd around Starlight, many of them asking or pleading with her to help them sort out their problems. It was all too much for Starlight, the poor unicorn found herself overwhelmed and her instincts began to take over! "NO!" She shouted loudly, as her horn grew a mind of its own, sparked to life, and generated a magic barrier!

Everypony that had previously been crowding around her, was pushed back and left dazed and surprised. "What was _that_ all about?" Double Diamond innocently wondered.

"Hey, are you okay, Starlight?" Night Glider inquired as she took notice of the trembling form of the unicorn.

Starlight said nothing, she had her hooves over her face and her entire body seemed to be shaking!

Sunburst took one look at his friend and realized what was happening! The pressure was getting to her! " _Come on, Sunburst, think! Use that big brain of yours!_ " He thought, as he mentally contemplated how to get Starlight out of the village as quickly as possible! Then suddenly, the answer dawned on him! He quickly dashed over to Starlight and wrapped a hoof around her. "Starlight's fine, but I think she's coming down with something. Her body temperature's a great deal warmer than normal for a pony."

"Oh dear, it's nothing contagious is it?" Sugar Belle asked with concern.

Sunburst shook his head. "No it's nothing of the sort. But this trip was just too much for her. I'm sorry, but we're gonna have to leave," And he helped Starlight to her hooves. "Come on, Starlight, let's get you home. What you need most right now is rest."

Starlight didn't reply, she was just glad to have a guiding hoof in this situation.

All the villagers were sorry to see Starlight and Sunburst go, and Double Diamond shouted just before the two were out of ear shot. "Get better soon, Starlight!"

* * *

Once they were far away from the village, Sunburst let go of his hold on Starlight and allowed the unicorn to stand on her own legs.

"Thank you for your help back there, Sunburst," Starlight gratefully exclaimed, then she groaned. "Ugh! I can't believe I just did that!"

Sunburst was quick to reassure his friend. "It's okay, you couldn't help it. I certainly didn't expect them to ask for your help. Forgive me for asking this, but why exactly is that such a bad thing? You want ponies to get to know the new you, don't you?"

"That's not the problem!" Starlight complained! "I was _horrible_ when I led that town! I was fully ready for them to not trust me, but... I wasn't ready for them to put me in charge again! With my past, I should never be in charge of anything ever!"

"Starlight, we all make mistakes," Sunburst replied. "But if there's one thing I've learned from being a Crystaller, it's that sometimes whether we like it or not, we have to step up and take charge. It doesn't mean we have to become a leader, but we also can't go through life expecting everyone else to guide us."

"I just don't think I'm ready," Starlight nervously remarked. "I'm sorry, Sunburst, but I can't do it! The last time I tried to take charge on my own, I created a combination of spells and brainwashed my friends, it took weeks for them to trust me again! If I could do that with just a few friendship assignments, what's to stop me from slipping back into my old ways as soon as I get enough power?" She then sighed and trotted off. "Let's just go home and tell the others this was a bust. Maybe someday I'll be comfortable enough to go back to that village. But for right now, I'd rather be as far away from it is as possible, away from any position of leadership."

"Starlight." Sunburst sighed as he thought to himself. " _What do I have to do to get you to see you're better than you think you are?_ "


	142. Chapter 142: Chrysalis' Ruse

Shining was unaware of what was going on in Starlight's old village, right now he was busy leading the troops as they fended off the invading changeling forces near the Crystal Empire.

Word had already come out that the princesses were holding the line in Canterlot, but there was no sign of Chrysalis. So that meant the queen had to be with the force trying to take the Crystal Empire. Something Shining wouldn't let happen!

But a nagging thought kept lingering in his mind and refused to let him be. "This is almost too easy." He thought out loud.

Flash Sentry smirked, as he barreled effortlessly through a horde of changelings and knocked them aside. "That Chrysalis underestimated us. She thought the old 'divide and conquer' strategy would work," He boasted. "If she were smart, she'd have poured all her forces into an attack on Canterlot while we're stuck here. Instead, she thought she could catch us off guard if she sent a smaller force to Canterlot as a distraction. She's probably getting senile in her old age."

"I don't know about that, Flash," Shining nervously commented. "Chrysalis is many things, but stupid isn't one of them. It's not like her to do something like this without an ulterior motive."

"Whatever her plan is, it won't work!" Flash vowed, as he landed next to Shining and helped him fend off a few more changeling drones. "With Thorax on our side, we've been able to learn all of the tricks Chrysalis would use. When Old Queen Cheeselegs shows her ugly face in our presence, we'll have her! Simple as that!"

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you." An echoey voice hissed. And soon, who should appear amidst the skirmish but the queen of the changelings herself?

"Chrysalis!" Shining hissed back, his eyes glaring at the queen. "You've got some nerve showing your face around here."

Chrysalis only laughed and tried to play it off. "Oh, what's wrong, Shining Armor? You don't look happy to see me. And here I thought we had something."

"Never! You kidnapped Cadence and tricked me into thinking you were her! Not to mention the fact that you almost ruined my wedding!" Shining snapped, casting daggers at Chrysalis.

"Permission to run her through, Captain?" Flash asked as he readied his spear.

Shining shook his head. "No. I want her alive, she needs to be made an example of. Striking her down here and now will only make her a martyr and she doesn't deserve martyrdom."

"Oh, why the harsh words, prince?" Chrysalis delivered the last line with a noticeable. "Surely we can work something out. What happened at the wedding was unfortunate, but it's hardly a reason for us to come to blows."

"Cut the theatrics!" Shining snapped. "I know you wouldn't come here just to get under my fur! You obviously have some kind of plan! What do you want from me?!"

"And here I was hoping we'd get to have a nice chat, maybe catch up on what's happened in our lives since last we met," Chrysalis snickered, before she cleared her throat. "But if you really wanna play it that way, who I am to disagree? I _did_ originally come here to get Thorax, no one betrays the hive and gets away with it!"

"Joke's on you, Thorax tipped us off to your invasion. Your plan failed," Flash boasted. "Now come quietly, and you won't get hurt."

Chrysalis shook her head and fired off a beam of green magic at Flash, knocking his spear away. "Shining Armor really should put you on a tighter leash. I hate blabber mouths," Chrysalis snarled and then turned her attention back to the prince. "So sorry for the rude interruption. Now where were we? Oh yes I remember, I was about to unveil my cunning ruse."

Shining did his best to maintain his composure. He would not be rattled so easily. "What are you talking about?! If you're referring to the invasion of Canterlot, that too was thwarted!" He retorted.

But Chrysalis only tsked. "Temper, temper, prince. You didn't let me finish. Did you _really_ think I'd be dumb enough to go for such an obvious two pronged invasion on two obvious and heavily guarded targets? If so, then you clearly don't know me at all."

"Enough of your games, out with it!" Shining demanded! "I have half a mind to blast your sorry hide halfway across Equestria right now!"

"Oh, you wouldn't want to do that, would you, Prince?" Chrysalis taunted. "'Cause if you did, you'd never see your precious daughter again."

"What are you talking ab- wait, are you talking about Flurry?!" Shining gasped, turning to Flash! "I thought I told you to ensure Flurry Heart was well protected, Flash!"

"I did, Captain, I left her in capable hooves! I even double checked the guards to be sure they were who they said they were!" Flash protested. "Somehow, Chrysalis must've managed to slip past them undetected."

Chrysalis laughed. "And that's not all. I also sent a few of my more capable drones to Ponyville. Boy were you dumb, Shining Armor. You were so fixated on the Crystal Empire and Canterlot, you never thought to provide security for your other home town. Your sister and your friends never saw it coming."

"You didn't." Shining snorted.

"Oh, but I _did_!" Chrysalis boasted. "I would've liked to capture Thorax as well, but capturing your friends and your loved ones was a nice consolation prize. And best of all, the princesses have no idea. By the time they realize what's going on, it'll be too late."

Shining growled and kicked at the snow with a hoof! " _How could I be so foolish?! I should've known this was a trap! But like a fool, I walked right into it!_ " He mentally kicked himself for his ignorance! " _Flurry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to be captured because of me. Some daddy I turned out to be._ " Then he turned to the changeling queen and demanded. "You let Flurry Heart, my friends, and my sister go right now! It's me you want!"

"Oh, but I'd have expected a written invitation to have been turned down," Chrysalis taunted. "However, if you come quietly with _me_ back to the hive, I promise that no harm will come to anypony you care about. Resist me, and I can't exactly guarantee their safety."

"Captain, don't do it! Give me five minutes alone with this scumbag and I'll make her talk!" Flash vowed! "Army or no army, she's no match for the royal guards!"

But Shining shook his head and ordered. "Stand down, Flash Sentry! Chrysalis holds the winning hand here! We can't risk the well being of the innocent on the off chance we can call Chrysalis's bluff," Turning to the changeling queen, he then added. "I'll come along if that's what you want. But not until you promise to leave the others alone. Because if you lay so much as one hoof on them, I'll chase you all the way back to your hive and free everypony even if I have to tear the place apart piece by piece! You got that?"

"Fine, have it your way, Prince. I'll enjoy making you suffer," Chrysalis boasted, as she approached Shining. "And draining the love from you will demoralize the rest. A nice little bonus if I do say so myself." And she led her captive away.

* * *

"Captain!" Flash cried out! "You're making a mistake!"

But Shining turned and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Flash, but I have to do this. This is the only way I can ensure my friends, my sister, and my daughter don't get hurt," He then instructed. "Go find Thorax and get him as far away from here as you can, tell him to find help!"

"But... but..." Flash stammered.

"I gave you an order, Flash! And I expect you to obey it!" Shining commanded! "Go on, go! Quickly now!"

Flash reluctantly obeyed, though not before casting a dagger at Chrysalis. "You won't get away with this, you disgusting vermin! Somehow, someway, you'll pay!"

Shining watched as Flash flew off to find Thorax, and the rest of the royal guards continued fighting off the changelings. He sighed, as he thought to himself. " _I'm sorry Thorax, Starlight, but it looks like you two are on your own here. There's nothing I can do now._ "


	143. Chapter 143: Who Can You Trust?

Starlight and Sunburst returned to Ponyville, unaware of what was going on in the Crystal Empire. Starlight was still feeling glum about her early return from the village.

"I can't believe I did that," Starlight groaned, kicking up some dirt with a hoof. "I should've toughed it out and stayed."

"You clearly weren't ready to be back in that village so soon, Starlight," Sunburst reassured her. "You tried and you had a breakdown. I know Princess Luna told you to face your fears, but I'm sure even she would understand that you shouldn't force yourself into something before you're ready."

Starlight just sighed and shook her head. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Sunburst, but this doesn't make me feel any better. I'll just have to add it to the list of my personal failures, and face down whatever punishment Shining Armor's sure to place on me for bailing on the festival like that."

"You think he's already taken care of the changeling invasion?" Sunburst asked. "'Cause as long as it's still ongoing, I'm not gonna be able to get back to the Crystal Empire."

Just then, Starlight noticed Pinkie Pie bouncing along down the path. Perhaps she would know. Starlight called out to the pink party pony, halting her in her tracks. "Hey, Pinkie Pie."

"Oh, hey... you." Pinkie responded. Her momentary pause did not go unnoticed.

"Pinkie, you know who I am, I'm Starlight Glimmer. Remember?" Starlight corrected.

"Huh? Oh, yeah yeah, of course I remember," Pinkie corrected herself and then seemed to suspiciously ask. "What are you doing back here?"

"Well, I kind of live here, but I don't blame you for thinking I should be somewhere else right now," Starlight answered and then sighed. "The festival didn't go so well, I really don't wanna talk about it. So, Sunburst and I decided to come home early. That's all."

Pinkie surprisingly replied with. "Ooh, sounds terrible! Well, bye!" And then she bounced off somewhere else.

"Was that the Pinkie Pie you told me about? She seems kind of... distracted to me." Sunburst commented.

Starlight shook her head, not really thinking too deeply about it. "It's Pinkie Pie, she always tends to be weird. Sometimes she can be a bit scatterbrained. Just wish I'd have been able to get her to tell me about how Shining Armor's doing."

"Maybe somepony else will know?" Sunburst suggested. "Now how about we..." Then suddenly, his eyes fell upon a small wagon in the distance that appeared to double as a stage. "Hey, what's that?!"

"What is..." Starlight began, only to pause mid-sentence when she noticed a familiar light blue coated unicorn mare on said stage. Starlight knew at once who that was. "Trixie?"

Following Sunburst, Starlight ran down the road and rounded the hill. Sure enough, there was Trixie, all decked out in her magician's hat and cape.

When Trixie noticed Starlight, she was overjoyed! "Starlight Glimmer! Oh, how Trixie has longed to see you again!" She happily exclaimed. "Trixie would totally hug you right now, if that was something she did."

"It's good to see you too, Trixie," Starlight replied somewhat nervously. "But uh, what are you doing back in Ponyville? I thought you were on an Equestria wide apology tour?"

Trixie nodded and gave a wink. "Well, I was. But even the Great and Powerful Trixie needs a rest. And where better to get some time off than the hometown of her bestest friend in the whole wide world, Starlight Glimmer?" Then she turned to Sunburst. "And who are you?"

Sunburst stuck out a hoof. "Oh, I'm Sunburst. I'm sure Starlight's told you about me, no?"

"As a matter of fact she hasn't, I thought I was her only friend." Trixie commented, turning around to glare at Starlight.

Starlight gulped. "W-well, I meant to tell you but it completely slipped my mind, honest."

"Anything _else_ you've been hiding from Trixie?" Trixie demanded. "You know The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't like being kept in the dark."

Meanwhile, Sunburst had made his way around to the back of the wagon and was currently peering inside. He was fascinated by all the props he could stored in there, magic cards, magic wands, handkerchiefs in a rainbow of colors, and even those boxes magicians used to saw themselves in half. "Whoa!" He exclaimed, before he noticed the window was open. Maybe just a quick look around the inside wouldn't hurt.

But before Sunburst had a chance, Trixie immediately rushed over and pulled him away before slamming the window shut. "Hey, hey, hey! Look but don't touch! You would not believe how expensive some of those props can be!" She lectured. "Besides, you're not supposed to see the tricks of the trade! As we magicians always say: 'A good magician never reveals her secrets'."

"Sorry," Sunburst apologized, turning to Trixie. "It's just, I've always been fascinated by stage magic ever since I was a foal. But my parents could never afford to take me to shows. There was something about it that drew my attention. Maybe it was the power of illusion, the hoof and eye coordination, or even just the atmosphere. I guess that's part of what got me into plain old magic to begin with, and part of what inspired me to be a big, important wizard."

"Always a joy to meet a fellow lover of the magical arts," Trixie beamed. "And any friend of Starlight Glimmer's is a friend of mine. Just don't go getting any ideas about Starlight Glimmer, the two of us have a special bond."

Starlight moved to break up the potential argument. "A girl can have multiple best friends, it's not like there's anything wrong with that," She commented, and then decided to ask. "Say, Trixie, have you maybe noticed anything 'different' going on here today?"

"You mean, aside from all of your friends acting distant and alone?" Trixie raised an eyebrow. "Trixie's having a hard time seeing what it is about them that makes them your friends. None of them could even remember my name, the nerve of it all!"

"Now, now, I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation for all of this," Sunburst cautioned. "Maybe they're all planning some kind of surprise party or something."

Starlight wasn't so convinced. "I don't know, it's not like my friends to forget names like mine or Trixie's. That settles it, something is _definitely_ going on here. I need to get to the castle, Twilight or Shining have to know what's going on!"

* * *

Starlight raced up to the castle door, only to find it locked for some odd reason! "Hello? Twilight? Shining Armor? Anypony?" She called, frantically knocking on the door.

A small hatch opened up near the top, revealing the face of Spike who seemed anything but pleased. In fact he didn't seem to recognize Starlight at all. "What do _you_ want?! Visitors are not allowed, Twilight and Shining Armor are very busy!"

"What could be so important that they can't speak to me?!" Starlight demanded. "Besides, I live here, I don't need an appointment!"

"Is there a part of 'Get lost' you don't understand?!" Spike coldly hissed! "Go ahead and come back another day, thank you!" And with that, he slammed the hatch shut.

"What is the meaning of this?! Why are you being so-" Starlight began, before the door suddenly opened. Twilight and Shining Armor were there, and they didn't seem happy at the way Spike had been acting.

"-Rude?" Twilight guessed. "Well, I think a certain baby dragon didn't get his nap today."

Spike stuck out his tongue. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just doing my job."

"I am so sorry about that," Shining apologized to Starlight. "He's been acting off all day, probably missed a meal or something."

"He's not the only one acting strange. What is going on?!" Starlight demanded. "I'm being locked out of my own home for crying out loud!"

"Sorry, extra security measures, you know how it is. Can't be too careful," Shining explained to Starlight. "So, what are you doing back here? Shouldn't you be halfway across Equestria by now?"

Starlight sighed and confessed. "Yeah, I should be, but things didn't go how I planned. The townsponies in my old village, they kept on asking me things, like they expected me to be in charge again. But being a leader is the _last_ thing I should ever be. So we left. Very suddenly." She proceeded to hang her head in shame.

To Starlight's great surprise, Shining exclaimed. "Wow! You should definitely never go back to that village."

"Huh? Whatever do you mean? That's odd coming from the likes of you." Starlight commented.

"What, you want to go back to that village now?" Twilight asked, as if she were confused. "Can't you make up your mind?"

Shining paid no attention to Twilight's remark and simply explained his reasoning. "If you were worried about what they thought of you before, then it's probably way worse now. I'd cut my losses if I were you."

Starlight found herself put off by that comment. " _That's not what Shining Armor would say. This guy must be an imposter. But I don't wanna let him know I'm onto him, there may be more._ " She thought, so she reluctantly put on the best acting face she could and pretend to be shocked. "That's... surprising advice, coming from you of all ponies."

The "imposter" puffed out his wings as he boasted. "Trust me, I know what I'm talking about. I'm the Prince of Friendship, and if I say you don't need those ponies then you don't need those ponies, simple as that. You can always make more friends somewhere else," Just then, the throne room door creaked open and Soarin (or rather, what appeared to be Soarin) motioned for Shining to enter. "Ah! Speaking of friends, if you'll excuse me, I've important business to attend to!" And the "imposter" trotted off and slammed the throne room door shut.

" _Something is_ _ **definitely**_ _going on here, and I don't like it one bit. Can I trust anypony around here?_ " Starlight thought to herself. And those thoughts plagued her for the rest of the day.

* * *

Nightfall had come, and Starlight was surprised to find herself back in her old village. She could see all the villagers trotting about, but they didn't seem to acknowledge her presence. It was as if she was invisible. "Hey, I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. Party Favor, can you hear me?" She called, but there was no reply.

Suddenly, however, an angry male voice sharply called out. "I thought I told you that you can never speak to them again!" And it soon revealed itself to be Shining Armor, his eyes narrowed in anger. And he was surrounded by all of his friends.

Starlight nearly jumped back in surprise! "What are you all doing here?"

"Making sure you do what _I_ said! I'm your teacher, aren't I? Didn't I say to never come back here again?!" Shining scolded, as he approached Starlight.

Starlight gulped and retorted. "Y-you did, but that just doesn't seem right. You aren't acting like yourself," The next part of her speech echoed loudly, as if another voice were joining the chorus. "Something is wrong!" Then a gust of wind swept through the village, and Shining and the stallions faded away as if they'd never been there to begin with.

It took but a moment for Starlight to realize what this meant. "A dream? This is another dream! But, what does it mean?"

"Starlight Glimmer!" Princess Luna called out, emerging from the moon! "Thank goodness I've a chance to speak to you! I don't have much time, the changelings are more relentless than we anticipated!"

Starlight gasped! "Oh no, does that mean they've taken Canterlot and the Crystal Empire?!"

Luna shook her head. "No, we're still holding the line just fine in Canterlot. But we've received word from Flash Sentry about the Crystal Empire, Queen Chrysalis managed to make off with Flurry Heart and Shining Armor! And to make matters worse, it seems a few of Chrysalis' drones managed to capture Twilight Sparkle and the others in Ponyville!"

"W-what am I supposed to about that?! I'm just one pony!" Starlight protested.

"Be weary of who you trust, Starlight Glimmer! Thorax is on his way, but we're not sure of the extent of this little ruse Chrysalis devised!" Luna cautioned. "I'm afraid the princesses and I are going to be tied up for quite a while still, we'll be of no help to you!"

"Luna, wait, don't go!" Starlight pleaded, as the night princess started to walk back towards the moon. "Please, I need your help!"

"It's all up to you now, Starlight," Luna replied. "I must go now, we can't afford to lose Canterlot!" And then she faded away in a bright flash of light!

Starlight woke up in her bed in a cold sweat, panting furiously! "They're back!" She exclaimed in horror!


	144. Chapter 144: SOS!

Starlight knew she couldn't stay in the castle, but running (or even just sneaking) to the front door would be a fool's errand, a sure fire way to draw attention and alert the changelings. So she did the only thing she could think of in this situation, and made a desperate leap for it from her bedroom window. How very lucky that she had moved to her own room in the castle basement just the other day.

Already, Princess Luna's warning echoed in Starlight's mind. "Be careful who you trust." Thorax was on his way, but when he'd arrive and how much of a help he'd be, Starlight wasn't sure. She needed to at least try to find some friends, with any luck maybe she could form a small army. Where she'd go from there, the unicorn didn't know, but she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.

In her panic stricken state, Starlight didn't notice as she bumped straight into Sunburst. " _Or a changeling 'pretending' to be Sunburst!_ " Starlight thought, and instantly she stepped back and fired up her horn. "Sunburst, I want to believe it's you, but I can't be sure!"

Sunburst was confused. "Starlight, what's this all about? You have a funny way of saying hello."

Starlight just glared at "Sunburst". It sure looked like him, they even had the goatee down to a t. But physical features were easy to mimic if you were a changeling, it was the personality that gave you away. "How do I know you aren't a changeling as well, sent here to trap me? What if all this time, you've secretly been a changeling?!"

"Starlight, you're not making a lick of sense! Are you feeling okay?" Sunburst anxiously asked.

"It all makes sense now!" Starlight protested, stepping back. "You didn't remember who I was, because you didn't bother to learn about the past of the pony you replaced! This whole time, you were feeding off of Flurry Heart's love while hiding right under Shining's Armor nose! Then, when you'd gained his trust and he lowered his guard after Thorax's arrival, you passed word along to Chrysalis! From there it was just a matter of 'conveniently' leaving to be with me, and my invitation to the Sunset Festival was the opportunity you'd been waiting for! You let Chrysalis know how to get past the guards so she could steal Flurry Heart, and then kept me distracted long enough for all my friends to be captured and replaced! I should've known our reunion was too good to be true! The real Sunburst would've branded me a freak!"

Despite the accusations, Sunburst stepped forward and did his best to reassure Starlight. "Come on, Starlight, we've known each other since we were foals. You would know if I wasn't who I said I was," He began to rack his brain for some way to prove he wasn't a changeling. Then, suddenly, an idea came to him. "If I _was_ a changeling, how would I have been able to keep up my disguise for so long? You saw how all the love for Flurry Heart drove Thorax crazy, it would've done the same to me."

"Everyone was so fixated on Thorax, they probably never would've noticed, and you probably kept it all under wraps!" Starlight protested. "The only way I'd know you're actually Sunburst, is if you knew something from our childhood! Something that only the _real_ Sunburst would know!"

"You mean, like how we used to play _Dragon Pit_ all the time? And how I'd knock the whole board over in excitement every time my dragon got trapped?" Sunburst asked with a giggle.

Starlight allowed her horn's magic surge to die down. It took everything she had not to tackle the stallion into a great big hug. "It is you!" She happily exclaimed! "Oh Sunburst, you don't know how glad I am to see a friendly face at a time like this!"

"What's going on, Starlight?" Sunburst asked. "I couldn't get a ticket back to the Crystal Empire, so it must still be under siege. And what's all this about changelings?"

"I'll explain on the way, but for now we need to get to Trixie!" Starlight instructed. "I think we're going to need all the help we can get on this one!"

* * *

As it turned out, Trixie had parked her wagon not far from the castle. Starlight trotted up to the front door and knocked on it. "Trixie? Trixie? Are you awake?"

From the other side of the door, Starlight heard a muffled voice mumble. "Why yes, Princess Celestia, I'd love to perform for peanut butter crackers. They're my absolute favorite food."

"Trixie! Come on, wake up!" Starlight demanded, knocking more frantically!

What followed was a series of mumbles, groans, and fireworks explosions, before Trixie stuck her head out of the wagon's side window. Smoke billowed out, prompting the magician to cough. "Starlight, what time is it?" She asked, yawning a bit. "Can't it wait until morning? The Great and Powerful Trixie needs her beauty sleep."

"There's no time for that, Trixie!" Starlight protested, as she helped pull the magician out from the window and set her on the ground. "Do you remember where we first met and became friends?"

Trixie yawned again. "Why are you asking Trixie this, Starlight? It's late, and you don't want to see how cranky the Great and Powerful Trixie can be if she doesn't get enough sleep."

"Trixie, please, don't do this to me!" Starlight angrily commented. "Answer my question, please! I need to know you're the real deal!"

"Fine, I'll play along with your little game," Trixie half yawned, half groaned. "We met at the Ponyville Spa, and we bonded over the fact that ponies judge us for our past. There, are you happy now?"

"Oh yes, more happy than you might think!" Starlight happily exclaimed. "I'm so glad you're not a changeling!"

"Changeling? Starlight, what in Equestria are you babbling about?" Trixie inquired.

Sunburst explained. "The changelings are back, and from the looks of things they've managed to ponynap Twilight, Shining Armor, and all of their friends. And the princesses and the royal guards are too busy fending off invasions in Canterlot and the Crystal Empire to come help."

"W-what?!" Trixie exclaimed, a bit too loudly! Starlight had to put a hoof to her mouth to keep the magician from screaming. "I-if that's true, I can't deal with this! I'm just a performer, an illusionist! Great and Powerful, yes! Invincible, not in a million years! This is... this is princess level stuff! If what you say is true, we're doomed!"

"Not entirely, Trixie, that's why I came to see you," Starlight reassured her friend. "Thorax is on his way here as we speak, and we've also got Sunburst to help us out. Between the four of us, maybe we could at least take back the castle."

"Thorax? Who's Thorax?" Trixie wondered aloud.

"I am." Said a voice. And then from the bushes emerged a changeling! Said changeling boasted shimmering wings, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Starlight and Sunburst. (Trixie was too busy freaking out to take any notice)

Starlight was hesitant to approach the changeling. "Wait a minute, what happened to your wings? They look so... shiny now."

Thorax buzzed them absentmindedly. "I guess they do, I thought they felt different."

"Alright then, now how about the four of us..." Starlight began, before a thought struck her. "Wait, hold on just a second here! I wasn't born yesterday! How do I know for sure you're actually Thorax and not some _other_ changeling trying to pass themselves off as him?"

"Will _this_ convince you?" Thorax asked, as he shape-shifted into Shining Armor. "I hope you won't mind, I'm bringing the rest of the guards along with me, as well as Spike, and my sister. I won't fall for any mind games this time," He spoke in perfect impersonation of the prince. "That's what Shining Armor said to me when we first met. You were there, right?"

Starlight nodded, breathing a much needed sigh of relief as Thorax changed back to normal. "Sorry, just had to be sure. Can never be too careful with changeling swarms on the loose."

"It's okay, I understand," Thorax replied and approached the trembling form of Trixie. "It's okay, I'm a friend of Starlight's. I'm Thorax, I'm a nice changeling, I promise."

Trixie just weakly answered. "If Starlight says you're on our side, I believe her. But if you wouldn't mind leaving me alone, that would be great. I'm just... not really into bugs and this is too much for me right now."

"I understand," Thorax agreed and stepped back as he turned to Starlight. "Flash Sentry sent me to find you, Starlight. He regrets that he can't come himself, but I'm sure Princess Luna already filled you in on the details."

"She did," Starlight confirmed with a nod. "But that's still only four of us against who knows how many changelings in that castle?"

* * *

"Four? You mean six!" A familiar male voice cried out. Its owner soon revealed itself as Spike, and walking next to him was Dragon Lord (or Dragon Lady to be precise) Ember.

"Spike! The changelings didn't get to you?!" Starlight asked, knowing that no changeling would've been able to fool Ember (let alone know who that was).

Spike shook his head. "I barely got out of there with my scales intact. By then it was too late to save anypony," He clenched a claw in anger. "I knew I couldn't take them on my own, so I sent a distress call to Ember. And now, those changelings are gonna pay for taking away my family **AND** my home! I don't care if I have to flame broil 'em to make 'em talk!"

"Anyone who messes with my friends and thinks they can get away with it answers to me!" Ember vowed. "So, Starlight, what's your game plan?"

"Yeah, Starlight, what are the six of us supposed to do?" Sunburst asked. "Surely, you have a plan, right?"

Starlight shook her head and sighed. "I haven't had time to think of one!"

Trixie gulped. "Then we're right back to square one! The changelings have all the most powerful ponies! What are we supposed to do _now_?"

But just then, a sinister voice called out. "You know, its funny. Whenever ponies talk about 'powerful magic' they always leave me out of it. If I weren't so evolved I _might_ decide to take it personally."

Starlight and Spike spun around, they knew who that was! Sure enough, a familiar draconequus rested atop Trixie's wagon. "Discord!" Starlight and Spike both exclaimed!


	145. Chapter 145: Rescue Operation

"Well, isn't this quite the collection of secondary and supporting characters?" Discord commented. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"Who are you calling secondary?!" Spike snapped.

"Oh, Spike, you think I was referring to you?" Discord scolded, turning his attention to Starlight. "I was referring to the prince's prized protege and star pupil here, and just about everyone besides you and I. The two of us, we're special enough to be considered supporting."

Starlight looked at the spirit of chaos. It sure seemed like him, and the personality seemed to be just how she remembered him being. But she wasn't about to take chances. "How do I know for sure you're the real Discord?" She asked.

Discord smirked. "Oh really, you're going to ask? Well, I guess a quick demonstration won't hurt," He snapped his paws, turning Trixie's wagon into a pumpkin carriage and the ground into alternating tiles of black and white. Then he snapped his paws again, and the scenery changed to a world of clocks and rubber chickens. "Good enough, or do you still need more proof?"

Starlight shook her head. "That'll do, Discord, you've more than proven you're no changeling."

"Changelings you say?" Discord inquired. "Sounds interesting, but what does that all have to do with me?"

Starlight took a deep breath as she told the witty chaos maker. "Chrysalis and the changelings are back. They've managed to kidnap Shining Armor and Flurry Heart, and they also made off with Twilight."

Discord tried not to yawn. "Well, it's a shame that happened, but I don't exactly see how I'm supposed to help. Heck, I don't even know where to start looking. I'm sure his friends and the princess will come to Shining's aide eventually, and rescue Flurry Heart and Twilight while they're at it."

But Starlight only shook her head. "No, because they've all been kidnapped as well and with your magic we might just-"

Discord interrupted, teleporting in front of Starlight with his eyes glaring. "They took Fluttershy?!" He growled. When Starlight nodded, he then ominously asked. "Where?! Tell me where they've taken her, and I'll give those changelings something to be scared of! They'll rue the day they dared lay a hoof, or whatever it is they have, on my best friend!"

"H-hold on a minute," Sunburst cautioned. "Before we go galavanting off to who knows where, we should probably come up with a plan. At least we need to decide who's doing what."

"And we better make sure everyone is who they say they are," Starlight commented, looking across to Spike and Ember. "So, Spike, what proof do you have that you're not a changeling?"

Spike snorted. "If I was a changeling, how could I know about Dragon Lord Ember or how to contact her?"

"Good point," Starlight retorted and turned to Ember. "And are you the real Ember?"

"Of course I'm the real Ember! Why would I not be?!" Ember shouted, a bit too loudly as she ended up blowing Starlight back a bit. "Sorry, got a little defensive there."

Starlight just picked herself up and brushed herself off. "It's alright, at least now I know you're not a changeling."

"But that still leaves us with one problem," Sunburst commented. "There are changelings in the castle, and an entire hive of them holding our friends captive. And if we try to do one and then the other, chances are they'll be onto us. I think it might be best if we split up, use their own tricks against them."

Trixie smirked. "I knew there was something I liked about you, Sunburst. I'm all for smoke and mirrors tactics, it's right up the Great and Powerful Trixie's alley."

Spike clenched his claws into a fist. "Well, I'm staying here! Those changelings booted me out of my own home, and now I've got a score to settle!"

"I'm all for settling scores," Ember chimed in. "Besides, I do owe you for the gauntlet."

Trixie then spoke up. "The Great and Powerful Trixie would rather try her odds with a small group of changelings, rather than an entire hive's worth of them. So she shall reluctantly assist the take back of the castle."

"You'll need my help if you're going to find your way around the hive." Thorax spoke up.

Discord, as if to make his earlier position even more clear, declared. "I won't rest until Fluttershy is safe, and those changelings are taught a lesson. I'm going to the hive."

Sunburst looked across to Starlight and told her. "Whatever you want to do, Starlight, I'll do it with you. I wasn't there for you the last time you needed me the most and I won't let history repeat itself. Not if I can help it!"

"Then it looks like we're both going with Thorax and Discord," Starlight commented. "So I guess everything's in order."

"Not quite. Discord, if you wouldn't mind waiting for a moment?" Sunburst requested.

Discord yawned. "Fine, but make it quick. The sooner we leave, the sooner I can save Fluttershy."

Sunburst trotted over to Trixie and asked the magician. "Would you mind if I borrowed some of your magic props? I have a feeling they might be useful in the changeling hive, at least in terms of causing a distraction."

"Well, there isn't much Trixie would be willing to be part with," Trixie commented. "But I suppose the Great and Powerful Trixie would be willing to give you a few smoke bombs. There are plenty more where those came from."

Sunburst smiled, as a few of the aforementioned bombs were dropped carefully into his saddlebag. "Great! Thanks a bunch, Trixie! These will most definitely come in handy!"

"Are you done yet? I probably could've already rescued Fluttershy by now." Discord impatiently groaned, as Sunburst trotted back towards Starlight.

Sunburst nodded. "Yup, we're all set."

Starlight briefly looked across to Trixie. "Well, I suppose this is good-bye again, Trixie. A shame our reunion had to be under these circumstances."

Trixie just replied. "It's hardly your fault, Starlight. Just do the Great and Powerful Trixie a favor and try not to get yourself captured. Trixie would rather not have to tangle with anymore changelings than she has to."

"I'll most certainly do my best." Starlight promised Trixie, and then she, Sunburst, Thorax, and Discord all vanished in a flash of light as Discord snapped his paws.

* * *

The group reappeared in a flash of light on land that looked like it had not been occupied for several years. Everything seemed old and neglected, as if starved of life.

"Huh, that's odd," Discord commented. "I was trying to take us directly to Fluttershy and yet," He lifted up a rock and scanned beneath it with his eyes. "There's no Fluttershy to be found."

"Oh, she's definitely around," Thorax shuddered with fright. "Look!"

The group members all turned their attention to where Thorax was pointing. And what they saw filled their hearts with dread. A hollowed out, cocoon like structure stood before them, complete with rather derelict colored crystals at the base.

"Is that-" Starlight began, only to be interrupted by Thorax.

"Oh yes, it's the changeling hive all right," Thorax shivered. "I thought I'd never set foot into that horrible place ever again. Guess I should've known never to say never."


	146. Chapter 146: Klutzy Draconequus

"Oh, this is so strange. We're here and that's there, and I clearly meant for us to be there and not here," Discord complained. "This has never happened before."

"Maybe your magic's still on the fritz or something?" Sunburst suggested.

Discord scoffed at the very suggestion. "My magic was working just fine when I joined you. This is probably just a fluke. After all, if at first you don't succeed, just try and try again."

"Actually, that won't work. Allow me to explain-" Thorax began.

Discord just rolled his eyes. "There's no need for you to do that, Thorax," He told the changeling. "I've got this."

Starlight wasn't so sure. "Maybe we should listen to what Thorax has to say? We still kind of need to come up with an actual plan."

"A what now? I mean seriously, we have _me_ ," Discord retorted. "I can do just about anything if I really wanted to. This is but a minor setback."

"But it isn't, it's actually-" Thorax began again, only to again be silenced by Discord.

"Enough already, if it weren't for your 'comments' this would be rescue operation would be over already!" Discord boasted. "Now, stand back and watch the master at work!"

"Seriously, we need a plan!" Sunburst protested. "We can't just go rushing in there and expect everything to work out, that's a sure fire way to get captured."

"A plan? I don't see why we need one," Discord retorted to Sunburst. "We have me, what more could we possibly need?"

"Well, a draconequus with magic _and_ some common sense wouldn't hurt." Sunburst remarked.

Discord rolled his eyes. "Why are you even here again? My magic can actually _do_ something, which is more than I can say for a bookworm like you."

"Hey, this is no time for us to be fighting among ourselves!" Starlight protested. "Let's hear Thorax out and go from there. He's the expert here, he knows this place more than any of us."

But Discord wouldn't listen. "Stand back, everyone! One rescue coming right up!" He snapped his paws, and sent a flying pig straight towards the hive. But it didn't go very far before it suddenly and inexplicably vanished. Undeterred, Discord decided to try again, this time riding on a flying pig while wearing armor. "For Fluttershy!" He shouted, only to be left dangling from the cliff when his ride suddenly phased out in mid flight.

Thorax groaned. "I've been trying to tell you, Discord! Nothing other than changeling magic works here. Chrysalis' throne is carved from an ancient dark stone that soaks up outside magic the same way that changelings soak up love. It's how she keeps the hive safe. Why else do you think no one's ever been able to capture her?"

"Great, so magic doesn't work at all, huh?" Sunburst lightly groaned, then turned to Starlight. "So, what now? Any ideas?"

"Yes, oh fearless leader," Discord sarcastically remarked. "Let's hear what that 'big brain' of yours has cooked up."

But Starlight shook her head. "Without magic, I'm as stumped as you two are. But no one else is coming. So _someone_ better come up with _something_ ," But no one said a word, prompting Starlight to groan. "What, am I supposed to think of _everything_ around here?"

"W-well, you _did_ go through the process of making sure we were all who we said we were," Thorax nervously commented. "And you were the one suggesting Discord hear me out. You've sort of put yourself in the position of leader."

Starlight gulped. " _Great, my worst nightmare come to life! I never wanted to put in charge of anything ever again after what I did to that village! But I can't turn back now, I've got to come up with_ _ **something**_ _!_ " She thought to herself, and then reluctantly she pondered. "Well... This throne – if we can get into the hive and destroy it, can we get our magic back, Thorax?"

Thorax nodded. "It should work, but the throne room will be heavily guarded."

"That's a terrible plan if you ask me, and they call _me_ nuts!" Discord retorted. "Rushing right into the heart of the hive to destroy some stupid stone carved into a throne?!"

"Well if you've got a better idea, I'd sure like to hear it!" Starlight angrily remarked.

Discord reluctantly clammed up, but not before he asked. "How do we even get to the hive?"

"We walk, obviously." Sunburst told the chaos maker.

Discord was shocked at the idea! "Me?! Walk?! I haven't walked that far in a millennia!"

Starlight and Sunburst both groaned, as Starlight replied. "Well too bad, we're walking. It's really the only option we have. Now come along, and stop whining. We'll never get anywhere if we're at each other's throats."

* * *

And so the group walked. It was a long way to the hive though, and it didn't take long for Discord to grow bored. "Oh, I don't know how any of you manage not being able to disappear and reappear whenever you want! This walk is killing me!"

Sunburst muttered under his breath. "I'm starting to wish _you_ would just disappear."

"I heard that!" Discord snapped.

"What did I just get through saying not even five minutes ago?!" Starlight complained. "Look, none of us knew we'd not be able to use magic."

"Actually, I did. I just sort of forgot to warn you before we left." Thorax corrected.

Sunburst sighed. "Well, the best I've got right now are smoke bombs, and whatever else I've got in my saddle bag. Though even with magic, I'm not sure I'd be much help."

"Don't say that!" Starlight protested to Sunburst. "You're a big part of the reason why I'm even going through with this. Without you by my side, I don't know how I'd stay calm," Then another thought struck her and she quickly halted the group. "Before we go any further, we should start thinking about what to do in case we get separated. The changelings will surely try to trick us, so it might help if we have some way of knowing we are who we say are."

Discord's eyes lit up with delight at the idea! "Oh, you mean like a secret code or something? I can do that!" He began to pace back and forth as he pondered ideas. "How about if I say 'We are' and you all say 'Doomed'? Or maybe I say 'Rescue' and you say-" But while pondering, Discord had forgotten to watch where he was going, and he tripped over a rock.

Sunburst snickered. "I've got one, Discord. How about if we all say 'Klutzy' and you say 'Draconequus'? The changelings would _never_ think of that!"

"'Klutzy Draconequus'? Works for me." Starlight smiled.

"I'll definitely remember it." Thorax agreed.

"And there's no way I'll forget it," Sunburst added. "Sorry, Discord, guess you've been outvoted."

Discord just groaned. " _Me being the butt of a joke, never thought I'd see the day._ " He thought to himself.

* * *

Sneaking past the guards at the outskirts of the hive, the small group was able to make its way into the hive. The entire place was full of caverns and pathways that went in all sorts of directions. It most definitely looked like it would difficult to find your way around without a guide.

And as luck would have it, Thorax was that guide.

"Okay, I am _definitely_ glad you came with us, Thorax. I don't think we'd be able to find our way around without you." Sunburst told the changeling.

Thorax just whispered back. "You definitely wouldn't. The hive is enormous."

Just then, a rock creaked and Sunburst noticed that the small hole through which he and the others had entered was now gone. He gulped. "Um, where's the way out? J-just in case."

Thorax's response was enough to very nearly unnerve both Sunburst and Starlight. "It's a changeling hive. It shifts and changes like we do, and we're the only ones who can navigate it. It's total chaos to non-changelings. Without me, you'd be lost forever."

"Well, I guess it's 'decent' chaos, not sure if I'd call it 'total'." Discord commented, not wanting to admit he was actually impressed by the idea of not being able to find your way.

The group made their way through the hive in silence for a bit, before Discord began to grow impatient and asked. "Are we absolutely sure that I'll get my magic back when we destroy this throne thingy?"

"If Thorax is right, and I hope he is, then yes." Starlight answered.

Discord groaned and sarcastically replied. "Well, that's reassuring. So it's not even a certainty? You've picked a heck of a time to take a gamble."

"It's not like we have any alternatives, destroying the throne is the best shot we have at the moment." Starlight told Discord.

Sunburst then asked. "And just how are we supposed to destroy this throne when we find it? Heck, how are we even supposed to know when we've found it?"

"I... don't know. Maybe Thorax will." Starlight confessed.

"Great, we're totally winging this entire plan," Sunburst sarcastically remarked. "I don't dare to ask how this might go wrong."

Meanwhile, Discord was examining Sunburst's saddle bags. "Why do you even have all these useless things?" He remarked. "And why did you waste your time with that self absorbed magician's smoke bombs? I was hoping you'd have some kind of throne destroying tools or something."

"Asks the Lord of Chaos who can't even go for a walk without whining nonstop!" Sunburst retorted, turning around to face Discord.

Discord just hissed. "Yes. But the thing is, when the throne is destroyed, I should be able to rip the very fabric of reality to save our friends. And you'll still be a washed up former magic student, turned royal foalsitter."

"You _dare_ to mock Flurry Heart's Crystaller?!" Sunburst growled defensively! "Why I oughta-"

Starlight quickly stepped between the two and scolded! "How many times do I have to say it?! Cut it out, both of you! I'm just barely keeping it together as it is, and it would be _wonderful_ if you two could actually try to help me instead of bickering like foals!"

Sunburst and Discord reluctantly ceased their arguing a second later. Starlight had a point, they'd be better off trying to help her instead of wasting time fighting.

"So, how can we help, Starlight?" Discord asked. "Anything you need us to do?"

Starlight gulped and confessed. "Actually, I have no real plan at the moment."

"You haven't thought of a plan?!" Sunburst nearly gasped!

"Who's had time to think of one?!" Starlight protested. "I'm working it on right now. But at least Thorax knows where we're going."

But at that moment Thorax spoke up. "Uh, about that. Guys? I um... think we're lost." And they were. Ahead of them was a huge cliff that lead to nowhere, and with the pathways constantly shifting and changing, it was anyone's guess if the way back would still be there.

"Great, a dead end. Guess we might as well just sit here and wait for the changelings to soak up all of our love or whatever gross thing it is that they do," Sunburst complained. Then he asked Thorax. "Actually, I've been meaning to ask. I don't think I've seen you hungry lately. So, how often is it that you changelings feed?"

"Actually, all the time, we're always starving for love and can't get enough of it. Except Chrysalis for some reason, she seems to be satisfied no matter what," Thorax commented. "But I haven't been hungry at all since I met Spike and befriended Shining Armor and Cadence."

"So, you aren't hungry _at all_ now? And haven't been even while you were impersonating Shining Armor for Flurry Heart?" Starlight questioned. This new discovery seemed odd.

Thorax nodded. "Once I made a few friends, I guess I just sort of forgot about the whole feeding thing."

"Is that about the same time that your wings changed?" Starlight inquired.

Thorax looked at his new shiny wings, and nodded again. "I... guess so. I never really noticed. I went to bed one night with normal wings and woke up the next morning with these shiny ones."

Discord yawned. "While I would love to just sit around chit chatting about feeding and not feeding, _I have a Fluttershy to save!_ "

In the distance, if one listened closely, they might have heard the sound of hissing.

Sunburst glared at Discord! "Can you please lower your voice?! You're gonna get us all captured!" He complained in a hushed tone of voice.

Discord scoffed and replied. "Oh, you keep saying that, but I haven't seen an actual changeling since we got into this hive. They must all be asleep or something."

"And now that you've said that, an entire swarm is gonna descend upon us," Sunburst groaned. "You've never heard of 'tempting fate'? If it can go wrong, it _will_ go wrong."

Just then, in the distance came the sound of what could best be described as humming. "W-What's that?" Sunburst asked, before he then added. "Wait, don't tell me-"

"It's a changeling patrol!" Thorax shouted!


	147. Chapter 147: Captured Chaos

The changeling swarm drew closer and closer, but it seemed like the group had nowhere to run. Thorax began to hyperventilate.

"You know, this seems like one of those moments where we need a plan." Discord nervously commented.

"What kind of plan?!" Sunburst retorted. "We're about to become a changeling snack for crying out loud!"

Just then, Starlight got an idea. "Hey, Sunburst, you still have those smoke bombs Trixie gave you?" She asked.

Sunburst nodded. "Yeah, but I don't see how they're going to help us."

Starlight just grinned. "Trust me, they'll be more useful than you know. Now here's what we're going to do."

* * *

By the time the changeling swarm reached the location of the shout, they found that there was only one pony waiting for them, Sunburst.

Sunburst looked at the changelings and smugly taunted. "Hey, you guys looking for somepony? Sorry to disappoint you, but it's only me," The changelings responded with a series of hisses, and Sunburst just laughed. "Ha, is that the best you got?! Keep up with me if you can!" Then he disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing on a ledge a good distance away. He kept up this act several times. Whenever the changelings got close, he would quickly throw down another smoke bomb and disappear again.

Unknown to the changelings, it wasn't actually Sunburst they were chasing. Thorax had disguised himself as the stallion and had utilized the smoke bombs as a cover to fly away undetected. The real Sunburst was watching from a safe distance, alongside Discord and Starlight.

Discord commented to Sunburst. "Okay, I suppose I'll give you that one. That's a pretty clever use of smoke bombs."

"Thanks, I guess." Sunburst replied.

Starlight, for her part, just breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that's one crisis averted."

"Indeed it is," Thorax spoke up, as he rejoined the group still disguised as Sunburst. "I think I lost them, at least for now."

"'Klutzy'..." Starlight began.

"'Draconequus'!" Sunburst and Thorax said at the same time, as Thorax changed back to normal.

Discord just groaned. "Seriously, I think we need to come up with a better code word. Something that doesn't involve having to give up my dignity."

"We all agreed to it, Discord. Now stop complaining." Sunburst scolded.

Thorax decided to change the subject. "That was a good plan there, Starlight. Pretty good thinking too."

"Yes, but we still don't know where we're going. We're back to square one." Sunburst commented.

"Not necessarily," Starlight retorted and then said to Thorax. "I noticed that two of the changelings didn't go with the rest. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you, Thorax?"

Thorax's eyes lit up as he exclaimed! "Why of course I do! With an intruder in the hive, they went to protect the queen! Brilliant observation, Starlight! I like the way you're thinking!"

Starlight just laughed nervously. "More of a lucky guess, I'd say. But I'll take it."

* * *

The group set off a few seconds later, trying to follow the path that they'd seen the two changeling drones go down when they broke away from the rest of the swarm.

But it didn't take long for them to run into another obstacle blocking their path. A door of sorts led to the interior of the hive, but several changeling guards were lined up on patrol, and their wings buzzed ominously.

"Great, now what?" Sunburst asked, as the four rescuers observed the guards from afar.

"Simple, we go in." Starlight answered.

Thorax gulped. "One problem though, even if we wanted to there's no way past the guards. We'll be spotted for sure."

"Then we need a distraction," Starlight whispered and turned to Sunburst. "Still got any smoke bombs?"

Sunburst shook his head. "Sorry, fresh out. And I don't really have anything else that'll do the trick. If I had some of Flurry Heart's toys, I could probably throw one to draw their attention."

"Guess that means one of us will have to be the distraction," Starlight concluded. "They'll need to lure the guards away, and then find a way to give them the slip so they can meet back up with us. But who's going to take the risk?"

Discord nervously commented. "Well... usually _I'm_ the most distracting thing I know. But without my magic..."

"You shouldn't doubt yourself," Starlight told the chaos maker. "Just go out there and do something, anything. Those guards look like they'd be easily amused."

* * *

After a bit of planning, Discord reluctantly stepped out in front of the guards, holding a microphone in his paws. "Hello, changelings and changelettes!" He greeted loudly. "Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are that I'm here now! Funny how these things work! Anyway, when I heard that I'd be playing for an entire bunch of changelings, I was beside myself! But then I realized, it was just one of you."

A rim shot of sorts echoed through the hive, as the guards hissed and snarled.

With a nervous laugh, Discord spoke into the microphone. "But, seriously, folks. This isn't the toughest crowd I've ever been in front of. But it's mostly definitely the easiest to bug! Get it?!" Another rim shot echoed through the hive, but there was no reply from the changelings this time. "'To bug'?" Discord asked, as he tapped the microphone. "Is this thing even on? Come on, guys, help a draconequus out here."

The changelings snarled again.

Discord gulped, throwing down the microphone. "Okay, okay, I get it. No more bug jokes," He commented. "Seriously, you guys are the worst audience ever. I don't know who's worse though, you or Queen Fatso, your leader."

"He insulted our queen! Get him!" One of the guards shouted, and they all chased after Discord.

This allowed Starlight, Sunburst, and Thorax to all sneak past undetected. Sunburst tried his best not to chuckle. "Gotta admit, that was pretty selfless of him to throw himself out there like that. You think he'll be okay?"

Starlight nodded. "I'm sure Discord can handle himself. Now we just wait here for him to give the guards the slip, and rejoin us."

* * *

Discord eventually managed to duck into a side room, as the changeling guards whizzed past unaware. The chaos maker breathed a sigh of relief. "For a race that's all about deception and trickery, these changelings sure aren't the brightest bulbs of the bunch. Who knew they were suckers for a stand up comedy routine?" He turned to leave as he then added. "I'll have to remember to come back with more material, then I'll give them something to _really_ remember me by. Just hope the others haven't gone and gotten themselves captured, otherwise I made a fool of myself for nothing!"

But just then, a faint voice whimpered. "Please, help!"

Discord spun around, he recognized that voice! "Fluttershy!" He exclaimed, rushing over to the pegasus who was currently tied up in green goop.

"Please me get out, Discord! I'm stuck!" Fluttershy pleaded.

"You certainly are. And I should probably help you get free," Discord began, as he bent down to free his friend. But then he stopped himself as he considered something he hadn't thought of a second ago. "But... oh-ho-ho-ho-ho..."

"But what?" Fluttershy asked.

"But you are obviously _not_ Fluttershy!" Discord pointed out. "I wasn't born yesterday, I know a trap when I see one!"

The "fake" Fluttershy sighed. "Oh."

Discord shook a finger at the imposter as he added. "You won't catch me off guard so easily. I mean really, how naive do you think I am? Think about it, I'm separated from the group and just happen to come across the one pony that I care most about? I can smell this setup a mile away. Little piece of advice for next time, bring your A game and don't make your setups so obvious!"

The "fake" Fluttershy started to sniffle, as tears gushed out from her eyes while she protested. "No. You're right. There's no way you should trust me," She began to wail loudly as she added. "Just go find the others, I'll understand."

Discord refused to believe the imposter Fluttershy's tears. "Oh come on, are you for real? You're not fooling me with the crocodile tears routine."

But suddenly, an entire hive of Fluttershys appeared, all of them crying and sobbing! One of them then spoke up. "We're probably all just changelings. You shouldn't rescue _any_ of us. That is, unless you think, maybe one of us might actually be the _real_ Fluttershy. Oh, that certainly would be a nasty changeling trick to play, wouldn't it? Toying with your affections like that?"

"I'm the real Fluttershy!" One of the Fluttershys protested.

"No, _I'm_ the real Fluttershy!" Another Fluttershy insisted.

"No, _I_ am!" A third one spoke up.

" _I'm_ the real Fluttershy, not these imposters!" A fourth one added.

Discord gulped. Try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to risk the chance that one of the Fluttershys might be the real deal. Plus, he knew that even if he tried to make a run for it, the imposters would probably just swarm over him and capture him. "What can I do? You have me." He sighed, admitting defeat, as the Fluttershys all grinned in fiendish delight.


	148. Chapter 148: Springing The Trap

Unaware of what had happened to Discord, Starlight, Sunburst, and Thorax were waiting anxiously for him deep inside the hive. Minutes had passed but there was no sign of him anywhere.

At last, Thorax made a decision. "We can't wait for Discord any longer. Between seeing him and Sunburst, this place will swarming with guards. Staying here just increases the risk of us getting captured."

Starlight refused to budge. "But we can't just leave him, he's the most powerful of all of us. And if we _do_ manage to destroy Chrysalis' throne, we'll need him. He could take on the entire changeling army by sneezing if he wanted to."

Sunburst shook his head. "I hate to disagree with you, Starlight, but Thorax is right. Besides, the reason Discord hasn't come back, is probably because he got captured."

"No, that can't be true!" Starlight protested. "Discord's too clever to let a bunch of changelings get the best of him. Watch, any minute he'll show up, and we'll all have a good laugh about this. I hope."

Sure enough, a second later Discord emerged. "Hello, fellow rescuers." He greeted in an unusually cheerful way.

"How did you manage to get away from the changelings?" Starlight asked.

Discord just weakly replied. "Oh, it was easy to outrun them. Eventually, they gave up and went away. So, where to now?"

"We can't stay here, we've got to find the throne and destroy it." Thorax spoke up.

Discord smiled. "Ooh! I overheard some of the changelings who were chasing me say that they know where it is! I'll lead the way."

"'Klutzy'?" Starlight nervously asked, hoping for the right answer.

Discord didn't seem to remember the code word, for he answered. "Hmm? Oh. Yeah, I-I can be klutzy. Now, follow me."

As the group followed Discord through the hive, Sunburst whispered to Starlight. "You know that's obviously not Discord, right?"

"Of course, but letting him know that gets us nowhere," Starlight whispered back. "For now, it's best he doesn't know we're on to him."

* * *

The imposter Discord led the group to a series of tunnels and went down the leftward path. "This way! We're almost there!" He encouraged.

Thorax gulped. "I know this trick, it's how we changelings deal with intruders. If he says to go left, we should definitely go right. He's leading us to a swarm waiting to attack!"

"Great, then let's dump the chump and destroy the throne!" Sunburst encouraged. "I'll bet if we do that, we'll also free Discord and the others."

But Thorax shook his head. "It's not gonna be that easy I'm afraid. If we all go down the opposite path, the imposter will know for sure he's been detected, and he'll sick the entire swarm on us. One of us is gonna have to spring his trap and get captured, at least that way the others can get away."

"Well, we can't lose _you_ , Thorax," Starlight replied to the changeling. "You're the only one who knows his way around these parts. Without you, we'll be lost. So I guess that means it's down to either Sunburst, or myself."

Sunburst stepped forward and with a sigh he told Starlight and Thorax. "Okay, I'll handle this. You two just get ready to run into the other tunnel when I give the word."

"What?! Absolutely not!" Starlight protested, stepping in front of the stallion! "Sunburst, I can't lose you!"

Sunburst shook his head. "Let's face it, I'm the least powerful of the group. If the throne is destroyed, at least you'll have your magic again. I wouldn't be much help. Besides, if Discord were here, I'm sure he'd say I'm expendable."

"Don't say that, I'm nothing without you!" Starlight frantically insisted! "You've provided me with the moral support I need to keep going! Without you... I don't know if I can manage! Please, there's gotta be another way!"

"Hey, guys, what's the hold up?" The imposter Discord called. "The changelings will be here any minute."

"Coming, Discord, just hang on!" Sunburst called back as he began to trot towards the leftward path. But before he entered the tunnel, he turned around to face Starlight and told her. "There's more to you than just magic, Starlight. I know you're afraid to take charge again after what you did to that village, but it's in the past and you're a different pony now. And there comes a time in everypony's life when they must step up and take charge, whether they want to or not."

"But... but..." Starlight stammered.

"I'll be okay, I promise," Sunburst told Starlight. "And if anything _does_ happen to me, at least it'll have been an honor to have gotten to know you again, even if it wasn't all that long," He then darted into the leftward tunnel and shouted to Starlight and Thorax! "Run!" It was the last command he gave, before the imposter Discord revealed himself to be a changeling, and he and the other changelings pounced on Sunburst!

"Sunburst, no!" Starlight cried!

Thorax grabbed the frightened unicorn and ushered her down the rightward tunnel! "He knew the risks, Starlight! Don't let his sacrifice be for nothing! Come on, we have to go, now!" And the two took off. Very reluctantly in Starlight's case, as she hated having to leave her friend behind.

* * *

Starlight and Thorax reluctantly split up once they were on the other side of the tunnel, the changelings were in hot pursuit!

At last, Starlight found the throne room. But she was all alone. That didn't deter her though, she just needed to destroy the throne and rescue her friends. Hopefully, without Queen Chrysalis spotting her.

But the unicorn hadn't gone far, when an eerie laugh filled the air. "One little pony all by herself," Then, amidst the sound of limbs cracking, Queen Chrysalis revealed herself between the cocoons of Shining Armor and Flurry Heart. "Oh dear, how will I _ever_ prevent this 'daring rescue'?" She sarcastically remarked as she turned her head upright, just before a bunch of changelings swooped down and managed to trap Starlight!

Chrysalis cackled with glee, her echoey voice carrying clear across the throne room. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the Prince of Friendship's sole and star pupil. I might have known _you'd_ show up eventually," She then taunted her captive. "Honestly, I didn't think _you_ were worth replacing with one of my drones. I won't make that mistake again."

Starlight struggled in vain to break free of the goop that bound her hooves to the floor. "You're not gonna get away with this, Chrysalis! Evil always loses in the end."

Chrysalis only laughed. "Oh really? You think this is some fantasy adventure where the good guy beats up the bad guy and lives happily ever after? Here's a newsflash for you, Starlight. I've won. Nopony is coming to save you. Your little squad was it. And now, there's just you. I'll enjoy draining the love from you."

"It's not over yet!" Starlight firmly protested. "Thorax is still out there, he'll stop you."

Upon hearing Thorax's name, Chrysalis hissed! "Don't even mention that traitor's name in my kingdom! He was a fool to ever leave and even more a fool to return! When I find him, he'll learn just what happens to those who betray the hive!"

Starlight whimpered, and this allowed Chrysalis to take notice of a reflection in the unicorn's eyes that gave away a very clear detail. "And it seems I don't have very far to look, do I..." She asked, as she zapped Starlight, triggering a transformation that revealed her to actually be Thorax! "Thorax? Now, where's your little pony friend?"

Thorax stubbornly protested. "I'll never tell you!"

The other changelings hissed loudly at Thorax, before suddenly there came the sound of something pounding away on solid stone! Chrysalis spun around and saw the actual Starlight trying to chip away at the throne! "No you don't!" Chrysalis replied, zapping the unicorn and throwing her to the ground. "Ah, how very clever of you, Starlight. You thought you could use Thorax to outsmart me. And clearly, he revealed to you the secret of my throne," She taunted. "I very well can't have others using powerful magic or abilities against me. But did you _really_ think you could outsmart me, the master of deception?"

"I... guess I kind of did." Starlight confessed.

Chrysalis just laughed. "Oh you naive little pony, that is why your pathetic rescue attempt failed. I win, and you lose."


	149. Chapter 149: Pawn Takes Queen

Queen Chrysalis soon laughed, looking back at her captor. "What's the matter, gone all quiet have we?" She taunted. "I guess you've finally realized just how hopeless the situation is. Even with your pathetic 'rescue', and the efforts of your friends back in Ponyville, everything is proceeding according to plan. It won't be long before I make my demands to the princesses in Canterlot, and they'll surrender too when they find out who I've got."

"What are you talking about? What plan?! Why would you do all of this?!" Starlight demanded.

"Why, to feed on love of course!" Chrysalis boasted. "My changelings will replace the most powerful and beloved ponies in Equestria, and feed off of the love that the subjects feel for their divine rulers. All their love will keep the hive and I sustained for generations!"

Starlight rolled her eyes. "So that's it? This is all just to satisfy your ego?"

Chrysalis smirked. "I see what you're trying to do, Starlight, and won't work. You think this is the part where you're gonna get me to slip up and reveal my true intentions, turning my subjects against me," She then hissed. "It's like I told you, this isn't some fantasy adventure, this is real life! And there will be no 'happy ending' for you or anypony else! Soon, all of Equestria will be under _my_ command, and my hive will be sustained for generations to come! We'll be unstoppable!"

Starlight gulped. There had to be some way out of this predicament, some way of perhaps reasoning with her captor. Or at the very least some way of distracting Chrysalis long enough to free Thorax. He would know what to do.

It was then that Starlight looked at Thorax's shiny new wings, and she recalled her earlier conversation with him about feeding. " _Could it be? Could Chrysalis be starving her subjects on purpose?_ " She thought, as an idea suddenly came to her. "What if you didn't have to feed?" She asked the queen.

"Ridiculous!" Chrysalis snapped, as she pulled Starlight close with her magic. "You ignorant fool! The hunger of changelings can **NEVER** be satisfied!"

"Exactly! That's what I was about to point out!" Starlight protested, as she tried to hide from the wrathful queen. "Thorax left the hive and made friends with ponies. Now he _gives_ love freely instead of feeding off of it, and he's not hungry anymore. He told me so himself. Surely, you could all do the same."

A few of the changelings seemed to consider the idea, but Chrysalis would hear none of it. She merely hissed! "You know _nothing_ of the changelings or what it takes to be their queen!" She proceeded to pick Starlight up and throw her against a wall, before approaching the unicorn. " _I_ alone decide what is best for my subjects, not some mewling grub!"

Starlight gulped. It was not too long ago that she herself still lived by such a mentality, that no one but her had the right to decide what others deserved. And that power and ruling by force were acceptable positions, all for the sake of her personal crusade. Somehow, however, she found the courage to look Chrysalis in the eyes and tell her. "I know what it's like to lead by fear and intimidation! I've been where you've been. And I know what it's like to want everypony to do what you say! But I was wrong. A real leader doesn't force her subjects to deny who they are! She celebrates what makes them unique and listens when one of them finds a better way! It's not too late for you to do the same, Thorax is living proof of what the changelings can be if you stop trying to take love from others."

Starlight hoped her words would have an effect on Chrysalis. They did but not the effect she wanted. "You're a fool!" Chrysalis bellowed, throwing Starlight up against another wall! "The only thing Thorax has found is what happens to those who turn their back on the hive! If he was smart, he'd have never come crawling back here!"

"No! Stop! Don't do this, Chrysalis! You're making a mistake!" Starlight pleaded, as she was held back by several changelings! And she could only watch in horror as Chrysalis approached Thorax.

"Just as soon as I drain every last ounce of love from him and show my subjects what a _real_ leader is!" Chrysalis continued, as she picked up Thorax and began to drain away his love!

Thorax strained as hard as he could in the vain hope of fighting back! "I can feel the love inside me slipping away...! I can't hold onto it much longer...!" He protested, much to Chrysalis' delight.

It was then that Starlight got another idea. "Then don't! Sharing love is what made you different to begin with! If Chrysalis wants your love, she can have it! Share it with her, Thorax! All of it! Let her see what it means to give instead of take."

"WHAT?!" Chrysalis exclaimed, before she was suddenly pushed back into her throne by a powerful magic blast!

* * *

There was a blinding flash of light, and when it had faded, there stood Thorax. But now he looked different, his entire body consisted of bright colors of green and orange, he now boasted a pair of antlers, and he even had a beautiful set of purple colored wings. To say nothing of the fact that he was now much taller.

"Whoa! Didn't expect _this_ to happen," Thorax commented. "This is gonna take some getting used to."

All the other changelings began to gather around him, they were shocked and surprised to see such a sight. Starlight was quick to seize on the opportunity. "Do you see now?" She told them. "This is what happens when you give love freely instead of taking it! You can all do the same! Show your so called queen what you could be if she stopped holding you back and starving you!"

"This has gone far enough!" Chrysalis defiantly hissed! "Pay no attention to these traitors, my subjects! Don't forget who it was that hatched you all and raised you to be the fearless warriors you are now! Are you really going to throw all that away for the sake of 'giving love'?!"

But a changeling hissed back! "You may have hatched us, but all along you were hoarding all the love for yourself! This entire scheme was _your_ idea, _your_ attempt to heal your wounded pride! We should have done this sooner, but we were all too afraid to go up against you! Until now, that is. Now that we see a better way, we have no further use for you, ex-queen of ours!"

Then one by one, all the changelings started to give love freely and transformed in brilliant flashes of light! The magic blasts completely overwhelmed Chrysalis, pushing her back and shattering her throne completely! The entire ground shook as a deafening kaboom blew the whole top of the hive off, exposing the interior to the bright sunshine!

* * *

At last, all the changelings had transformed. And they helped Starlight and Thorax to free their friends, starting with Discord and Sunburst.

Discord was quite relieved to be free again. And his happiness only increased once he spotted a familiar pegasus mare a short distance away. "Fluttershy?" He asked in a hopeful tone, scooping his friend up and holding her close.

Fluttershy just smiled. "It's um... good to see you too, Discord. That was a very heroic thing you did back there, sacrificing yourself so the others could sneak past undetected."

"Yes... I suppose it was." Discord commented, while in his mind he was thinking. " _So this is what it feels like to be a hero... I could get used to this._ "

The princesses arrived a short time later, along with Spike, Ember, and Trixie. "It wasn't easy, but we managed to drive those changelings away. They won't be bothering us again." Spike told Starlight.

"Seems like the Great and Powerful Trixie missed out on quite a lot though," Trixie commented, eyeing the now partially destroyed hive. "Must've been some rescue."

Starlight and Sunburst both laughed, as Sunburst told Trixie. "Believe me, you've no idea. But I owe you a great deal of thanks, those smoke bombs were more useful than you could've imagined. Pulled our rumps right out of the fire."

"What I don't get is why you two risked so much just to go after Chrysalis?" Ember suggested. "We could've waited, stormed the castle, and effortlessly took out the changelings there before they could call for help. Then we'd all be able to come to the hive and stop Chrysalis together."

"It was too big a risk, I felt we had to chance it using the changelings' strategy against them. Fight fire with fire if you will. It was a long shot to be sure, but the other option seemed like even more of one." Starlight explained to Ember.

"Besides," Sunburst added. "They kidnapped Flurry Heart. As her Crystaller, I very well couldn't live with myself if I didn't risk life and limb to get her back. And there's no way I could've done it alone."

Starlight breathed a sigh of relief. "I can't believe that worked, we were really winging it."

Sunburst just smiled. "Yet look at what we accomplished in spite of that, Starlight. And you thought you didn't deserve to be a leader." He playfully ribbed her.

"Okay, okay, so maybe you _did_ have a point after all," Starlight sighed. "You don't have to rub it in." She then rushed over to check on Shining Armor, her teacher and the first pony who had ever trusted her.

"Ugh," Shining groaned, shaking off the slime as he emerged from his cocoon. "Well, Starlight, I'm most impressed. This was an unexpected test, but you passed with flying colors. You've come such a long way in such a short amount of time."

"Well, I had an excellent teacher to help guide me," Starlight smiled. "And it looks like Equestria's gained a new, very powerful ally."

Shining nodded, standing up. "I can see that clear as day. The changelings seem to be much friendlier now."

"All except for Queen Chrysalis, or Ex-Queen Chrysalis I suppose you could now call her," Thunderlane commented. "I wonder what happened to her anyway?"

"Probably got blasted to smithereens, or at least far, far away from here!" Soarin boasted.

Shining shook his head. "I'd like to believe that, Soarin. But somehow, someway, I doubt that very much. I thought for sure Chrysalis was beaten when Cadence and I expelled her from Canterlot. But she came crawling back from defeat to put this well thought out plan into action. She's a slippery one alright, I doubt a blast like that would be enough to finish her off or make her see sense."

Suddenly, a pile of rubble began to move! Shining mentally groaned. " _I hate it when I'm right!_ "


	150. Chapter 150: Revenge!

Sure enough, who should emerge from the rubble but Queen Chrysalis herself (or rather _ex_ -queen)? "It's not over yet, I still function!" She angrily hissed! But her defiant tone soon faded as she found herself staring down the fully functioning horns of three alicorn princesses, an alicorn prince, and several unicorns. Not to mention a powerful spirit of chaos, lots of pegasi and earth ponies, and a couple of dragons. To say nothing of the entirety of her former hive. It didn't take a genius to realize she was outnumbered and outmatched.

"It's all over for you now, Chrysalis," Shining said sternly. "Face it, you've been beaten. Now, come quietly and we can end this without any further delay. Resist me, and you're only prolonging the inevitable."

Chrysalis hissed again. It seemed she had no intention of cooperating.

It was then that Starlight turned to her teacher and pleaded. "Wait! Give me a chance to try and talk some sense into Chrysalis."

"Starlight, while I appreciate you saving me, Chrysalis is hardly the type of individual that can be reasoned with through words alone," Shining protested. "Under different circumstances I'd reconsider, but for right now she _must_ be stopped."

"Please! Just let me have this one chance! I... think I can reach her." Starlight insisted.

Shining wanted to say no, especially considering his prior experiences with Chrysalis. But one look at his student convinced him to reluctantly allow her to try her method. "It's your lucky day, Chrysalis," He told the disgraced former queen. "My student's gonna have a little talk with you, and I'd hear what she has to say. Hurt her at all, and you won't last thirty seconds before I slap the hoofcuffs on you and haul you off to the dungeons!"

Starlight then approached Chrysalis, the former queen looking forlorn and miserable. "I've been where you've been, Chrysalis. And you're about to make the same mistake that I did," She then told the former changeling queen. "When Shining Armor and his friends defeated me and exposed me for the fraud I was, I had a chance to surrender. But instead, I chose to run away and seek revenge. All that accomplished was making a fool of myself and causing unnecessary suffering. I was lucky enough to get a second chance, you probably won't be. It's not too late though, you can still turn it all around. You don't _have_ to seek revenge. You can be the leader your subjects deserve, and in time you'll maybe even get your old title back. Isn't that better than what you're about to do?"

Chrysalis said nothing at first. She just reached out a hoof to Starlight as if she seemed to be considering the unicorn's words. But then she brushed away Starlight's hoof rather coldly. "How many times do I have to say it? This isn't fantasy, this is real life. You thought that sob speech would magically change my ways? Well you thought wrong!" And then she threatened. "There is no revenge you could ever _conceive_ of that will come even close to what I will exact upon _you_ one day, Starlight Glimmer! Mark my words, you'll pay for this! You and all of your pathetic 'friends'!"

Shining, having heard the whole thing, only shook his head in disappointment. "Oh Chrysalis, you really shouldn't have said that. Because now we gotta do things the hard way. Come on, everypony, let's get her!"

But before anyone could take any action, Chrysalis, with a smirk on her face, blasted Starlight back! With Shining momentarily distracted by the well being of his student, Chrysalis took full advantage of this opportunity and began to light up her horn! A sickly green glow began to envelope her!

Thorax realized what was going on, and he gasped in horror! "No, stop her! She's getting away!"

Unfortunately, the warning came too late! Chrysalis's little distraction had worked like a charm. Managing to phase through the floor of the hive somehow, the former queen had vanished!

"She won't get away so easily! I'll just lock onto her location and teach her a lesson for messing with my friends, especially Fluttershy!" Discord firmly protested and began to snap his paws. He teleported to a couple of places, before he returned to the hive. But without Chrysalis. "Darn it, she moves too fast! I can't get a lock on her, and my magic's not completely back up to full strength just yet!"

* * *

Shining felt his blood boil! "I don't believe this! That's twice now Chrysalis has gotten away! And this time we had her right where we wanted her! She was cornered, dead to rights, nowhere left to run! Yet now she's slipped right through my hooves once again!" He groaned, putting a hoof to his forehead. "Why do I have to insist on doing things by the book? I should've just captured her right then and there when I had the chance!"

"Doing things by the book is what separates you from the monsters like Chrysalis," Soarin reassured Shining. "You break the rules once without reason, even for a scumbag like Chrysalis, it's hard not to find yourself on a slippery slope. Eventually you start looking for any reason at all to bend or break the rules. Sometimes, you have no choice, but when you start looking for other situations where you can justify breaking the rules, it doesn't take much for you to become that which you swore to stop."

"And look on the bright side," Fancy Pants added. "Chrysalis is on her own, she's got no army at her disposal anymore. And something tells me she's not likely to recover from all those blasts anytime soon. She's probably going to be licking her wounds for a very long time to come."

"We'll just have to make sure we stay on guard, so we'll be ready for whenever she rears her ugly head again!" Thunderlane vowed.

Thorax then approached Shining and bowed to him. "Well, this is a fine 'How do you do', isn't it? Quite a contrast from our first meeting."

Shining couldn't help but giggle. "Indeed, my how things have changed. And you're looking a little bit... different, Thorax."

Thorax nodded. "I know. This is gonna take a lot of getting used to, especially since it looks more or less like I'm the king of this new hive, at least for the time being," He then added. "We'll set up security around the perimeter, and if we spot anything suspicious we'll let you know. But for the time being, I think it's best if the hive and I were left to manage this transition in peace."

Shining agreed. "Right, it's probably best we don't meddle in your affairs and undermine your authority or make you seem weak. Still, I hope you'll stop by for a visit every now and then. I know Flurry Heart will want to see what's become of her second favorite foalsitter."

Discord, meanwhile, was clapping his paws together. "Bravo, everypony, bravo!" He cheered. "Now then, who's ready for some celebratory tea?! I'm thinking we all go back to Castle Friendship and throw ourselves a bash!"

But Starlight grinned and approached the chaos maker. "Actually, since you can warp to wherever you desire now, I have a better idea in mind."

* * *

Back at Equal Town, the Sunset Festival was in full swing. The sunset itself may have come and gone, but there were still tons of activities to partake in.

The residents of the town were unaware of what had transpired over the past day or so. But they were most surprised to see Starlight Glimmer once again.

"Oh, hey, Starlight," Party Favor greeted. "You feeling better now?"

Starlight nodded. "Physical and mentally. Sorry for dropping out like that yesterday."

Double Diamond shook his head. "You couldn't help it, you weren't feeling well. We're just glad you were able to make it for the festival after all. We were afraid you were gonna miss the whole thing."

"Well, I know I missed the actual sunset, but I was hoping it wasn't too late to swing by for a visit," Starlight explained. "And I hope you don't mind, I brought guests."

"Hey, the more the merrier!" Night Glider chimed in.

Sugar Belle smiled, looking at Starlight. "You seem a lot different from the pony we saw yesterday. Are you sure you're the _real_ Starlight Glimmer and not some changeling pretending to be her?"

Starlight laughed. "The changelings aren't a thing anymore. In fact, they're part of the reason why I seem so different now. It's kind of a long story. But I've changed, and learned a valuable lesson," And she then explained. "After the way I used my magic on all of you, I wasn't sure I was somepony who should even be in charge of a baking contest, let alone be a leader. I was afraid that I might go back to being the pony I used to be. But now I realize that sometimes you don't have a choice. You _have_ to step up and take charge, whether you like it or not. And I _have_ changed, in more ways than one! I can handle my fear now. Whether that means saving Equestria or helping friends out with the Sunset Festival."

"Well, we're glad to have you with us again, Starlight," Double Diamond smiled. "And we can't wait to hear your story about the changelings. Seems we missed out on something very important."

" _Believe me, you've no idea,_ " Shining Armor thought to himself, as he watched Starlight mingle with the ponies from her old village, and smiled. " _You've really come a long way, Starlight. Your progress is astounding!_ "


	151. Chapter 151: Starlight's Graduation

A few days had passed since Starlight's rescue mission in the changeling hive, which had led to the unexpected developments of Chrysalis being ousted from her throne when Thorax and the other changelings started giving love instead of hoarding it.

Now the rag tag group of "heroes" were to be honored with a special ceremony, a ceremony in which they would receive the Equestrian Pink Heart, a symbol of great courage and duty in a time of crisis. And while Starlight, Sunburst, Discord, and Thorax were the obvious receivers, it was also decided that Spike, Ember, and Trixie should get pink hearts as well (after all, they _had_ driven away the changelings from the Castle of Friendship all on their own, and that had been part of a decision from Starlight to split the rescue group in two to accomplish two objectives).

In the few hours before the castle would be flooded with guests for the award ceremony, Spike had payed a visit to Starlight's room. His actual goal was to be a "distraction" on behalf of Twilight, so she could get a good measure of Starlight's room undetected (it was necessary for Twilight's present, a mirror).

"Hey, Starlight," Spike innocently greeted. "Just thought I'd check up on my second favorite unicorn behind Twilight."

"Funny, I thought Rarity was your favorite unicorn. When did I get bumped up to second best?" Starlight inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Spike tried not to blush. "Just because I have a crush on Rarity doesn't mean I consider her higher than my family. And since Shining Armor took you on, you've been kind of like a big sister to me. One I never even knew I wanted."

"Big sister, huh? Never really thought of myself in such a label," Starlight commented and changed the subject. "Is there a reason why you had to talk to me _before_ the ceremony?"

"J-just wanted to see if you were nervous or anything," Spike hastily replied. "I can see you're doing just fine. You really _have_ come a long way from your old, insecure yourself when you first showed up. Now it's like you don't even need me to keep you on the straight and narrow, you can manage by yourself."

"It is nice not to have you breathing down my neck all the time." Starlight told the dragon.

"Right," Spike nodded, as he saw Twilight continue to measure Starlight's room. He knew he had to keep Starlight occupied for a little bit longer, so he asked her. "So... uh... what are you gonna wear?"

"To the ceremony?" Starlight guessed. "Uh, not sure. I mean, am I supposed to dress up or something? I wasn't aware that was a requirement."

Spike quickly answered. "Well, formal attire's not a requirement. But you could still put on a dress or something if you really wanted to. It's like Rarity always says:" He pulled back his scales so they looked like Rarity's mane and then tried to mimic her voice as best he could. "'There's no such thing as overdressed, darling. Why, you're just the best looking pony in the room.'" " _Wow, that felt really weird, it's like I became an entirely different being._ " Spike thought to himself. Fortunately, his little distraction had worked like a charm.

"If it's all the same to you, I think I'll just go as I am now," Starlight said to the little dragon. "Only Sunburst and Trixie are gonna dress up, and they're just wearing their usual attire. Not entirely sure why Sunburst always wears that cloak, even Trixie sometimes takes off her hat and cape, usually when she goes to bed."

"Eh, probably makes him feel more 'wizardy'. Plus, I hear it gets pretty drafty up in the Crystal Empire," Spike replied to Starlight. "But you should probably ask him yourself next time you get a chance. Now I'd better go get ready and make sure my scales are all polished. Dress or no dress, I wanna look my best when the Pink Hearts are given out."

* * *

Twilight was quite thrilled to see Spike again when he returned to her bedroom. "She had no idea," Spike informed her. "The two of us, we make a good team, Sparkle."

"'Sparkle'?" Twilight snickered. "You bet we do, Spike. Thanks for keeping Starlight busy for me, I got all the measurements I need. Just as I thought, her present is gonna fit perfectly."

"I thought you were getting her a mirror? You know, like yours?" Spike inquired, looking up at the object in question.

"I am, why else do you think I needed to take measurements?" Twilight replied. "It'll be just what her room needs. When she wakes up each morning, she'll see herself surrounded by all her friends. And I plan on giving it to her after the ceremony."

Spike nodded, before a thought struck him. "You know, that reminds me. It slipped my mind until now, but have you heard from Shining Armor at all? He's been acting different ever since we got back from the changeling hive."

"Now that you mention it, he's been awfully silent lately. Barely says a word all day, and he hasn't left the castle," Twilight pondered as she put a hoof to her chin. "And he keeps looking at Starlight for some reason. He hasn't even mentioned a gift for her."

"You think maybe I should have a talk with him? Maybe it's a guy thing?" Spike wondered aloud.

Twilight shook her head. "It's probably nothing serious. Things aren't completely back to normal yet, it hasn't even been a week since the rescue. Give him time, and I'm sure he'll come around," Then with a smile she added. "Now come on, my son. You've got an award ceremony to get ready for, and you know what that means."

Spike pouted. "Do I _seriously_ have to take another bath? I just took my monthly seven hour bubble bath last night."

"Just a quick little scrub to get to those spots you can't reach yourself," Twilight told the baby dragon. "Can't have you going to that award ceremony with stinky feet."

* * *

Despite having to get another bath just prior to the ceremony, Spike enjoyed the whole thing from start to finish. Things went off without a hitch, aside from when Luna briefly struggled to pin Thorax's Pink Heart around his body because of his massive antlers.

Once the group picture was taken and all the records filed to ensure the moment would be remembered for all time, the ceremony concluded and the heroes were free to mingle with the guests that had showed up for the celebration.

But they had barely started to interact when Shining trotted up to the stage and tapped a spoon against his drink glass. Everyone stopped to look at him. "Thank you, everyone," The alicorn prince began and then cleared his throat. "I apologize in advance for dropping this on you all so suddenly, but I couldn't think of any better time to share this important news," Looking out to Starlight Glimmer, he said to her. "Now, there comes a time in every teacher's life when they must let their student go out into the big world on their own. A time when the student must pursue their own studies, and perhaps one day become a teacher in their own right. Starlight, this is such a time."

"I... don't understand. What are you getting at?" Starlight asked in complete confusion.

Shining sighed. "Starlight, it's been almost a year since I took you under my wing. In the time since, so much has changed. I've become a father for one thing, but I've also been an observer. Watching mostly from the outside, but sometimes from the inside as you have grown and developed. Everypony thought I was crazy to make you my personal student, yet now it's clear I made the right call. You've mastered the basics of friendship and as such there is little left that I can teach you. Much like Princess Celestia sent my sister and I to Ponyville so we could learn about the magic of friendship in our own right, so too do I release you from your studies. As of today and from this point onwards, you are no longer my student. Congratulations, Starlight, you've graduated."

Starlight nearly jumped back in surprise at the statement! "I'm... not your student anymore? But, where will I go, and where will I live?"

"That... I don't know," Shining confessed. "But it's clear that you've grown in the time since you started your friendship lessons under me. And I can't just keep teaching the basics forever. A pony capable of stepping up and mounting a rescue effort in the heart of the changeling hive, despite almost impossible odds, is not a pony who can learn by mere example alone. The rescue effort allowed me to see first hoof just how far you've come in your friendship studies since we first met. Whatever happens next, is... out of _my_ control. Wherever you choose to go, and however you choose to learn about friendship though, know that you will always be welcome here. And that you will hold a place in my heart. For you were not just my student, but also one of my friends."

"F-friends?!" Starlight gasped.

Shining nodded. "I told you that when we began our time together as teacher and student. And that is something that will never change no matter what," He then finished his speech by saying to Starlight. "Feel free to think about your next step, where you'll go from here. And if ever you need my help or my advice, don't hesitate to call me."

* * *

The unexpected announcement came as quickly as it had arrived. And while most everyone was busy chatting with Starlight (particularly Discord, who hoped to maybe have the unicorn be his new roommate), there was one pony concerned for the now studentless teacher. Namely, a former teacher herself.

And so it was that, in the midst of the commotion over Starlight's graduation from the role of student, Princess Celestia slipped away from the party unnoticed. She found Shining Armor in the throne room, sitting in his throne and looking out at the table map with an unhappy expression. A faint sound of sobbing could be heard, even amidst the chattering and celebrating in the main hall.

The sun princess lightly nudged her fellow alicorn with a hoof, pretending she was not aware of what was going on. "Are you crying, Shining Armor?" She innocently inquired.

"No," Shining answered in a low voice that masked a sniffle. "It's liquid pride, totally different."

Celestia just adopted a motherly smile, sitting down next to the prince in Thunderlane's throne. "Were you not ready to release your student from your mentorship?" She inquired. "Almost a year is hardly a length of time for one to normally gauge a student's progress."

Shining shook his head. "No, princess, I knew I had to do it. It was a decision I came to on my own after much time spent thinking it over," He added in a low voice. "It was inevitable, I knew that. I just didn't expect it to be so soon. And now look at me, I don't even have a plan for what's next. Not even an idea of where to send her. I thought of a few scenarios, but none of them seem like the sort of thing Starlight needs, not even being with Sunburst or Trixie, or helping Thorax with the new hive. Some teacher I turned out to be."

"Don't be saying that, Shining Armor. The mark of a good teacher is not in the effectiveness of their lesson plans, but in how well their student learns and grows," Celestia spoke in a motherly tone. "And Starlight's growth is incredible! Never in all my years have I seen a pony come so far in such a short amount of time!"

"And yet now, when my student is most in need of guidance, I can't even nudge her in the right direction," Shining sighed, his tears long since having stopped. "I know I can't keep her here forever, she has to go out into the world and make friends on her own, like Twilight and I did. But at the same time I'm at a loss as to where to send her, what she should look into on her own. Letting her go is the right thing to do, but how can it be so when I'm not entirely prepared for her to leave?"

Celestia was silent for but a moment, before she threw her head back and began to laugh long and hard. Shining was most surprised at this, never in all his years had he heard a pony laugh in the way the sun princesses was now. "Y-you're laughing at me? I don't understand, princess," Shining questioned. "Why in the world would you be laughing at me? Did I say something funny? I wasn't trying to be funny."

Celestia shook her head as she regained her composure. "Oh, Shining, I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing because, I once had the same exact problems you're having now. Allow me to explain," Clearing her throat, the alicorn with a majestic white coat then began. "You know that I can receive visions of the future, a talent that I've had since I bonded with all six of the Elements of Harmony. Visions that show me the future, but only a brief picture of it. Sometimes it's an encouragement, a sign that things will work out in the end even if it seems a storm is on the horizon. And at other times, it's a warning, a message that trouble is on the way and I must prepare for conflict."

"I think you told me this when Tirek was roaming free," Shining replied. A sigh of longing escaping his lips. "Don't take this the wrong way, I wouldn't trade any of the developments that have come my way since for anything, aside from maybe the destruction of the Golden Oak Library. But back then, things were a lot less 'complex', Tirek was the last time things were truly straight forward. It was obvious what the objective was, even if the methods by which victory could be obtained were vague. Since then, it seems like my life has gone in a million different directions all at once."

"I felt the same way after Luna's exile to the moon and I lost the use of the Elements of Harmony," Celestia confessed with a sigh. "That was part of what led to my decision to open that school which now bears my name, and my decision to take on students in the first place. Luna's banishment shook me to the core, and I vowed to never again let myself be taken by surprise, I would do what I could to intervene and prevent problems before they arose. But I overestimated my ability to do so, much as I underestimated the personal baggage my students would come with. And because of that, I committed my second greatest mistake in the form of Sunset Shimmer's downfall. Rather than attempt to guide her or plan lessons around her needs, I sought to show her what she could accomplish with the magic of friendship. But she took the wrong idea to heart, and when I ended our studies because of her pursuit of power, she ran away. I cannot tell you how relieved I am that you and Twilight have helped her not only see the error of her ways, but come into her own as both a student, and now a teacher."

Shining nodded. "It's been a long time since I visited that 'human' world, but Twilight has kept me informed of all major developments in Sunset's life. The last one involved this 'Gaia Everfree' creature," Then he added. "But what does all of this have to do with my situation?"

Celestia explained. "Sunset, Sunburst, and your sister Twilight, they are not the only students I have had. All the colts and fillies at my School for Gifted Unicorns, they are my students as well."

"But I thought..." Shining began.

Celestia shook her head. "A school that bears my name means that by default, everypony who enrolls there is tutored by me to some extent. Twilight's old Canterlot friends will attest to that," And then she went on to explain. "But there are other students I have had. Ones that never enrolled in my school, but I still oversaw their growth personally. Princess Cadence is one of them, for she was an orphan when I took her in. And look at how far she's come since then. Even Prince Blueblood has been a student of mine, for much like Cadence I took him into my family line when he had nopony else to be there for him. Alas, it seems my efforts to improve his outlook on life met with little success. To this day he still sulks around, only slightly less snooty since Rarity put him in his place. You can guess where I'm going with this, can't you?"

"But how could I ever be your student? I barely even knew you for many years," Shining protested. "I was but a lowly member of the Royal Guard for most of the time I spent in Canterlot before moving to Ponyville."

Celestia was quick to protest. "But because of your sister, and because you drew close to my niece, it didn't take long before our paths crossed. I had to take an interest in the stallion my niece spoke so highly of, and my fateful student put on a pedestal. Even before you knew it yourself, I sensed you had potential and might one day rise to the rank of Captain of the Royal Guard. However, there was one thing that kept getting in the way of your promotion. Captain Gleaming Shield wanted to retire many times before she finally did. And each time she spoke highly of you, and how far you'd come since you started working directly under her."

Shining smiled. "I still do miss her guidance, she was the first mentor I ever had. But surely there were better candidates available to replace her the instant she felt ready to step down."

Celestia shook her head. "None matched the sheer dedication and commitment that you had. But I had to overrule her, because there was something you were missing," With a sigh, she added. "Something I eventually realized you wouldn't be able to get in Canterlot. Much like Twilight with her pursuit of knowledge, I knew that keeping you in Canterlot would result in a dead end. If you were to become what my visions hinted at, that either you or your sister would succeed where I had failed with Nightmare Moon, reluctantly I had to send you away. My visions also showed that there was a special group of ponies in Ponyville that would help you out. But I kept 'inventing' reasons why I shouldn't send you."

"Such as?" Shining asked with a raised eyebrow.

Celestia couldn't help but chuckle as she recalled. "I thought such things as: 'What if he runs into a manticore and get sliced to pieces?', or 'What if he somehow gets pulled into Tartarus with Triek for company?', or 'What if he goes to Ponyville and doesn't get along with anypony?'. I didn't even want to think about 'What if my visions are wrong? What if I'm only repeating the mistake I made with Sunset Shimmer?'."

Shining found himself unable to keep from snickering. "How could you ever think such things? Well, aside from maybe that last one."

"It's true, in hindsight I can't believe I acted in such a way," Celestia briefly laughed, before her happy mood faded. "I am embarrassed to admit it, but my fears ultimately drew from one source. I thought that if you and Twilight were set free and made friends on your own, you wouldn't need me any longer. A foolish sentiment, I know, but one that I held close to my heart for longer than was necessary."

With tears welling up inside him anew, Shining firmly protested. "Princess Celestia, what you just said is so not true. I will _always_ remember you and need you. Just because you're not my teacher, doesn't mean I can't still learn from you."

Celestia smiled, getting up from Thunderlane's throne. "And I think Starlight Glimmer feels the same way you do with me, if that's what you're worried about. Though, if you're _truly_ lonely, you can always have your student write you letters. I still cherish the letters you and Twilight sent to me."

Shining giggled, before he was wrapped in a wing hug from Princess Celestia. "So here we are, Shining Armor, after all these years. The two of us are living proof that letting someone spread their wings and soar on their own, doesn't mean you have to say goodbye forever. The bond between teacher and student is unbreakable, even long after the lessons stop. And sometimes, not having a plan on what comes next, isn't always a bad thing." The princess told him.

Shining nodded, as he got up from his throne. "Thank you for the talk, princess. It was just what I needed to hear. Wherever Starlight's path in life takes her from here on out, I'll still be there for her whenever she needs me."

"Good, because... I'm not quite ready to leave just yet," A familiar female voice called out, soon revealing itself as belonging to Starlight. "I get that I can't really be your student anymore, and we can't just keep pretending I'm not ready to learn on my own. But Ponyville has become my home, it's the place where I truly feel like I've been reborn. In Cutie Markless Village, I'm bound by the lies I once told others and the immoral things I did in pursuit of my personal vendetta. In the Crystal Empire, I'm still somepony who had to rely on others to save the day. And in the changeling hive, I'm but a pony friend of the new king that could only be used to cast doubt on Thorax's ability to lead. Here, however, I've made friends on my own. Here is where my lessons started. I guess what I'm trying to say is... can I still be part of the family?"

Shining smiled, and rushed over and embraced his student. "Oh of course you can, Starlight! You didn't even have to ask! I may not know what the future holds for us, but we'll face it together! And I'm sure you'll continue to impress me now that you've been freed to pursue friendship on your own."

"All thanks to you," Starlight happily replied. "If you hadn't taken me in when you did, none of this would be possible. You were the first pony to believe in the goodness inside me, when even I saw only a monster."

"And I was right, you _weren't_ a monster," Shining told his student. "I look forward to seeing how you'll impress me from here on out."

"And _I_ look forward to seeing how much of a father you'll become now that your hooves are finally free." Starlight teased, then she, Shining, and Princess Celestia all shared in a good, hearty laugh.


	152. Chapter 152: Foalsitting Flurry

A few weeks passed after Starlight's more or less official graduation from being Shining's student, but she remained committed to Ponyville. As she put it: "Ponyville is my home now, I don't really have anywhere else I could go." And from the few details she'd shared about her life prior to the village, it seemed like she wasn't interested in whatever town or city she'd been born and raised in.

With his student now free to plan out her life, and confident that things in Ponyville had returned to normal, Shining Armor returned to the Crystal Empire in the hopes of some peace and quiet for a change. A chance to contemplate recent developments in his life, and maybe even enjoy a semi-retired life from the royal guard and his princely duties.

However, fate had different plans in mind for the alicorn. Roughly a week after he was back in the Crystal Empire, he received a letter in the mail addressed to him from Princess Celestia. It read as follows:

 _Shining Armor,_

 _After much consideration, I have decided to put you in charge of organizing the first ever Friendship Festival to be held in Canterlot this Summer._

 _You'll be responsible for arranging the headlining musical entertainment, getting word out, and of course security detail. Other responsibilities are being shared among the nobles, but Luna, Cadence, and I have largely been excluded from the decision making process aside from budget._

 _Don't hesitate to write to me if you have any questions or need advice. I've also instructed Luna and Cadence to assist you if needed, though I would assume you'd need no incentive to ask your wife for help._

 _If all goes well, we hope to kick off the festival with a musical extravaganza a week after the Summer Sun Celebration. Should you need more time, an advanced heads up will be required._

 _Above all else though, try not to overwork yourself as your sister tends to do. I hate to add to your already growing plate of responsibilities, but I wouldn't ask you to undertake this assignment if I had any doubts you were up to it._

 _Hope to hear from you soon,_

 _Princess Celestia_

Shining couldn't help but chuckle in spite of himself when he got the letter. "Just when I thought I might finally be able to kick back and relax for a while, life pulls me right back into the thick of it." Then he sighed a little. Even with the generous timetable he'd been given, the festival was still only about two months away. And that meant he was going to be very busy for probably the next month and a half, leaving him little time for his family. " _Cadence will understand, she's used to it by now. But poor Flurry Heart, she's gonna take it hard when she misses out on father/daughter time._ " He thought to himself.

* * *

The very next day, Shining got to work. Immediately after breakfast, he gave his wife and his daughter a kiss, and with a promise of "See you tonight" retreated to the study in the bedroom he shared with Cadence. A huge sprawl of different stacks of paper greeted his eyes, but it wasn't anything the stallion hadn't seen before.

"Security detail will be easy enough, I'll save that for last. Flash Sentry can probably manage things if I put him in charge," Shining said to himself. "I'll just have to remember to run it by him first, and make sure he understands what I expect of him," He pushed the papers related to security aside, focusing on the ones that listed various popular musical talents that were guaranteed crowd pleasers and worked well on a stage. "Let's see what we've got here:" The stallion commented, as he plopped down into his desk chair and flicked on a light to see better. "List of talent includes: Sapphire Shores, the Pony of Pop. Fresh off the success of her Equestria wide tour and her newest album. A sure fire publicity magnet, but probably going to be very expensive, even though she lives in Canterlot. DJ-PON-3, the number one rocking DJ on the club scene. Perhaps a bit less elegant for the nobles' taste, but I've heard good things about her music. A bit of a recluse though, doesn't talk much outside the club, contacting her might be difficult. Then there's her roommate, Octavia Melody, a distant cousin of Pinkie Pie. She and her band headlined at the Grand Galloping Gala a few years back and did pretty well. Only problem is, I haven't heard her in a solo performance, and an entire band could be a headache to manage at a Friendship Festival."

A little further down the list, two names stood out to Shining. One of them he recognized, and the other he did not. "Countess Coloratura or Rara as Applejack calls her. If not for the Svengallop incident, she'd be a sure bet. Currently between managers, but her remade image as a simple, classical singer is doing well with the crowds. Not sure how to get in touch with her though. And lastly, we have Songbird Serenade, a newcomer to the musical scene. She's had a few concerts of modest success, and a number one album that briefly dethroned Sapphire Shores' music. Says here though that while she's relatively friendly and upbeat, she never travels without bodyguards. That might complicate things. Well, I think I can reluctantly rule out Octavia and DJ-PON-3, even if they could find room in their schedule, I've no idea how they'll do on a public stage as a solo act. Sapphire Shores is too obvious and probably overbooked, but she might serve as a backup. So that leaves Rara the wild card, and the unknown Songbird Serenade. Who should I pick?"

But at that moment, the door to the study creaked open ever so slightly, and in trotted Cadence holding a somewhat squirming Flurry Heart in her magical embrace. "I have day court responsibilities to tend to, and Flurry Heart will just find them boring," She explained, as she gently lowered the young alicorn into her father's lap. "Besides, you haven't spent much time with her outside that ones Ogres and Oubliettes session, and that needs to change."

"But Cadence," Shining protested. "I'm very busy as it is just planning for the Friendship Festival."

"Don't worry, Flurry won't get in the way too much. Right, Flurry?" Cadence asked, as she lightly stroked her daughter's mane, getting a series of gurgles in response. "You just need to play with her and take care of her until she tires herself out. Then you can spend all the time you want planning and fussing over those papers. I should be back by the time she wakes up from her afternoon nap."

"But Cadence-" Shining began again.

Cadence didn't bother to wait for a protest. She simply ceased the glow from her horn that was surrounding Flurry, and then gave her husband a kiss. "It's all part of being a parent, spending time with your kid. I promise, I'll make this up to you. But for right now, I have to go." And with that, the princess of love turned and departed from her husband's study, leaving father and daughter alone in said study.

* * *

Shining let out a long sigh, wondering just what he'd done to deserve this sort of "punishment". It's not that he didn't want to spend time with his young daughter. Far from it, under different circumstances he'd be all for the chance to have quality time with his little one, regardless of what that would entail.

But right now, having to juggle keeping an eye on her and at the same time planning for the Friendship Festival, it was a balance the prince wasn't fond of. The last thing he wanted was for Flurry to slobber on, play with, or even accidentally destroy any of the important papers he had in his study.

That meant keeping the little alicorn occupied and content, and Cadence was always much better at that (probably because she had experience with foals from her years of foalsitting).

Fortunately the task was made slightly easier by the fact that Flurry's nursery was connected to her parents' bedroom via a concealed door. This made it easy for either parent to check on her in the middle of the night, without the risk of having her wander into her parents' bedroom for any reason.

So after a quick visit to said nursery via teleportation, Shining returned with a wide assortment of Flurry's favorite toys and laid them out in the bedroom for her to see and select from.

Flurry, however, had another idea for play time. Flapping her tiny wings, the little princess flew up to her daddy, booped him on the nose, and then made a face that involved slanting her eyebrows. It took but a moment for her daddy to catch on. "Oh I see, you wanna play bears," He giggled. "Okay, let's play. Grr!" He playfully growled, raising his hooves. "I'm gonna getcha!"

Naturally, Flurry ran away from the "big, scary bear", which prompted a chase. Said chase could've ended in seconds if the prince so chose, he could flap his wings much better than his daughter, to say nothing of his superior horn skill. But that would ruin all the fun. He knew his little princess liked to feel like she had a chance. Besides with any luck, the longer he drew things out, the more quickly she would tire out and settle down for a nap.

However, Flurry decided that today she was going to be in one of her more _mischievous_ moods, and have a bit of extra fun at her daddy's expense. Lighting up her horn, she vanished just seconds before Shining was able to close in on her.

"Flurry, what did Mommy and I tell you about teleporting?" Shining scolded as a groan of frustration left his lips. All he got for his troubles, was a series of giggles from down the hallway. And when he turned to look, there was Flurry, clearly taunting him with her tongue stuck out in comedic fashion.

* * *

This ensuing chase went on for far longer than poor Shining would've liked. Almost half an hour elapsed before his infant daughter seemed to finally relent and allow herself to be captured.

"Okay, Flurry, you've had your fun," The alicorn prince declared, his tone of voice sounding straight forward and serious, "Now how about we head back to your nursery and-"

But just then, a faint growling sound could be heard coming from Flurry's tummy. It didn't take a genius to figure out what _that_ meant. It was feeding time.

Teleporting to the kitchen with Flurry in tow, Shining Armor secured his young charge in her high chair and fastened her bib that had the words: "Mommy and Daddy's Little Artist" in hues of baby blue and pink, around her neck. He then levitated over two jars of green colored goop, and a plastic spoon.

The little princess took one look at the foal food presented to her, and immediately she made a gag face and turned her head.

"Come on, Flurry. It's _Mashed Peas_ , your favorite," Shining encouraged, nudging a spoonful of said food towards his clearly hungry daughter. "I'll even let you have a bottle of milk afterwards to wash it down. But only if you cooperate. This time, maybe try not to decorate the kitchen walls with your food. If you wanna paint, paint with your hooves or a brush on a canvas."

But Flurry just kept her head turned away from her daddy and the food. She even tried to grab hold of the spoon with her magic and fling the foul tasting mush back at the one foolish enough to feed it to her. Once she was princess, her first order of business was going to be outlawing _Mashed Peas_ as a type of foal food.

"Flurry, please, don't be stubborn!" Shining complained, blocking the effort as he tightened his magical grip. "I _know_ you're hungry, but this is all we have right now. I promise I'll send Sunburst to pick up more flavors for next time. But you're not leaving your high chair until you eat your slop... I mean _Mashed Peas_."

Flurry tried in vain to seize control of the spoon, but her horn was just not powerful enough to magically overpower her daddy. Curse him for being so strong.

However, it was still far from clear that the young alicorn had any intention of eating the green colored goop that was the only thing offered to her. Never mind the fact that her alternatives were to starve and just sit in her high chair and do nothing (the kitchen was one of the rooms in the castle that had enchantments to keep her from teleporting into or out of it).

This prompted Shining to sigh, and even gulp a bit. There was only one thing he could think of that would get Flurry to accept the foal food. It was the same kind of trick his parents had used on him as a foal (as the many baby pictures of him would attest). With a whistle, he called out to his infant daughter. "Hey, Flurry, look at me. Look at Daddy," Flurry did so, surprised to see Shining holding the spoonful of _Mashed Peas_ close to his mouth. He inserted said spoonful a second later, quickly swallowing to avoid having the strong flavor cling to his tongue. As best he could, he commented afterwards. "Mm, yummy yummy. See, Flurry. If Daddy eats it, it **MUST** be good. Now open wide for the aeroplane."

That did the trick, Flurry accepted her food with no further complaints. She didn't even try to fling any of it back like she usually did, and as a result meal time ended much quicker than it normally did (and without the need to clean the kitchen walls once again). Honoring the deal he'd struck, Shining fixed his young charge a bottle of milk, and had a cup of the liquid himself to ensure he'd washed out the foul taste of _Mashed Peas_.

* * *

Once Flurry was back in the nursery, Shining carefully lowered her into her favorite playpen and surrounded her with all sorts of stuffed animals and toys/rattles. He even took the liberty of giving her her pacifier to suck on.

All of this was for a reason, for as the prince gave his daughter a light kiss on the forehead, he cooed at her. "Be a good little filly for Daddy, okay Flurry? Daddy has some important grown-up work he has to get done. But he'll still check up on you before nap time. And you'll let him know if you need something before then, won't you?"

Taking Flurry's nod as a sign that she understood what was being asked of her, Shining retreated to his study, leaving the door open just a crack so that he'd be able to hear any sounds his infant daughter might make. Then he sat down at his desk again, and began to pour over the papers anew. "Okay, the singer is narrowed down to two options. All that remains is to contact them, and see if their schedules align with the festival. Of course, I'll have to make sure they know nothing is decided, so they don't both show up assuming they've got the job," He said to himself, smiling in satisfaction that he'd already largely taken care of that important detail. "Now, how do I wanna promote this Friendship Festival? It's gotta be something special, something that conveys it's more than just another Grand Galloping Gala or award ceremony."

But Flurry Heart soon grew bored of playing with stuffed animals and plain old toys. She wanted to play with her daddy, enjoy some quality time with him and have those special, silly experiences she knew she couldn't get anywhere else. Yet he was ignoring her in favor of those papers, which probably weren't as important as he was making them out to be.

With a flick of her horn, the future heir to the crystal throne appeared in her daddy's study with only her precious Whammy. She held the cherished stuffed snail close to her body, lightly poking at her daddy with it in the hopes of drawing his attention.

Shining did, and he struggled to keep from getting annoyed. He really should've expected this, Cadence had told him that foals seldom sat still just because you told them to. But right now, the paperwork was more important. "Flurry, it's not your nap time yet," He lightly scolded. "And Daddy doesn't like being disturbed while he's working," Then he grabbed her Whammy with his magic and floated it in front of her, adopting an exaggerated tone of voice as he added. "Hey, Flurry, I'm Whammy, your friend. You wanna be nice for Whammy, don't you?"

Flurry nodded, suspecting nothing.

"Well Whammy says we gotta leave Daddy alone so he can his work done, that way he'll have more time to play with you," Whammy went on. "Now come on, let's go back to your playpen, and we can have all the fun we want together." Shining then gently lifted Flurry with his magic, floating her and her stuffed snail back into the playpen.

Alas, not even five minutes after Shining had sat back down at his desk, Flurry appeared at his side again. This time lightly brushing his mane and playing with it a little. Normally, Shining would find such a scene adorable, but with his mind focused almost entirely on the paperwork for the festival, everything else was like a distraction. And he was steadily losing his patience. "Flurry, please, not now," He growled, raising his voice just a tiny bit. "Unless it's something important, like you're hungry or need a change, please don't bother me. I'm trying to get some work done, and I can't do that if you keep bothering me," He carried her back to the playpen and plopped her down into it, surrounding her with the toys. "Play with your toys and leave me alone. Mommy and I bought them for you for a reason. So unless you wanna see them thrown out or donated, play with them!"

Flurry reluctantly obeyed, and Shining smiled as he retreated back to his study once again. This time he was certain of the fact that he'd set his infant daughter straight. " _I set a clear boundary, and she keeps crossing it. I have to put my hoof down, or else she's gonna grow up having me wrapped around her little hoof, and using me to get out of stuff,_ " He thought to himself. " _But if she's gonna be like this, maybe I should see about taking her to Ponyville, once she has all her shots. It might be nice for her to meet some other foals, even if Pound and Pumpkin Cake are a few years older than she is._ "

But just when it seemed that all had been settled, there was a "poof" and Flurry appeared in Shining's study yet again. She held out her Whammy, dangling the plushie in front of her daddy's face. It was the only thing she could think of that would draw attention to herself. In the process, she dislocated some of the papers and they fluttered down to the ground and scattered. Oh well, Daddy could always pick them back up.

Seeing the papers scatter across the floor like that, on top of the sights and sounds of his infant daughter shoving her trusty sleeping buddy in his face, caused Shining to lose what patience he still had. He'd been putting up with this uncooperative behavior for what felt like hours, and it didn't help that the stress of juggling responsibilities was giving him a bit of a migraine. Without even thinking, he glared at Flurry and shouted at her. "That is enough, Flurry! Daddy is just trying to do his job, and here you are, making that impossible! Why can't you just be a good little pony and play with your toys for a while, so Daddy can get his work done?! If your goal is get yourself in time out, well congratulations, you succeeded! Maybe now you'll learn that when grown-ups tell you not to bother them, you don't bother them!"

Almost immediately, Shining regretted his words, especially his threat of time out. Flurry hadn't done anything that warranted such a punishment. It wasn't like that time he and Cadence had caught her leaving little chocolate hoof prints on the carpet, after she'd tried to help herself to some chocolate pudding. Or the time she'd doodled on the nursery walls about her own little adventures.

But the words and threats couldn't be taken back, their damage had already been done. Flurry was silent for a few seconds, before her eyes welled up with tears and she burst into audible sobs of sadness. It may not have been as bad as her crying during her Crystalling (Sunburst's spells had thankfully toned down the volume), but to the stallion with a coat of pure white they hurt even worse. "Flurry, I'm so sorry, really!" He hastily apologized. "Daddy didn't mean to yell at you, he's just being a doo-doo head, that's all."

Flurry just continued to cry, the apology having no effect.

"Flurry, please, you've gotta stop crying!" Shining desperately pleaded. "'Cause if you keep crying, Daddy's gonna cry. And you know Daddy doesn't usually do that, he sheds liquid pride. You don't wanna see Daddy cry, do you?"

Flurry's sobs died down just a little, but she still sniffled quite loudly, and her eyes were starting to be stained red from her constant crying.

" _Come on, Shining, think! There's gotta be a way to make this all okay, make things right!_ " Shining thought to himself. And then, all of a sudden, he got an idea. A most unusual idea, mind you, but still an idea. And one that would hopefully work. Lighting up his horn, Shining enveloped himself in the light rose glow of his magic. Then in a cloud of smoke, he seemed to vanish, only to reappear seconds later in a noticeably shrunken state. His body was smaller and noticeably chubbier, and his mane and tail had shrunk down to little blue stubs. In short, he was now the size of a foal.

Flurry ceased her crying all together, looking down at her daddy and shooting him the most confused look.

"It's okay, Flurry," The foalish prince spoke, blushing at how high pitched and squeaky his voice sounded in his current state. "Daddy turned himself into a foal so he can play with you. He's sorry he got so wrapped up in that silly paperwork and ignored you. It's just paperwork, it can wait. You're only young once, and Daddy wants to make sure he spends as much time as he can watching you grow up," Then he added. "And I can change myself back to normal, in case you're wondering. Or at least, I'm pretty sure I can. If not, the spell should wear off in an hour. And there's always Mommy if that fails too," Trotting over (or rather, _crawling_ over. His small stature made walking about on his tiny hooves rather difficult) to Flurry, he booped her lightly on the nose. "Come on now, you gotta show me how foals have fun. Just don't do anything that'll get us into trouble."

Grinning in delight at having a playmate, Flurry babbled something that Shining was able to loosely translate as: "Be wight back, Daddy. Gotta gets you some swuppies.", and then lit up her horn and teleported away.

" _Where's she going? And what does she mean by 'supplies'?_ " Shining briefly wondered, before he looked down at himself and blushed as a thought came to him. " _She's not actually gonna do what I think she is, is she?_ " He thought, and mentally prayed that wouldn't be the case. He was pretty sure he hadn't made himself _that_ young.

* * *

Cadence was so relieved that court was finally adjourned for the day, it seemed like it had lasted forever. Her mane and tail were completely frazzled, but she didn't care, she could always brush them back to their usual well kept appearance. Right now there was only one thing that was important to her, checking up on the two most important ponies in her life: Her husband and her daughter.

" _I hope Flurry hasn't given Shining_ _ **too**_ _much trouble. Faust knows she can be quite the little trouble maker when she wants to be. Which reminds me, I need to see about giving Sunburst a raise._ " The princess of love thought to herself, as she frantically trotted down the long halls of the castle, which seemed to be even longer than they usually were for some reason.

At last, Cadence reached her destination, her shared bedroom with Shining Armor. And what she saw when she opened the door and entered the room, made her heart melt.

Shining was sound asleep in his usual spot on the left hoof side of the bed, Flurry Heart tucked under his left hoof and nuzzled up to his chest, also sound sleep. Flurry was clutching her Whammy, while her pacifier bobbed up and down in her mouth, the sucking sounds being almost in sync with Shining's loud snores. And scattered across the bedroom floor, were a variety of toys, and also some foal supplies.

Cadence simply giggled. " _Shining must've been playing house with Flurry, and something tells me I know who the Mommy was._ " She thought to herself, as she used her magic to pull the covers up over the two sleeping ponies. The scene was so adorable, she just couldn't bring herself to disturb it for the sake of putting Flurry in her crib. Just this once, she could sleep in her parents' bed.

Trotting over to the bed, Cadence leaned down and kissed both ponies softly on the top of their foreheads, as she sweetly called to them. "Sweet dreams, my little ponies." Then she carefully tiphooved to the door. It was worth having to sleep on the couch to have seen such an adorable sight that she would **NEVER** forget.


	153. Chapter 153: Parental Correction

For the Wonderbolts, it was just another day of practice. Flying around the academy, rehearsing for yet another upcoming show. Although Thunderlane had recently joined the ranks as a part time member, he had yet to take part in any performances. He didn't mind that at all though, he appreciated being helpful in his own way. The rest of the Wonderbolts were especially impressed by his cooking, it was better than anything any of them had ever been able to whip up.

" _I really need to ask Thunderlane if he'll be willing to give me and the other bolts some cooking lessons,_ " Soarin thought to himself, as he whizzed around corners and alternatively dove up and down in the sky. " _Celestia knows, Rainbow Dash especially could use 'em._ "

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Soarin spotted two ponies he didn't recognize. But they looked almost similar to Rainbow Dash.

One of them was a pegasus stallion of modest build who looked fairly old if the five o'clock shadow on his face was any indication. His coat was a pale, light blueish-gray in color, his eyes a moderate amber, and his mane and tail were the same color as Rainbow Dash's but styled into a buzz cut. Most odd, however, was the green jacket he wore, which almost concealed his cutie mark depicting a rainbow and a cloud with a horseshoe in front.

And the other was a pegasus mare with the same cyan coat as Rainbow Dash, not to mention the same deep reddish-pink eyes. Although her mane and tail were light scarlet with orange streaks, they were styled the same way as Rainbow Dash's. And she wore a bright yellow jacket that did not cover her cutie mark, a cloud with an image that indicated the wind whistling past.

What Soarin (and the other Wonderbolts) found most odd, however, was that the two ponies were holding up Rainbow Dash flags and seemed to be waving them while cheering. But their voices couldn't be heard clearly from so high up.

Spitfire gave a whistle, and all the Wonderbolts skidded to a halt. She glared at her teammates. "Okay, does somepony wanna explain who let these ponies onto the academy?" She firmly demanded. "You know the rules, no civilians allowed on academy grounds without prior permission. How many times do I have to repeat myself?"

"Don't look at me, Captain!" Soarin innocently protested. "I've never even seen them before in my life, I sure as hay didn't invite them." And one by one, all the other bolts nodded.

"What?! Are you telling me they snuck on here without permission?" Spitfire grumbled.

Fleetfoot nodded. "It would appear to be so, boss. Want us to shoo them away?"

But to the surprise of everyone, Rainbow protested. "No, you can't do that! Those are my parents!"

As soon as those words had escaped the rookie's lips, all her teammates turned their attention toward her and glared at her with suspicion. "What do you mean? I thought you said your parents were divorced, Dash!" Misty Fly remarked. "That's what all of us believed. Heck, that's what _everypony_ in Cloudsdale assumed."

"Have you been lying to us this whole time?!" Fleetfoot complained. "What else have you been keeping secret from us? Maybe you don't actually like pies?"

"What?! Why would I hate pies?! And what do pies have to do with this?" Rainbow insisted as she threw up her hooves. "I was... gonna tell you guys the truth, honest. It just sort of... slipped my mind is all."

"Well, if they _are_ your parents," Spitfire began with a serious expression. "You've gotta introduce us. After all, it's not often we have family visit. I think the last one to do so was Soarin's mom, Mrs. Amy Rogers. She was a lot of fun."

A faint blush formed on Soarin's cheeks, as the Wonderbolts all flew down to greet the cheering ponies. Spitfire was the first one to introduce herself. "Are you the parents of Rainbow Dash?" She asked the two.

Both ponies nodded, and the mare held out a wing which Spitfire shook. "We sure are. And let me tell you something, Rainbow Dash may have gotten her father's mane, but she inherited _my_ natural cuteness," The mare boasted. "The name's Windy Whistles, and this is my husband, Bow Hothoof."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Bow Hothoof eagerly exclaimed, his eyes lighting up not unlike that of a foal in a candy store. "When we first heard our little Dashie had finally become a Wonderbolt, we were practically beside ourselves. We just knew we had to come and see for ourselves," He wiped a lone tear from his eye. "It's true what they say, they grow up so fast. Seems like only yesterday I was taking her to her first ever Wonderbolts show."

"Dad, please, don't!" Rainbow whined. "You're gonna embarrass me in front of the team! How did you even know I was a Wonderbolt?"

Bow simply explained. "Your honorary little sister, Scootaloo, told us. She literally came crashing through my lawn to see your childhood home. It's just like you left it."

"But now we're gonna have to update the shrine, we need something from your _actual_ Wonderbolts career!" Windy exclaimed! "Oh, I have an idea! Good thing I brought my camera! Bow, can you do me a favor and bring Dashie close?"

"Sure thing, hun!" Bow eagerly nodded, as he wrapped a wing around Rainbow and pulled her up to where she was right beside his chest. Windy snapped the picture a second later, amidst giggles from some of Rainbow's fellow Wonderbolts. "Ooh, that's one for the album!" Windy declared.

"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Dash, or do you prefer Bow and Windy?" Spitfire asked.

"Call us whatever you like," Windy smiled. "We're just glad to be here."

Spitfire sighed in spite of her better instincts. "Well, we're glad to have you here. But if you wouldn't mind waiting in the mess hall, that would be great. We're right in the middle of flight practice, and I wouldn't anything to happen to you or for you to be a distraction."

"No problem, we can wait in the mess hall. Just don't keep us waiting," Bow proudly declared. "We wanna hear all about Rainbow's big debut, and when her next show's gonna be. We're not missing it for the world!" And then he and his wife made their way across the academy grounds, and entered the mess hall.

Rainbow quickly found herself feeling like a bug under a microscope, as her teammates all turned to her and shot her varying glances of frustration. All conveyed the same thing though: "You have a _lot_ of explaining to do."

* * *

It wasn't long before the cyan coated speedster found herself in Spitfire's office, still facing down the angry looks her fellow Wonderbolts were shooting her. Even Soarin looked like he was about to lose his patience.

With a sigh, Rainbow cleared her throat. "I suppose I have to clear up a bit of a misunderstanding," She tellingly massaged the back of her neck with a hoof as her cheeks started to flush red. "Well, about the 'my parents are divorced' thing? I never actually said that was the case, I just let you all assume that."

"But what about that other stallion you were always hanging out with as a filly? You know, the one who looked like he could be your older brother?" Misty Fly demanded. "If he's not your father, who is he?"

"His name's Rainbow Blaze, he was my flight coach, and that's all he was," Rainbow explained. " _He_ was the one who was divorced."

"And why didn't you ever mention anything about your _actual_ parents?" Fleetfoot inquired. "They seem pretty nice."

Rainbow shook her head. "Well, it's just... my parents and I have a... delicate relationship, that's all. They mind their business, and I mind mine. Let's just say they have a tendency to be... embarrassing. I mean, you saw how they were gushing over me on the runway."

Misty Fly, Fleetfoot, and Surprise all snickered to each other. "Yeah, we noticed," Surprise commented. "But it's not like we haven't had embarrassing parents visit us before. Besides, you all put up with my wackiness, and I do some pretty out there things."

"That's different," The rookie protested with a shake of her head. "Your kind of crazy is like Pinkie Pie crazy, there's a certain natural charm to it. My parents are on a whole different level, almost like Discord levels of crazy. I don't hate 'em or anything. They're my parents, so of course I love them. But, well... the whole reason I even moved to Ponyville in the first place was to get away from them. Their affection was smothering and over the top, I just couldn't take it. That's why I spent so much time with Rainbow Blaze. He and Fluttershy's parents were kind of like a second family to me. And Blaze taught me everything I know."

"Well, why didn't you just say all that from the start?" Soarin inquired, patting Rainbow with a wing. "If you think you're the only one who's had to deal with their parents embarrassing them, you really don't know your Wonderbolts. You should've seen what my mom was like last time she was here. She brought along my baby pictures to show everypony, I thought I was gonna die of embarrassment."

"My uncle Harvey's a really strange guy, almost two faced you might say," Fleetfoot chimed in. "Sometimes he's super sweet and embarrassing, like whenever he comes to visit me. But other times, by Celestia is he scary when he's angry."

Misty Fly added. "Even my parents were embarrassing the first time they saw me as a Wonderbolt. They cheered so loud, I thought for sure I was gonna be deaf."

"And, well, you already know my mother, Stormy Flare." Spitfire reluctantly added to the conversation.

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, but she seems tame. I wish my parents could've been more like her. More focused on the support and less on the embarrassment. Not that I didn't appreciate having them cheer me on."

Spitfire frowned, however, leaning back in her desk chair. "Well, my mom wasn't _always_ like she is now. She used to be worse."

Her curiosity aroused, the cyan coated speedster inquired of her captain. "What do you mean?"

Before Spitfire could answer, Soarin began. "You ever wonder how Spitfire got her embarrassing nickname?"

"You mean-" Rainbow started, only to be interrupted.

"-Not in front of the captain, she'll hear you!" Soarin protested. "Anyway, how she got is quite an interesting story. I can't tell it to you outright, 'cause I made Spitfire a promise not to say anything. But I _can_ whisper some of the less important details." And he proceeded to do so.

Rainbow's face morphed into the most cheeky grin it had ever adopted. "Oh!" She remarked, barely able to suppress the giggles.

Soarin also barely resisted the urge to giggle. "Yeah, so anyway, Spitfire had a little talk with her mom after that. And it straightened everything out. She still occasionally makes an off hoof comment about when Spitfire was younger, but for the most part she just shows up when she can to cheer her little Wonderbolt on."

"And whenever I get a day off, I always make sure to fly home and visit her. That way she doesn't get lonely," Spitfire finished. "So don't you see, rookie? Embarrassing parents is almost like a rite of passage for Wonderbolts. We all have to deal with them sooner or later. And it's better than just ignoring them or letting ponies get the wrong assumptions."

Rainbow looked down at the ground in shame, unwilling to look back up. "I hate to admit it, especially to you guys, but you're right. All this time, I've avoiding my parents instead of trying to set them straight. And that gave the impression that I took all their support for granted."

"Hey, we all make mistakes. And your folks don't seem too mad about it," Soarin commented in observation. "I'm sure if you had a talk with them and told them how you feel, they'd understand. Parents aren't perfect, but if they really love you then they'll respect your right to be treated as an adult and not be embarrassed all the time."

"Actually," Rainbow commented, looking back up at her teammates. "I have a better idea in mind. _If_ you're all interested, that is."

* * *

Sometime later, Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles were most surprised to be invited back out onto the runway. And they were even more surprised that a small stand had been erected for them. They sat down on it, suspecting nothing.

And that was when their eyes beheld their daughter, all clad up in her Wonderbolts flight suit, and standing before a microphone. "Mom and Dad," She spoke, her voice sounding serious yet also partially shameful. "I know I haven't exactly been the model daughter. For years I've been avoiding you, and letting everypony think you were someponies you weren't. So, this is probably a lot later than it needs to be. But I hope this at least _begins_ to make up for how horribly I've treated you."

No sooner had the cyan coated speedster finished speaking those words, when there came a loud roar. Bow and Windy looked up, and could hardly believe their eyes! All the Wonderbolts came flying past in formation, and Rainbow soon flew up to join them, taking lead in the formation in the shape of a V.

The bolts soon swooped around and zoomed through a rainbow waterfall, coating themselves in different colors of the rainbow, and lining up from left to right to match their own rainbow. After a few tricks, they flew through a normal waterfall to rinse off, and then all parted to give Rainbow room to pull off her signature Sonic Rainboom.

Once the rainboom had dispersed, the bolts all landed one by one from the sides of the formation, ending with Rainbow landing in front. Her eyes firmly locked onto her applauding parents.

"You did all of this for us?" Bow Hothoof asked his daughter.

Rainbow nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys sooner about me being a Wonderbolt, or how much your cheering and fanponyism was bothering me. I just didn't want to sound ungrateful."

Windy Whistles (alongside her husband) embraced her daughter in a hug. "We would never think of that you, little Dashie. We always knew you the potential to be something truly awesome, you just needed a little push to get out that gate and try. And after that first young flyers competition, I guess we lost track of the fact that you weren't that same scared little filly anymore."

"It's okay, I should've said something," Rainbow apologized. "So, if you guys promise to tone down the enthusiasm just a little, I'm sure I can arrange for you to be at every show I'm a part of."

"You've got yourself a deal, Dash... er I mean Rainbow Dash!" Bow smiled.

All the Wonderbolts let out an aw at the adorable and heartwarming scene. And Soarin found himself thinking. " _I really need to pay my mom another visit. It's been ages since I've seen her. I sure hope she's doing okay with her new job._ "


	154. Chapter 154: Meeting The Grand Pear

Aside from the occasional letter, Shining Armor mostly remained out of touch as the weeks passed and Summer drew closer. By now, word had already started to seep out about the planned Friendship Festival in Canterlot, and with newcomer Songbird Serenade touted as the headlining attraction it was all anypony could think about.

Well, almost anypony. A few ponies had more pressing concerns to deal with. Namely the Apples, who had an unexpected secret about their family's history exposed. And not in the way they would've liked.

It all started one seemingly normal day, when an elderly earth pony stallion by the name of Grand Pear showed up in Ponyville. The news of his arrival did not sit well with Granny Smith, she was heard to mumble about "Prickly Pear" but refused to elaborate on anything else.

Although it nagged at him, Big Mac didn't dwell on the issue for too long. He had his chores to do, and a visit from Cheerilee that he'd originally intended to be for him to formally disclose their relationship to his family. But now, with Granny Smith in such a sour mood, that seemed unlikely to happen.

Cheerilee was not deterred though, she still came 'round right as Big Mac was bucking the last of the apples from the trees. She cheerfully called out to him, attracting the stallion's attention.

"Hey there, Cheerilee," Big Mac greeted in his usual manner of speaking. "I know why you're here. But you've come at a bad time. Granny Smith ain't in the mood for company today."

"It's because of that Grand Pear, isn't it?" Cheerilee guessed, to which Big Mac nodded. "I thought so. I've heard tales about how Sweet Apple Acres used to not be the only farm here in Ponyville. And some ponies have mentioned something about a feud that drove Grand Pear to leave here and settle in Vanhouver for so long."

Big Mac sighed in frustration, hanging his head. "I reckon ya heard right. That's about as much as Granny Smith's ever been willin' to mention 'bout the Pears. Whenever Applejack or I try to press for more information, she just gets so frustrated and refuses to explain."

"But what about your parents?" Cheerilee pondered. "You were their oldest child, and they _must_ have known _something_."

"They only said they'd tell me when I was older," Big Mac replied with a shake of his head. "Truth be told, I don't think they really wanted to explain. Ma in particular seemed to get real upset about it."

Although a part of her told the mare she shouldn't ask, Cheerilee pried. "What were they like? Your parents, I mean."

Responding to his mare friend's question, Big Macintosh presented her with a photo depicting a rather tall earth pony stallion with a coat and mane and tail the same color as Apple Bloom, and wearing a stetson like the one Applejack wore. And an earth pony mare with a curly orange mane and tail, and a lighter orange coat. The stallion had green eyes, and a cutie mark depicting half a green apple with a star in the center. And the mare had blueish-green eyes, and a cutie mark depicting a jar whose contents couldn't be made out.

"Their names were Bright Macintosh and Buttercup," Big Mac explained to Cheerilee. "They really loved each other, and I mean it. Almost never saw 'em fight in my whole life time. Pa, he was super strong like me, but he had a big heart. Always believed in doin' an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. And Ma, she was a talented singer, but she helped out around the house and even in the fields. She had a knack for knowin' what ponies needed to do with their lives."

"They must've been quite the couple," Cheerilee commented and tried to keep a straight face. "It's a shame I never got to meet them."

Big Mac nodded. "Yeah, but my family and I, we made peace with their abrupt end long ago. Not a day goes by where we don't miss 'em though. But we know they're watchin' over us from up above."

"Sorry if I touched a nerve. I didn't mean to dig up old wounds. I was never really sure how best to approach the subject." Cheerilee apologized.

Big Mac just shook his head. "It's alright, it's a discussion worth havin'."

"Well... this may not be the best time to bring it up," Cheerilee nervously began. "But when I learned about Grand Pear and the feud between the Apples and the Pears, I did some research and..." The mare trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Big Mac spun around, suddenly intrigued. "You know somethin' 'bout what went down, and why Granny Smith never talks about it?" He asked his marefriend.

A gulp escaped the teacher's lips. "Yes, but you may not like what you find out. Let's just say, your mother had a secret that she took to her grave. Not an earth shattering one, but still a big one."

"What?!" Big Mac gasped, recoiling in shock.

"I thought you'd say that," Cheerilee hung her head in shame. "If you're interested, the information's at town hall. And Mayor Mare can fill you in on the rest. If you'd rather not know though, that's fine. Just forget I said anything."

But Big Mac, with a fiery determination in his eyes, declared to Cheerilee. "We're goin' down to town hall this instant. I need to know the truth. Whatever it is, I'll have to deal with it."

* * *

The tall stallion made a mad dash for town hall, millions of questions buzzed in his head about the secret. What could it be? Why had nopony told him about it for all these years? And most importantly, what about it was tied to Granny Smith's refusal to talk about the Pears?

When he arrived at town hall and entered to the back where the birth, marriage, and death certificates were kept, Big Mac was surprised to find not just Mayor Mare but also two very familiar ponies waiting for him: Mrs. Cake and Burnt Oak. He knew the latter had been a close friend of his father when they were colts and had plenty of stories to share in that regard. But what Mrs. Cake had to do with his parents, he hadn't the slightest idea.

"Ah, Big Mac, and Cheerilee too," Mrs. Cake greeted. "My, what a lovely surprise."

"I take it you knew somethin' 'bout my parents? Somethin' I never knew before?" Big Mac questioned the plump baker.

Mrs. Cake nodded and flashed a bright smile. "Did your mother ever tell you that it was because of me that I got my cutie mark?" When Big Mac shook his head, the mare explained. "Well, I wasn't always Cup Cake. In fact, my first name wasn't always was Cup. I used to be called Chiffon Swirl, and for the longest time I had no idea what my calling in life might be. But then one day, as if she knew what I was meant to do with my life, your mom brought over some pears, eggs, sugar, flour, and just told me to be creative. And the next thing I knew, I was making all kinds of pear flavored treats, and I got my cutie mark!" She was quick to add. "After that, your mom and I were the best of friends. She helped me start up my baking business, and always supported me. So, when I learned she'd changed her name to Buttercup, I decided to change my name to Cup to support her. Cup Cake rolled off the tongue better than Chiffon Cake anyway."

"Wait a minute!" Big Mac exclaimed as his mouth dropped open, and his eyes widened. "My mother's real name _wasn't_ Buttercup?!"

"Indeed it wasn't. I should know, I was the one who helped guide her through the name change process," Mayor Mare proclaimed, trotting up on the scene. "I have the certificate right here to prove it. And I've also marked your mom's birth certificate, if you want to know what her birth name was."

Big Mac reluctantly obliged the mayor's request, pulling out the designated piece of paper and scanning it carefully. When he'd finished reading it, it nearly dropped from his hooves. The name printed on the birth certificate, was not for Buttercup but for one Pear Butter. And in the photo attached to the certificate, the young Buttercup was cradled in the hooves of a light amber coated stallion with a green scarf around his neck. He had stern brown eyes that seemed to melt for the foal in his hooves alone, a mane and tail two shades of moderate orange with a few yellowish gray locks showing in the curls, and a cutie mark depicting a green pear.

"It... it can't be!" Big Mac stuttered. "M-my mom was a... a... Pear! The daughter of Grand Pear! But... h-how can that be so?!"

"Bright Mac almost never called Pear Butter by her real name. He always called her Buttercup, said it was 'cause the first time he met her, she reminded him of buttercups and how if you hold one under your chin, they're supposed to make your chin glow," Burnt Oak explained to Big Mac. "He was practically head over heels for her, and they'd often meet in secret just to talk to each other. Buttercup was also the only one who could ever get Bright Mac distracted and cause him to lose control. Heck, there was this one time he crashed through a fence and broke a water silo. Grand Pear didn't take too kindly to that, he put Bright Mac to work every other day fixin' what he broke."

"And Pear Butter's cutie mark was a preserved jar of pear butter. But it was always hard to tell," Mrs. Cake added. "Once she married Bright Mac, she started claiming it was a preserved jar of apple butter instead."

Finally regaining his words, Big Mac questioned. "But why would she do that? And how come I never saw Grand Pear growin' up, even though he was my grandfather?"

An awkward and uncomfortable silence fell over the room, all eyes turned to Mayor Mare. The elderly mare hung her head, but tried to keep a straight face. Adjusting her glasses and taking a deep breath, she began. "It was just after I'd been elected to office. Grand Pear decided to move to Vanhouver to expand his business, and so he could get away from the Apples. Pear Butter wasn't old enough to live on her own yet, and she was so torn up about it. But Bright Mac, he wasn't about to let something like that come between him and the mare he loved. So, the night before the move, he asked me to meet him at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. And to bring witnesses." And with that, Mayor Mare started to flash back to that fateful night long ago.

* * *

A much younger Mayor Mare proudly sported her pink mane and tail (it would be a few more years before she would start dying it to look older and more experienced), looking out at the decorated clearing in the orchard. It now resembled a make-shift church, complete with isles and an alter. Off to one side stood Burnt Oak, and on the other side stood the recently wed Chiffon Cake (she had wedded Carrot Cake just a few weeks earlier, and made Pear Butter the best mare).

Bright Mac was delighted, his plan had worked even better than he could've hoped for. "You ready, Buttercup?" He asked his soon to be wife.

Buttercup, for her part, was in a state of shock. But she nervously asked. "Are you sure about this, Bright Mac? I mean, what if our families find out? What will they think?"

"Who says they have to know?" Bright Mac suggested with a wink. "It'll just be our little secret. Besides, I'm sure about you, so sure that I'll marry you this very night if I have to. Whatever the future may hold, even if we're to be apart from each other for Celestia knows how long, we'll get through it together."

Mayor Mare beamed with prime. "I think that's my cue. Whenever you lovebirds are ready."

Bright Mac and Buttercup walked down the isle together, Buttercup trying not to dwell on the fact that her father wasn't here to give her away as tradition dictated.

Instead of exchanging vows aloud, however, Bright Mac and Buttercup exchanged seeds and planted them in the ground next to where they stood.

But at that moment, who should stumble upon the scene but Granny Smith (though some called her Apple Smith) and Grand Pear? And the both of them were anything but pleased at the sight that greeted their eyes.

Granny Smith spoke first. "What in tarnation is goin' on out here?! A weddin'?! On my orchard?! And without my say so?!"

"Pear Butter, what in the world do you think you're doing?!" Grand Pear snorted. "You're supposed to be helping me pack, not making goo goo eyes at our sworn enemy!"

Pear Butter shrunk in fright, afraid of the confrontation. But Bright Mac shielded her and bravely he declared. "Ma, Mr. Grand Pear, Buttercup and I are in love. And we'll be married just as soon as Mayor Mare gives the word."

Mayor Mare quickly declared. "By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." And she fled the scene as fast as she could. Burnt Oak and Mrs. Cake did the same.

"Married?!" Granny Smith gasped in horror. "No no no! Bright Mac, I don't care what kind of spell that Pear Butter's put you under, but you ain't marryin' her!"

"Finally, something we can agree on!" Grand Pear angrily remarked, trotting over to Buttercup. "Enough of this nonsense, Pear Butter. You can't be married. The Pears are moving, and you've gotta stick with your family, understand?"

But to the surprise of everyone, Buttercup shyly answered. "But... the Apples are my family now too."

Gasps rang anew through the orchard, as Grand Pear recoiled from the shock of the statement. "What madness is this?!" He stomped his hooves down in protest. "Are you saying, you're choosing to be an Apple over a Pear?"

"Are you makin' me choose?" Buttercup asked with tears in her eyes.

For a moment, Grand Pear said nothing. But then he flatly remarked to his daughter. "Yes, I am."

"Then... I guess I _am_ choosin' to be an Apple and not a Pear," Buttercup sobbed. "Why'd you make me choose, Papa? Can't we just let bygones be bygones and end the feud with the Apples?"

But Grand Pear would hear none of it, he just stormed away and muttered. "Don't come crying to me if you get second thoughts. Goodbye, Pear Butter." Leaving a grief stricken Buttercup to be consoled by her husband and mother-in-law.

* * *

"And that was it. Grand Pear never set hoof in Ponyville again for as long as Buttercup was alive. In fact, until yesterday, he'd never come back to Ponyville at all," Mayor Mare ended her story. "I'm sorry you had to learn all this. I debated when it might be best to talk about it with you and the other Apple siblings."

"Well, sounds to me like now's as good a time as any," Big Mac said firmly. "Come on, Cheerilee. I gotta tell Applejack and Apple Bloom about this. And then, we're gonna pay old Grand Pear a visit. He's got some explainin' to do."

And so it was that, a short time later, Big Mac, Cheerilee, Applejack, and Apple Bloom, all approached Grand Pear in the Ponyville market place. The years had not been kind to the stallion, he had aged considerably. His mane and tail were a ghostly white, and he had shrunken in stature a little. Still, he seemed to have no trouble getting around.

Grand Pear was most surprised to be confronted by a quartet of ponies, three of which sported cutie marks that depicted apples in some way, shape, or form. "Can I help you?" He innocently inquired of his guests.

"The name Pear Butter ring any bells?" Applejack sternly asked. When Grand Pear's eyes widened, Applejack added. "That's right. Name's Applejack, this here's my little sister Apple Bloom, and my older brother Big Macintosh and his special somepony, Cheerilee. Apple Bloom, Big Mac, and I are your grandkids."

"I had a feeling," Grand Pear commented, his tone of voice sounding deep and sorrowful. "Pear Butter wrote me letters all the time, all of 'em as her new name of Buttercup. Told me all about her new family. But I never bothered to reply, I was just so angry. And I let the feud keep me from my family for many years."

"You moved back to Ponyville to be closer to your grandkids, didn't you?" Cheerilee asked.

Grand Pear nodded, struggling to hold back tears. "The last letter I got from Buttercup, she mentioned how she'd just given birth to a beautiful little filly named Apple Bloom. She kept holding out hope I'd come back and apologize. At that moment, I realized I'd been a terrible grandparent. I wanted to return and make amends. But by then it was already too late. By the time I could come down to Ponyville, she was already gone forever. I was too ashamed to show up for the funeral. Took me until now to even work up the courage to set hoof in this town again."

"Well you know what, Mr. Grand Pear, sir?" Apple Bloom commented. "Nothin's keepin' you from your family now. It's not too late to make amends and be a better grandparent. Heck, if you're lucky, you'll get to live to see great grandfoals from my brother and Miss. Cheerilee."

Big Mac and Cheerilee both blushed at the thought of starting a family. That was something they'd considered, but not for years and years to come.

"In any case, there's somepony you need to see. Somepony you owe an apology to." Applejack sternly declared.

Grand Pear gulped. "I had a feeling it would come to that eventually. You think she'll forgive me?"

"If you could overcome the feud and make amends, I'm sure she can do the same in time." Cheerilee encouraged.

* * *

Granny Smith was most surprised to see the Apple siblings and Cheerilee at Sweet Apple Acres later that day. But she was even more surprised to see Grand Pear with them. "So, you're finally back, huh?" She remarked with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, I am," Grand Pear sternly nodded, before his mood changed and he tearfully confessed. "I... never should've left. I can't believe I let some silly feud get in the way of my family."

"It ain't entirely your fault, I contributed to it as well," Granny Smith confessed. "Should've tried to pay you a visit much sooner and smooth things over, 'stead of lettin' your daughter bury her Pear family heritage."

"And I should've been here, sooner," Grand Pear added in a low, hurt voice. "Can you... ever forgive me?"

"Oh of course I can, old Prickly Pear," Granny Smith replied, offering a hoof to the elderly stallion. "After all, Sweet Apple Acres took over all the land you left behind when you moved to Vanhouver. So in a way, it's like a part of you never left."

"Thanks a bunch, old Crab Apple," Grand Pear smiled, returning the hoof shake. "At least now this feud has finally come to an end. If only we'd been able to make amends sooner."

Granny Smith simply replied. "Well, at least now we can both grow old together, and watch the grand kids grow up. Heck, I reckon it won't be long before we start havin' talk of great grandfoals."

"Granny! Grand Pear!" Big Mac and Cheerilee both whined, blushing bright red. Then everyone laughed. And it was a good, hearty laugh. A sense that at last, peace had come to two families that had feuded with each other for so long.


	155. Chapter 155: Curse of Daring Do?

Despite his often touted seemingly endless reserves of energy, Braeburn found himself struggling just to keep up with Soarin as the pegasus stallion was speeding along through the Whitetail Woods. "Soarin, could you slow down a little, please?!" Braeburn called. "I only got the four legs to carry me, you know!"

"No can do, Braeburn! This is an emergency, somepony might be in trouble!" Soarin called back.

Braeburn just continued to pant. He wanted nothing more than to stop and catch his breath. "At least do you mind tellin' me why we came all this way out here to the Whitetail Woods?"

"Didn't I already tell you?" Soarin questioned.

The earth pony stallion shook his head. "No. All you said was somethin' about "Daring Do's in trouble!" and then took off without a word."

Soarin groaned in response. "I swear I told you, but I guess I'll have to repeat myself. So pay attention this time: Rainbow Dash is a big Daring Do fan, and she claims that author A. K. Yearling is actually Daring Do in disguise."

Braeburn let out a chuckle at that. "Oh, that's a good one. Although I suppose it _would_ explain why you never see A. K. Yearlin' and Darin' Do in the same place, despite all the times you hear 'bout 'em poppin' up."

"Yeah, so anyway," Soarin coughed into a hoof. "This morning Rainbow came barging into the compound with a newspaper article about A. K. Yearling's 'retirement' or something, and she got all upset. But since she's due to perform in a show in the near future, Captain Spitfire doesn't want her leaving the compound unless it's a family or friendship emergency, which this isn't. So I told her I'd go check it out for myself, and asked for directions to A. K. Yearling's location. Turns out that Twilight's mom is A. K. Yearling's publisher and co-author."

"Funny how I never knew 'bout that before now," Braeburn commented, before he skidded to a halt. "Wait a minute, Soarin. I see what this is _really_ about. You can't stand seein' Rainbow Dash all upset, 'cause you like her."

Soarin skidded to a halt in mid-air and protested with a stutter. "Huh? N-no I don't, don't be silly. Wonderbolts protocols specifically prohibit teammates from being in relationships with each other."

Braeburn arched an eyebrow upward. "Really? That's not what Thunderlane tells me."

The Wonderbolts Co-Captain just growled and grit his teeth. "Whatever! That's not what's important right now! What _is_ important is making sure A. K.'s alright, regardless of who she is or who Rainbow Dash claims she is. Kind of odd that she'd choose to live out in a cottage all by herself though."

"Well unless I'm mistaken, I'd say we've just stumbled onto that there cottage," The earth pony stallion commented as they came to a small clearing in the woods with only a lone cottage with a brick chimney housed within it. "And look, I think that's A. K. now!"

The two stallions dashed over to a nearby window of the cottage and their eyes were drawn to a lone mare with a coat of light gold. She sported a grey hat with a light brown bow, thick red glasses, and a dark purple robe that obscured her lower body (including her cutie mark). Her moderate rose eyes seemed to reflect a look of sadness, regret, and most of all forelonging.

Unaware of her visitors, the mare hung up her hat, revealing a black and dark grey mane. She sighed and hung her head. "I suppose I have no choice, I'll never again take off this cloak and remove these stupid glasses," She said to herself. "Maybe I can go into exile in some other country and start anew," But then she shook her head. "Who am I kidding? They wouldn't want me anymore than anyone here in Equestria would. Seems like I always end up doing more harm than good."

Suddenly there came an urgent knock at the door, and a reluctant A. K. trotted over to answer it. She was more than a little surprised to see that she had visitors, including the easily recognizable Soarin, the co-captain of the Wonderbolts. "Go away!" She angrily hissed. "I just want to be alone with my thoughts and my hopes."

"A. K., come on!" Soarin pleaded. "I'm not here to lure you out of retirement or anything, I just wanted to make sure you're okay. Why in the wide world of Equestria are you giving up? Ponies love Daring Do, and they love you."

A. K. just sighed. "Maybe they still love A. K. Yearling, but they sure don't love Daring Do anymore. They just think she's a menace and a pest."

"What?! Says who?!" Soarin protested. "You're making it sound like Daring Do is a real pony, but that's not true. She's just a fictional pony you made up."

"Though if _that's_ the case then why are you wearin' that long cloak?" Braeburn pondered. "It ain't chilly in here, so throw it off. Unless you got somethin' you're tryin' to hide."

At that A. K. reluctantly spoke up. "I guess it won't hurt to show you two, just this once. It's the last time I'll let anypony see me like this." At that she removed her cloak, revealing a set of wings, and a bushy mane and tail in several shades of black and grey, not to mention a cutie mark depicting a compass rose. Then she removed her glasses and put on a pith helmet, as a well worn green jacket could now be seen on her upper chest.

Soarin and Braeburn both gasped! "No way, you really ARE Daring Do!"

Daring reluctantly nodded. "I _was_ , but not anymore. Surely you read about it in the papers?"

"All I heard was you announcing that your next Daring Do book would be your last, and then you were going to retire, Miss. Yearling," Soarin grumbled. "But it doesn't say why. If you _are_ Daring Do, then shouldn't protecting ancient artifacts and exploring old ruins be more of a priority than your books?"

"Oh it has nothing to do with my books I'm afraid," Daring sighed anew. "On my most recent adventure, while I was battling the evil Ahuizotl in Southern Equestria, I caused quite a bit of damage and destruction. The local newspapers had a field day, just look at the headlines."

Pinned to a nearby wall were various newspaper clippings with headlines that screamed out such things as: _Daring Do trashes Somnambula Statue in Southern Equestria_ , _Daring Do leads Bull into China Shop during chase_ , _Daring Do: Hero or Menace?_ , and even _Daring Leaves Trail of Destruction in her Wake: Entire Village left in Shambles_.

"So you had a little bit of a collateral damage incident, so what?" Soarin protested. "Are you seriously gonna call it quits just because a few newspapers were looking to stir up discontent? Good news never sells like bad news does, lots of papers do it, it's how they make a profit."

"But it's all true is the problem!" Daring protested with a shake of her head. "What good is it to be Daring Do if all I ever do is cause more messes than the ones I try to fix? Cause more damage trying to prevent a disaster than would've happened had I let it unfold?"

Braeburn only said in reply. "Well what about the villagers? There's no way they're not at least a tiny bit grateful to you for savin' them from whatever evil scheme Ahuizotl had cocked up."

"It's true that if not for me, the entire village would've sank into the ground and vanished," Daring appeared to concede. "But was worth the price the villagers had to pay? I should've been thinking about something besides my glory, besides how I could make the story more invigorating. But all I could think about was living up to the Daring Do namesake, like some kind of superhero."

"So maybe you lost sight just a little about what you were trying to do," Soarin said to Daring. "I bet that if we took a trip down to this village in Southern Equestria and talked to some of the locals, they'd have nothing but praise for you, gratitude for saving their lives."

"And then you can put those negative headlines to rest and come out of retirement," Braeburn boasted. "Easy, peasy, cheesy!"

Daring just sighed anew. "Alright, I guess maybe a trip to Somnambula Village won't hurt anything. But..." She paused and her lips began to quiver. "Maybe it's best if I go in disguise, just to be safe. Nopony down there knows about A. K. Yearling, there aren't any publishing companies that would sell my books. A. K. Yearling won't attract attention the way Daring Do does."

The Wonderbolt Co-Captain appeared to agree. "Fine, you can go in disguise if you want. But once you see how much those villagers admire Daring Do, you won't be needing it."

* * *

After a great deal of traveling the trio found themselves trotting onto the sandy soil that defined Somnambula Village in Southern Equestria (the village actually didn't have a name, but for the sake of simplicity ponies had taken to calling it "Somnambula Village").

The disguised Daring shuddered anew at the sights of her unintentional destruction. Villagers all over were sawing wood to create boards for new houses, carts of various vegetation lay overturned and smashed to piece, but worst of all, in the very heart of the village stood a statue that had crumbled at the base. Where there had once been a face of a pegasus pony, there was now nothing but rubble and stone slabs.

Even Braeburn and Soarin had to pause at the horrendous sights that befell them. They hadn't expected things to be anywhere near as bad as this.

"Now do you see why the village hates me so?" Daring growled. "I don't know why I let you talk me into coming back here, there's nothing to learn and nothing has changed. I think the villagers would much prefer it if I just left them in peace to rebuild and get on with their lives. This is _exactly_ why I'm retiring."

"Come on, Daring," Soarin protested. "You can't just give up. Rainbow Dash has always bragged about how amazing you are, about how you've done the impossible time and time again. After all the adventures, after all the close calls, you're calling it quits just because you had a collateral damage problem?"

Daring only hung her head. "If this is the price others have to pay for my adventures, then the world's better off without me. Let some other foolish pony take up the mantle, let _them_ take a crack at it. I'm done with adventures, having or writing!"

Braeburn, however, threw up a hoof and pleaded with Daring. "Come on, you haven't even asked the villagers how they feel yet. You're jumpin' to conclusions," With a smile on his face he suggested to the downtrodden adventurer. "Why don't we have a look around and ask a few locals? We came all this way, might as well tour the village and see the sights, right?"

"I guess," Daring sighed anew. "But don't get your hopes up."

* * *

Making their way into the village proper, the outsiders noticed that the natives weren't paying much attention to them. They seemed to be more concerned with rebuilding. A few of them seemed to briefly cast a glance in the trio's direction, but then they went right back to whatever they were previously doing without saying a word.

At last they managed to stumble upon a villager who seemed willing to talk. He was a stallion hard at work repairing his smashed apple cart. "What do you want?" He grumbled to his guests. "Can't you see I'm busy trying to put my life back together?"

"We're sorry to bother you, mister," Soarin politely replied to the merchant. "But I was hoping you could tell me, just briefly, about Daring Do. I hear she's supposed to be this awesome hero."

"Oh she's awesome alright," The merchant remarked. "Awesome at destroying ponies' carts and priceless ancient statues that is! She's hardly any better than the evils she claims to be stopping. We were fine before she came along and we'll be just fine if we never have to see her again."

The Wonderbolt Co-Captain tried to plead with the merchant. "Don't you think you're maybe being a little too hard on her? The village was saved and nopony got hurt, isn't that what's important?"

But the apple merchant growled and snapped in response. "I'll tell _you_ what's important! How are ponies like me supposed to make a living when the only thing we have in life is taken away from us at the hooves of some do gooder?! Just because you don't know what it's like to not have a roof over your head and a warm bed to sleep in, doesn't mean you know what it's like to live solely on the profits of your cart! And that cart gets taken away from you, nothing else matters, you can't make money! And without money, how can a pony hope to make a living?! _That's_ what's important!" At that he turned his back and flicked his tail. "Now kindly leave and don't bother me with your nonsense again!"

A hooded stallion appeared a moment later and pointed a hoof as he chimed in. "You would be wise not to waste your time speaking of 'Daring Do'. For to the ponies of this village, Daring Do is but a menace who destroys everything she touches. Do you not read the papers?!" And then he trotted away as mysteriously as he had appeared.

"Something about that pony sounds vaguely familiar," Daring commented to herself. "But he's right you know. I can't believe I ever thought things would be different in real life. Whoever put you two up to this, tell them that nothing you say or do can change my mind. Daring Do is officially Daring Done! Take _that_ to the papers and enjoy your five seconds of fame!" And she ran off without another word.

"Daring, wait!" Soarin pleaded aloud, forgetting all about trying to maintain her disguise. But it didn't matter, the one he hoped to reach wouldn't acknowledge him or respond to him. She was gone.

"Well, _that_ went well," Braeburn sarcastically remarked as he kicked the dirt with a hoof. "So what exactly are we supposed to do now? It seems like Daring's in quite the funk."

Soarin nodded. "Spitfire and Shining Armor were much the same way when they were going through this, but they weren't so stubborn," He couldn't help but groan. "If I didn't know better I'd swear she and Rainbow Dash were related, they look and act so alike."

"Maybe when this is all over, we can conduct a genealogical research into Daring's background," The earth pony suggested to his friend. "But for now, how do we go about snappin' Daring out of her downtrodden mood? I doubt a party will work for her."

"She's not like Cheese Sandwich, and somehow I don't think it's her birthday or anywhere close to it," The Wonderbolt Co-Captain shook his head. "What she _needs_ is to see that there are ponies who appreciate her for what she's done, ponies who care enough to show appreciation."

"Sounds simple enough. But how do we go about findin' that in a place like this?" The earth pony stallion pondered. "To say we've got our work cut out for us would be an understatement. We're all but up the flooded orchard creek without a paddle."

"Maybe not quite," The stallion with a coat of light blue retorted. "There's _one_ place I can think of where we should be able to find what we need. Rainbow says it's a place Daring likes to stay all the time on her adventures. The Get On Inn! And as luck would have it, it's right here in this village."

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's check out the inn and find the ponies that can help us cheer Daring up!" Braeburn cheered.

* * *

It was dark by the time the two stallions located the inn. Compared to the rest of the village it seemed to have escaped the brunt of destruction, and so it was a place that many of the villagers were staying for the time being. It wasn't anything particularly special but it was surprisingly comfortable considering where it was.

Soarin rang the bell at the front desk, figuring it was best to go for the direct approach on this one. A dusty blue coated earth pony mare with a similarly dusty green mane and tail and amber eyes trotted out, sporting blue glasses, a delicate purple robe with white cuffs, and a shimmering necklace of unknown green gems that sparkled even in the light of the inn. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you," She remarked. "The name's Mrs. Trotsworth and I'm the inn keeper. So what can I do for you two? You here to rent a room or something?"

"Actually, we were hopin' you could tell us about Daring Do," Braeburn commented. "Is it true that she's always stayed here durin' her adventures?"

Mrs. Trotsworth just huffed and turned her head. "She used to, but not anymore she doesn't! Wanna know why? Because the last time I had the sense to rent that rascal a room, she was in such a rush to hightail it out of here, she didn't pay her bill! Just took off without even a word, let alone a check!"

"Okay, so maybe that's bad, but I'm sure she had a good reason for it. I mean, she was probably in a rush tryin' to save this town from impendin' doom," Braeburn suggested to Mrs. Trotsworth. "What's the big deal? Just send her the bill, she'll be glad to pay it."

Mrs. Trotsworth only growled. "A lot of good that'll do me now. Not long after she split the scene, a whole bunch of shady looking ruffians showed up and managed to destroy about half the rooms looking for her. I guess she must've ticked them off even more than she did me."

"Are you seriously going to blame Daring Do for something she had no control over?" Soarin complained to the inn keeper. "Seems like you're up to your neck in business right now."

"Yeah, because Daring Do's fight with Ahuizotl rendered nearly half the entire village homeless!" Mrs. Trotsworth complained as she stomped a hoof on the desk. "And you know what's even worse, now I hear that Daring Do's a scoundrel and a thief! I couldn't believe it when I first heard the news, but it seems that's just the straw that broke the camel's back for a lot of ponies!"

Against his better judgement Braeburn decided to ask. "What did she even steal?"

"Why only the thing that everypony in this village values more than life itself," Mrs. Trotsworth explained as she held up her necklace. "This is Glowpaz, and every year since this village was founded, ponies have come to offer up necklaces made of it. All in the hopes of a good future. But it seems that since Daring's last visit, a whole bunch of glowpaz necklaces intended for offering as tribute have 'mysteriously' disappeared without a trace. And don't say it was Ahuizotl, Daring specifically confiscated everything he'd stolen. At least she was decent enough to do _that_."

"Who told you this?! Give me five minutes with the accuser and I'll get the true story out of 'em!" Soarin demanded.

Mrs. Trotsworth pointed a hoof to a familiar looking hooded stallion. "That stallion claims to have had his glowpaz necklace stolen by Daring Do just yesterday. Found it odd though, he won't tell me his name and I don't remember seeing him here before. If not for the fact that he pays his bill on time, I wouldn't let him hang around."

Soarin (with Braeburn following) trotted over to the stallion as he spoke to a crowd of gathered villagers. "Look at what Daring Do has done to us! She barged uninvited into our town, ransacked it for the sake of her 'adventure', and stole all our glowpaz necklaces. And all for the sake of saving from this Ahuizotl character that never would've bothered us if she weren't frequenting this very inn! If she shows up again, we need to make it clear just what we think of her. Anypony who's interested, meet me at the Somnambula statue tomorrow morning, and we'll discuss how we can ensure that menace gets what she deserves."

A disguised Daring Do could only watch as many of the villagers seemed to rally around the hooded stallion and cheer him on. "Just great," She unhappily sighed as Soarin and Braeburn joined her. "Now I'm getting blamed for things I didn't even do."

"Just so we're clear, you _didn't_ steal from them, correct?" Soarin questioned. "I doubt you would but I want to make sure."

"Of course I didn't steal from them!" Daring protested. "Why would I ever do something like that?! For the longest time this village and the Get On Inn were my home away from home, I could never bring myself to do something so horrible."

Braeburn commented to Daring. "You know what I think? I'm thinkin' that whoever that hooded stallion is has somethin' to do with all of this. Nopony in this village seems to know who he is, and he's the one who claims you stole all the glowpaz even though you didn't."

"Well it doesn't matter, without proof we can't accuse him of anything," Daring sighed. "And unfortunately, that also prevents me from clearing my name."

"Look, Daring, I promise you we'll get this all straightened out in the morning," Soarin reassured the troubled pegasus. "But for now, let's just get a good night's sleep, okay?"

"Besides," Braeburn added. "We kind of have to stay here, 'cause I already ate all the free mini muffins. Couldn't help myself, they were just so irresistible."

* * *

And so it was that next morning, Daring Do, Soarin, and Braeburn all made their way to the wrecked Somnambula statue in the center of the village. A huge crowd had gathered to hear the hooded stallion speak, and he continued to rumble and rant on about Daring Do. "What has she done for our town: Nothing! What has she done to repair the damages she's caused: Nothing! What has she left us with: Nothing! It's time we sent that no good Daring Do a message, that menaces such as her will not be tolerated in our fair village!"

At that Soarin leaped up onto the podium and growled. "Listen here, mister! I don't know who you think you are or where you go getting the idea that Daring Do is the worst thing that ever happened to your village!" Looking at the villagers he added. "Daring Do saved your village from sinking into the ground, and the worst that happened was a few houses got damaged and some crummy old statue of an old pony got defaced. Better the village than your lives, wouldn't you all agree?!"

"Yeah!" Braeburn added. "If the whole village sank into the ground you would have nothing left, not even your glowpaz necklaces or your apple carts. Half a village is better than no village at all. After all, it pays to look on the bright side of things. And I have a feelin' whoever it was that was depicted in that there statue would agree."

But just then the apple merchant from the previous day came trotting up and hissed. "You would be wise not to disrespect the legend of Somnambula! For she is whom our village is named after, and whom we erected this statue in honor of! It's why we wear our glowpaz necklaces with pride!" Stomping his hoof down in protest he snarled. "If you wish to tell us what we should be thankful for, first you must understand the history behind the legend of this village. Understand the pony that was Somnambula." And this is the story that the merchant told:

Somnambula was a pegasus mare of medium build defined by her light scarlet coat, innocent and playful grayish violet blue eyes, and a beautiful mane and tail of dark arctic blue and moderate turquoise. Her cutie mark was a simple gold necklace with two pearls on each end. And she was never seen without her white headdress and bluish-white tunic.

When Somnambula was scarcely a mare, her village fell victim to an evil sphinx. Said sphinx demanded most of the villagers' crops as payment. Though Somnambula didn't have much, she used what resources she had to support others and encourage them not to give up hope.

Her example inspired the young Prince Hisan, a not so secret admirer of her. He proudly declared that nopony would ever go hungry again. But when Hisan went out alone to stand up to the sphinx, he was captured and imprisoned in a nearby pyramid! No one would come to his aid. No one that is, except Somnambula. She flew off to Hisan's rescue almost from the moment his capture was made known!

Flying into the pyramid, Somnambula found herself face to face with the sphinx, guarding her prisoner very carefully. The sphinx laid bare her terms, Somnambula would have to answer the sphinx's riddle if she wanted to have any chance of ever seeing the prince again.

"I accept your terms, oh great sphinx," Somnambula had replied. "Now, what is your riddle?"

The sphinx's riddle went like this: "I shine brightest of all in the dark. I am there and yet cannot be seen. To have me costs you absolutely nothing. But to be without me costs you absolutely everything. What am I?"

As Somnambula thought and contemplated, her mind began to drift back to the hardships she and her fellow villagers had to endure. Immediately she knew the answer. "Hope!" She shouted, she felt very proud of herself!

At that the sphinx became enraged! Never before had anypony, any _one_ solved her riddles! And she got so upset that it seemed she might still refuse to let Hisan go free.

"May I offer a suggestion, sphinx?" Somnambula spoke up. "What if I solve another one of your puzzles? If I do, you let my friend go and never again bother my village. But if I should fail, I will be your prisoner. Either way, Hisan walks out of here a free pony."

The sphinx grinned and chuckled. "Excellent idea, Somnambula. My next puzzle is quite simple. All you have to do to solve it, is walk to the prince."

"That is indeed simple enough, sphinx," Somnambula chuckled. "Your games are quite fun."

"This isn't a game, foolish pony!" The sphinx retorted. "You lucked out on my riddle, but you won't find this puzzle to be so easy!" At that she put a blindfold over Somnambula's face. And when Somnambula tried to fly, she discovered that her wings were useless. "A little extra insurance, Somnambula," The sphinx taunted. "I've cursed this pyramid, so no wings and no horns will work within these walls. Still think you can find your way to the prince without falling into the vat? It may not be corrosive but you still wouldn't want to fall into it." She then gleefully rubbed her paws together.

But even though she was blindfolded, Somnambula refused to give up hope like the sphinx had expected her to. She knew that even without her wings, she was still strong. With the prince's voice as her guide, she made her way across the bridge over the vat. When she reached Hisan the blindfold was lifted, from there was a simple matter to get back across.

Enraged, the sphinx flew away, never to be seen again!

Later, when asked how she'd managed to keep her wits against the dreaded sphinx even while blindfolded, Somnambula explained to the pharaoh that she'd never lost hope, and that hope had guided her through. As thanks for her rescue of him, Hisan replaced Somnambula's pearl necklace (which she had given up to help one of her neighbors buy a loaf of bread) with one made of glowpaz. But these glowpaz were special, they could light up even the darkest of places just as hope could shine through even in the bleakest of situations.

And since that day, even long after Somnambula's mysterious disappearance, ponies continued to flock to her village and offer up glowpaz necklaces as tribute. What had become of Somnambula's glowpaz necklace, no one knew.

* * *

"And _that_ is the legend of Somnambula," The apple merchant finished narrating. "So now do you understand why this is so serious? Why it matters so much that this priceless stone statue was so thoughtlessly demolished? And why it matters so much that our glowpaz was stolen?"

Soarin appeared to nod in understanding, before he spoke up. "You're right, it's unfortunate. But don't you see? If Somnambula were here now, she would be thanking Daring Do for having saved the village from Ahuizotl's scheme. For saving it from sinking into the ground. And she wouldn't believe that the same pony who saved her village from certain doom, could be the glowpaz thief. Not without proof."

The villagers all seemed to whisper among themselves in uncertainty.

"You presume to know Somnambula, but in fact you don't!" The hooded stallion coldly hissed as he leaped onto the podium! "Daring Do has ruined countless lives, including my own! And she's a thief, isn't that what matters most?!"

Braeburn joined Soarin on the podium as he pondered. "And just what did Daring Do ever do to you anyway, mister? Sounds to me like you have a grudge against her for somethin' she didn't even do. Who are you to say Daring Do is a thief and a menace?! Nopony here even knows who you are!"

"Who I am isn't important, I'm not the one on trial here!" The hooded stallion protested.

"But I am, because of you!" Daring Do shouted as she removed her disguise and swooped forward onto the podium. "And I think I know who you are, mysterious stallion. Or should I say-" She proceeded to fly around back and lift the stallion's hood, throwing into the air. "Dr. Caballeron!"

A gasp rang out through the crowd as they saw a brownish-gray coated earth pony stallion with a five o'clock shadow appear. He sported a dark arctic bluish-gray mane and tail that looked unpolished and quite messy, cold grayish-green eyes, and a cutie mark depicting a golden skull with a red jewel in its right eye. "Very clever of you, Daring Do!" The fiendish pony hissed. "But how did you see through my disguise?"

"I thought it was odd when I heard your voice coming from that hood, but I couldn't be sure," Daring explained. "I was too distracted by my guilt to think clearly, but when Mrs. Trotsworth mentioned that she'd never seen you before and didn't know who you were I started to get suspicious. Your rant against Soarin confirmed it, only you could be so petty as to have a grudge against me. And I'll bet you've exploited this situation just so you could make me give up!"

Caballeron hissed! "You ruined me, Daring Do! After you snubbed my request to be your partner, the name Caballeron became a disgrace in all archaeological circles! I had to resort to a teaching job just to pay the bills!" Then a grin crept onto his face as the stallion explained. "When I first stumbled upon this village after you had battled with Ahuizotl, I only saw a place to lick my wounds and hope for a fresh start. But then I heard ponies start to grumble about the damage you'd caused, and I saw a chance to smear your good name forever. I'll admit, it was a stroke of genius on my part! To pretend to be somepony else and make the villagers believe you were more of a threat to them than anything else. The funny part was, they all bought it with very little effort. If you hadn't destroyed so much of the town trying to stop Ahuizotl, they wouldn't have been so receptive."

"What have you done with the Glowpaz necklaces?!" Daring demanded of the fiendish Caballeron! "This kind of stuff is exactly why I never wanted you as a partner, you were too greedy! You only cared about exploring ancient ruins and civilizations if you could swipe the artifacts for yourself and sell them to the highest bidder! And I'll bet you're planning to do the same thing to the glowpaz!"

Caballeron just laughed in response. "I've hidden the glowpaz in the pyramid. The necklaces are yours for the taking, _if_ you can find them. Oh, and that bit about the sphinx's curse? It's real, there will be no flying at all inside that pyramid. So good luck!"

"You won't get away with this, Caballeron! This time you've gone too far!" The pegasus mare retorted. "I'll retrieve the glowpaz necklaces, and then I'm coming back for you!"

"No, Daring!" Soarin protested. "You and Braeburn can handle the pyramid, I'll take care of the _real_ scoundrel and thief! Caballeron's not going anywhere on my watch!"

Braeburn nodded and then shouted to Daring Do. "Come on, Daring! We've got glowpaz to retrieve."

"But how will we ever find it all in time? That pyramid is vast, and without my wings it'll take much longer to explore every inch of it," Daring protested. "We could be in there for days."

Braeburn just chuckled. "You can't give up hope so easily, Daring. Somnambula didn't give up hope when that sphinx was starin' her down, and Soarin and I didn't give up hope of provin' you innocent. So we just have to maintain hope, and that hope shall guide us through. Besides, Caballeron's an earth pony, he couldn't have hidden the glowpaz anywhere too extreme."

* * *

And Braeburn was right. Although it took a great deal of searching, he and Daring Do managed to find all the missing glowpaz necklaces inside the pyramid before long. And when they came out they found that an entire flock of Wonderbolts reserves had shown up, no doubt at Soarin's request.

Said reserves were leading the disgraced Dr. Caballeron away, cuffs applied to his front hooves as he sat in a carriage. As the carriage departed he could be heard declaring. "You haven't seen the last of me, Daring Do! Someday, everypony will see you the same way I do! A pony who ruins the lives of others!"

Braeburn and Soarin gave Daring a great big hug when that evening she told them. "I think I was a little premature to give up the pith helmet and call it quits. If I'm not around to protect villages from the likes of Ahuizotl and Dr. Caballeron, I doubt anypony will be able to just step up and take over the reigns right away," But then she added. "But I've also learned that even when you set out to do good, you're still responsible for the consequences of your actions."

"But when things start to go bad, it pays to remember not to give up on yourself or lose hope," Braeburn chimed in. "What's important is that you strive to right the wrong you did and make amends."

Soarin grinned. "Be sure to add that into your next book. You don't have to mention the two of us if you like, probably best if most ponies still believe you're just a fictional character."

Daring nodded. "So I take it I can trust you two to keep the secret that A. K. Yearling and Daring Do are one and the same?"

"Our lips are sealed." Braeburn and Soarin said together.


	156. Chapter 156: Swamp Fever!

Thunderlane was running as fast as his hooves could carry him, his destination clear in mind! He soon fell upon the crystal tree that was Shining Armor and Twilight's castle, and Shining's home away from home. He ran right up to the doors and pushed his way in, not stopping even for a second to catch his breath. But there was no sign of anypony anywhere, no one was there to greet him.

Undeterred, Thunderlane started searching all the rooms one by one. "Shining Armor! Twilight! Starlight! Spike! Anyone!" He called in vain. "Please, I need someone to be here! I need help!"

At last, nearly out of breath, Thunderlane pushed open the door to the kitchen. And that was when his eyes fell upon a most unusual scene:

Shining Armor stood in the center of the kitchen, watching as Twilight (who was covered in flour and wearing a chef's hat) pulled out a tray of what appeared to be muffins of some sort, and Spike pulled out some kind of buds (he was also wearing a chef's hat). "Uh, am I interrupting something?" Thunderlane questioned as he made his presence known.

Shining Armor chuckled. "Oh not at all, Thunderlane. Twilight and Spike simply decided to have a cook off, and they asked me to be the judge."

"We were going to have Starlight fill that role, but she ran off somewhere before that could happen. Something about not wanting to sample bad cooking." Twilight explained.

Spike, meanwhile, boasted. "I don't blame her. My cauliflower bites are gonna taste way better than your stale old sweet potato muffins. After all, I'm the one who does all the cooking around here."

Twilight just ribbed Spike in reply. "Don't think I somehow can't cook for myself. As part of my studies, Princess Celestia made sure to include cooking lessons. Besides, my cooking isn't _that_ bad."

"Why don't we see what Thunderlane thinks?" Shining suggested. "After all, a second opinion wouldn't hurt."

But Thunderlane shook his head. "There's no time for that! I need your help, badly!"

"Why? What's the matter?" Shining asked his friend. "Is everything alright?"

At that Thunderlane responded with a glum "No," and then he started to spout out at a mile a minute. "Rumblehasswampfeverandthere'snocureandtheonlyponywhocancurehimistheMysticalMaskandIneedyourhelptofindher!"

"Uh, what was that?" The prince commented as he put a hoof to his ear. "I couldn't make that out. Could you slow down a little, Thunderlane?"

Reluctantly, the pegasus stallion took a deep breath and told his friends his tale of woe. "Rumble and his friends went down to the swamp near the Everfree Forest, they wanted to help Zecora collect some crisscross moss for her potions. I knew it was dangerous, but I stupidly told Rumble he could go ahead and go there anyway," His lips began to quiver as he went on. "A plant sprayed him and then he suddenly started breaking out in spots and coughing bubbles. The doctors made it clear those are the unmistakable symptoms of swamp fever! And not only is there no cure, the final stage of the disease has the afflicted turn into the trees that drop the flowers which spread the disease in the first place."

All in the kitchen let out a collective gasp. "No!" Shining exclaimed! "Why Rumble?! He's a good kid, he doesn't deserve to have his life end like that!"

"That's why I came here!" Thunderlane explained with tears in his eyes. "As his big brother I have to find a way to cure him! Then I remembered something from long ago, when I was younger. My parents used to tell me stories about a pony called the Mystical Mask, a sorceress who could cure anything, and I _do_ mean anything. So I was hoping there might be a book or two in the library that could tell me who the Mystical Mask really is and where I could find her. If she really _could_ cure anything, she's bound to have notes on swamp fever and a cure for it!"

"Ah, a research session!" Twilight's eyes lit up. "Well why didn't you say so?! I'm sure we'll find something, Thunderlane. You've come to the right place."

* * *

Thunderlane, Shining Armor, Twilight, and Spike all quickly made their way to the castle library and started pulling down books from the shelves left and right. Their goal was to find any kind of lead about the Mystical Mask or anypony who might possibly resemble her.

Hours ticked by and books began to pile up on the floor, but no one could find a single lead about the Mystical Mask. Not a page, not a sentence, not even a word.

Day turned into night and the library shelves began to be depleted, but there was still no progress being made. At last, Shining got up and reluctantly he said to his friend. "I think we may have to call it a night, Thunderlane. We've exhausted just about every book there is. If there _is_ a lead on the Mystical Mask, it's not here. Maybe there'll be something in the Canterlot archives, or even the Crystal Empire's library. And we can check them out first thing tomorrow."

But the pegasus stallion firmly shook his head in protest. "No! Rumble's counting on me and I won't let him down! I promised I'd find a way to cure him, and I meant every word of that promise!" He stubbornly declared. "I'll stay up all night and re-check every book myself if I have to! I'm not giving up!"

"But if you don't rest you'll have no energy left to continue the search, and then you'll be of no help to anyone at all," Shining protested and then pleaded. "Please, Thunderlane. I know it's unfortunate, but searching in vain like this isn't going to solve anything."

"I don't care! As long as Rumble's still a pony, I'll do everything I can to cure him!" Thunderlane firmly declared. "You'd do the same if it was _your_ younger sibling whose life was in danger!"

Sensing that his friend would not yield, Shining reluctantly backed off. "Okay, Thunderlane, you win," He told his friend and then yawned. "I'll go to bed for a while and get some sleep, and I hope you'll do the same eventually. Wake me up when you're ready to call it a night, and I'll continue your search for you. We'll be more productive that way." And then he left the library, leaving Thunderlane alone by the flickering candlelight.

* * *

The next day dawned, and Shining woke with a start when Thunderlane threw open the door to the prince's bedroom and proudly declared! "Shining! I've got a lead!"

Stumbling awake the alicorn rubbed his sleepy eyes. "Oh, you did? What did you find?" He questioned.

"It wasn't easy, but what I did was cross reference a book about healing and medicine with a book about masks, and then use a third book to translate it all from old ponish," Thunderlane explained. "And there it all was, clear as day! The Mystical Mask wasn't a legend, the Mystical Mask was a real pony. And her identity was none other than Mage Meadowbrook!"

At that Shining gasped, stricken with admiration! "No way! As in _the_ Mage Meadowbrook?! The ancient sorceress from Hayseed Swamp?!"

Thunderlane nodded. "You know about her?"

"Well, no, but I remember Twily studied her a lot in Celestia's school," Shining confessed. "If I remember correctly though, Meadowbrook was a mare of mystery. She never took off her mask, no one knew who she really was or if she was even a unicorn at all. And she apparently disappeared one day out of the blue and no one ever saw her again. No notes, no trace, nothing."

"That's the thing about Meadowbrook though, she wasn't _just_ a sorceress. She was also a healer, and back then healers were known to wear masks so they wouldn't get sick themselves," Thunderlane explained. "It all makes sense, I can't believe I never realized it until now!"

Shining couldn't help but feel the slightest bit guilty upon hearing that. Thunderlane had worked himself to the bone to find information on Mage Meadowbrook, and the most the prince had been able to offer so far was moral support. Rumble meant so much to him, how many times had seen the little colt at Thunderlane's side or otherwise roaming around as a Cutie Mark Crusader? This rescue effort should've been a team effort, and yet he hadn't contributed much to it.

However, a more concerning matter soon found its way to the forefront of the prince's mind. Looking at Thunderlane more closely, he noticed bags underneath his friend's light gold eyes. "How much sleep did you get last night, Thunderlane?" He inquired of his friend.

"Oh I couldn't sleep, not with Rumble's life at stake! I'm sure you could relate if the roles were reversed and it was _your_ younger sibling whose life hung in the balance." Thunderlane immediately answered.

At that Shining became concerned. "Thunderlane, I thought I told you to wake me up so we could take turns. I could've found the same information. It's not good for you to not get sleep. You'll be of no help to anyone if you don't get enough rest."

But the pegasus stallion just stomped a hoof down in protest. "I'll rest when this is over and Rumble's back to normal! Until then, I'll do what I must to save him!"

"At the least do you have an idea of where we can find a cure for Swamp Fever?" Shining questioned.

Thunderlane shook his head. "It never said Meadowbrook found any sort of cure for Swamp Fever, but I reckon if we go to Hayseed Swamp and search her home, we'll find something that can help us. They say Swamp Fever originated in Hayseed Swamp, hence the name. If anypony know about a cure, it would have to be Meadowbrook or one of her descendants."

Shining threw the covers off his bed and quickly got to his hooves. "Well then, I suppose we're off to Hayseed Swamp," But then a thought struck him. "Although, shouldn't we get some breakfast first? It's a long way to Hayseed Swamp, and I don't think they'll have hayburger stands there."

"One step ahead of you, Shining," Spike declared as he strolled into the room, holding a brown paper bag in his claws. "Twilight had a feeling you and Thunderlane might take off on short notice, so she asked me to pack something for the road just in case. Plenty of delicious cauliflower bites in there."

"What about the sweet potato muffins?" Shining questioned.

Spike gulped and tried his hardest not to look guilty. "Don't tell Twilight, but I kind of ate them all. I couldn't help myself. They were actually pretty delicious. I take back all the jokes about her cooking."

Shining just giggled. "She always _did_ like baking cookies with Mom and Cadence. Don't worry, Spike, your secret's safe with me." And he gave a knowing wink as he took the bag with his magic.

* * *

It wasn't long before Shining and Thunderlane were taking to the skies, making a beeline for Hayseed Swamp which was roughly southeast of Ponyville.

Thunderlane's lack of sleep started to catch up with him on the way, as he bumped into Shining accidentally when he briefly closed his eyes. "Sorry," He apologized with a yawn. "Guess you had a point about the lack of sleep."

"You're right to be worried about Rumble, and it's noble you want to do everything in your power to help him. But you're not invincible, Thunderlane, and you know it," Shining corrected. "I can help you if you just let me, don't try to do it all on your own. We both know what happened the last time one of us thought he had to be the big darn hero."

Thunderlane tried not to groan. "I feel guilty just thinking about it. We really should've listened to you from the beginning, Shining. But we didn't take things seriously until it was too late, and that caused you to do something stupid and rash," A sigh of regret escaped his lips. "And because of that you nearly died."

"The only one was really in the wrong was me," Shining confessed to Thunderlane. "I let tunnel vision cloud my judgement, all I could think about was getting to the hippogriffs and seeking their help. You guys were the big heroes when it mattered most, the allies _you_ made were the ones who helped save the day. I wrote them off because they weren't like us, because we weren't in Equestria. And if the Storm King hadn't been who he was, if he'd been smart enough not to betray Tempest, that victory would've likely turned into a defeat."

"You were only doing what you thought was right," Thunderlane protested in reply. "And in the end, you were able to turn Tempest from an enemy into an ally, just as you did with Starlight Glimmer and Fluttershy did with Discord. Not to mention what Rumble and his friends did with Diamond Tiara."

At that Shining declared. "And we owe it to Rumble to do our best! Now isn't the time for petty disagreements or fighting over who should play hero! We're going to save him, and we're going to do it together!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way!" Thunderlane proudly declared as the two touched down in Hayseed Swamp.

* * *

Hayseed Swamp was lightly occupied, consisting of just a few houses built out of wood, a small boardwalk over the swamp itself, and plenty of trees.

Meadowbrook's home was inside the tallest tree of them all and it appeared to be unoccupied. However, when Thunderlane tried to push on the door he found that it wouldn't budge at all. "Rats!" He complained, before his eyes narrowed in frustration. "Well then, if the door won't open we'll just have to break it down. Stand back, Shining, I don't want you to get hurt."

"Before you do something we'll both regret, maybe you should try the handle?" Shining suggested with a frown and an unamused tone of voice, gesturing to the huge, round knocker on the center of the door.

Thunderlane nervously chuckled. "Uh... it uh... really kind of... blends in with the bark, you know."

"Yeah, easy to miss." The alicorn prince sarcastically quipped before he pulled back on the knocker with his magic. The door swung open with little effort.

Taking that as an invitation to go inside, the two stallions did so. Once inside they were surprised to see what looked like a huge, bubbling cauldron in the center of the room, a spiral staircase leading up to the second floor, and a few old and worn masks that hung on a rack. The whole place had an almost neglected vibe to it, all that was missing were the cobwebs.

"This is freaky. I don't think anypony's lived here for years." Shining commented.

"I was thinking the same thing," Thunderlane nodded. "Better spread out and find what we're looking for. The sooner we find that cure, the sooner we can leave."

But all of a sudden, from a rocking chair emerged a short but rather rotund earth pony stallion with a coat of moderate orange! He sported a mane and tail of light yellow and moderate gold done up in a set of curls (and also a beard), moderate magenta eyes, and a cutie mark depicting a sun spiral and two cattail stalks crossing over one another. He wore a red bandanna around his forehead and had on a green vest with a yellow collar. "Can I help you, travelers?" He greeted in a noticeable Southern accent.

Both Shining and Thunderlane let out a scream of fright!

"Whoa, whoa!" The plump earth pony stallion cautioned as he raised a hoof. "Sorry for scarin' ya, I tend to do that. Name's Cattail. And this is my place, or at least it is now. Used to belong to my ancestors."

"We're terribly sorry to intrude, Mr. Cattail, sir," Shining apologized. "We were just here because we were reading about Mage Meadowbrook, and found out she lived here."

"We're trying to find a cure for Swamp Fever and we hoped she might have documented such a cure somewhere." Thunderlane added.

Cattail let out a chuckle. "Funny you should mention that, 'cause Mage Meadowbrook happened to be one of my ancestors. She never had foals of her own, but some of her cousins did and they took over managin' this place after she disappeared. Eventually it was passed down to me, and I try to keep things as they were the day Meadowbrook left. Never know when she might be comin' back, whether as a pony or a spirit."

"Did Meadowbrook ever have an encounter with Swamp Fever at all?" Shining questioned.

Cattail put a hoof to his chin as he pondered the question. "Haven't done much readin' on her work I'm afraid, don't have much to go on besides the stories," He then chuckled. "Don't know where ponies go off thinkin' she was this great enchantress, she was just a healer and a darn good one at that!" Then he motioned a hoof to a nearby book stack. "This is Meadowbrook's personal library. It's where she kept all her important recollections and notes. Never touched it myself, didn't think it was polite to intrude. But I reckon you'll find what you're lookin' for here."

"Just one question, Mr. Cattail." Thunderlane spoke up.

"Please, just Cattail will do, thank ya kindly." Cattail replied.

"How does a unicorn like Meadowbrook end up with an earth pony descendant like you? Especially since you just said she never had foals." Thunderlane inquired in confusion.

At that Cattail threw back his head and gave a hearty laugh. "Meadowbrook a unicorn? Oh, that's a good one! If she were here now, I reckon she'd think the same," Once he'd regained his composure he explained. "Meadowbrook was an earth pony like me and just about everypony else who's ever dwelled in this here swamp at some point or another. Always took pride in that fact. I reckon it's 'cause of that healer's mask she always wore that ponies outside the swamp thought she was someone else entirely. It's said that she had a coat of light cerulean, eyes the most brilliant turquoise you'd ever see, and a pink and moderate scarlet mane and tail like mine. Her cutie mark wasn't known, but I bet it had somethin' to do with healin'. It was her callin' in life, like her mother and her grandmother. An entire family of healers, the last of their kind in fact. After Meadowbrook left and her immediate relatives passed on, there was no one left to inherit that healin' touch, not even me."

"Oh." Was all Shining and Thunderlane could bring themselves to say in response. It was clear that there was a huge disconnect between the Meadowbrook of legend, and the Meadowbrook of actual life. Rather than press the subject further they decided it best to instead focus their efforts on research, hoping to find a cure for Swamp Fever or at least a lead to said cure.

Thunderlane read from the first book he laid eyes upon, opened it up, and read it aloud. "Today my mama made me eat peas. Peas are yucky, I hate them! When someday I have foals of my own, I will never feed them peas," He closed up the book a second later. "Probably best to skip that one, I doubt Meadowbrook found the cure as a foal."

Cattail nodded his head in agreement. "She wouldn't even be able to touch a cauldron 'til she was at least eight or nine I reckon'. She never was the best at organizin', tended to keep all her best information to herself."

"But she sure liked to write about personal details, seems like she really wanted to have a family of her own someday," Shining commented. "Get a load of this one: 'I met this weird colt today. He pulled my mane, so I put a frog atop his head.' Not very helpful, but I _do_ kind of wanna see where it goes."

"It's not how we swamp ponies show love if that's what you're wonderin'," Cattail replied with a shake of his head. "That was usually a sign that somepony really doesn't like you. Had that happen to me a few times growin' up. That's why I moved in here, figured I could at least make myself useful in case Meadowbrook came back. Kind of would like for that to happen, there's a lot I'd want to ask her."

"Sometimes I wish I could meet my ancestors face to face. I'd imagine there are a couple of things I'd end up discussing with them at great length," Shining nodded. "And I know Twilight also dreams of meeting Starswirl the Bearded. Oddly enough, he too disappeared long ago without a trace. Come to think of it, it seems like a lot of old legends end that way."

"Probably just one of them weird coincidences. I tend not to think about it too much." Cattail shrugged in response.

Just then, Thunderlane raised his voice and proudly declared! "Hey, listen to this! I think I've found what we're looking for: 'Today, I tried again to brew an un-sniffle elixir. And I finally got it right!'" He continued to read at length about Meadowbrook's story, which sure enough included a mention of Swamp Fever. And this is the story that Meadowbrook had written down:

* * *

The young Mage Meadowbrook (or just Meadowbrook as she was known back then, the mage title would come later) had indeed completed her un-sniffle elixir, and gave the concoction to a squirrel that had a red and stuffy nose. The squirrel took one sip of the elixir and like magic its stuffy nose disappeared, its nostrils became unclogged.

Meadowbrook's mother had observed the whole thing, and she smiled as she said to her daughter. "Very impressive, Meadowbrook. I think it's time you had this." She presented a small box to her daughter, who opened it and grabbed hold of a bird shaped mask with yellow and blue stripes.

Meadowbrook was delighted and let out a gasp of joy! "My very own healer's mask! You think I'm finally ready to be a healer like you, Mother?"

Meadowbrook's mom nodded. "Yes indeed. As of today, you're a certified healer, and it falls to you to continue the family tradition. Remember that you're a healer above all else, and healers take no sides."

"I'll remember that, Mother." Meadowbrook nodded as she clutched the mask in her hooves.

Just then there came a knock at the door. Meadowbrook's mom opened it and was immediately greeted with the sight of a sick pony suffering from an aliment she had never seen before. The pony was covered in orange spots and was coughing up bubbles. "Good heavens! What caused all this?!" She inquired of her new patient.

The stallion spoke not a word, but hoofed over a flower like plant. It seemed that such a plant was responsible for his current condition, or at least that's what he was implying.

As this disease had never been seen before, Meadowbrook's mom took to calling it Swamp Fever. The symptoms were easily identifiable: Orange spots, dulled coats, coughing bubbles, and the sprouting of leaves and bark for those in the final stages of the disease.

Day after day Meadowbrook and her mom worked round the clock in the hopes of finding a cure. The plant that seemed to cause the disease refused to yield any of its secrets though. Meanwhile, Swamp Fever spread rapidly. Before long the entire population of Hayseed Swamp was coming down with it. Even Meadowbrook's mom was not immune. Just when it seemed she'd finally found a possible treatment, the flower had reacted by spraying its pollen into her face! Within hours she was coughing up bubbles and running a temperature!

Poor Meadowbrook found herself alone and faced with the impossible, to find a way to cure a disease that seemed to have no known cure. A disease that even her mother hadn't been able to outsmart and reverse.

Deciding it best to get away from her troubles and study the flowers in their natural environment, Meadowbrook left the safety of the bayou for the swamp. Just looking at the accursed flowers filled her with dread and hopelessness. Those seemingly innocent floral creations had come into her life and stricken down everyone she knew and cared about. Some of her closest friends had already succumbed to the disease and become trees, and now her own mother had only days before the same fate would befall her too.

But just when it seemed all hope was lost, the solution came to Meadowbrook in the most unexpected of ways. A series of bees with blue stripes instead of black and with little bolts of electricity surging out of them, landed on the flowers. But even when the flowers sprayed their pollen, the bees were unaffected. They gathered the nectar and flew off back to their nest.

At that, realization struck the young Meadowbrook! "Flash bees! Of course!" She exclaimed and chased after them! " _If the bees aren't affected by the flowers, then there's a chance their honey is the cure I've been searching for! I just have to convince them to let me have some!_ " She thought to herself.

It wasn't long before the young healer approached the tree that housed the flash bees' hive. Carefully she climbed up the trunk and perched on a branch overlooking the hive. She reached out a hoof to try and grab some of the honey, but a twig snapped and the flash bees woke up! "Uh-oh." Was all the young mare had time to say, before she was stung by the flash bees and fell down to the ground. Luckily she wasn't hurt badly, the soreness of the stings would fade with time.

There had to be a way to get the flash bees to relinquish their honey, Meadowbrook didn't have time to wait until they next left it to gather more nectar. But how was she going to appease the bees without getting stung? There had to be a way!

Suddenly, a lone flash bee came buzzing by! Meadowbrook quickly donned her healer's mask in the hopes the flash bee wouldn't recognize her. It worked. In fact, not only did the flash bee not take notice of Meadowbrook but it also landed atop her mask and rubbed up against it. The bee seemed to think the mask was one of its fellow drones. Meadowbrook held perfectly still as the bee perched atop her mask for a bit, then flew off again.

Clutching her mask, the healer beamed with pride! "I just found the solution I've been searchin' for!" She declared. "Hold on, Mother, I'm gonna get that honey and finally put an end to this nightmare!" And she donned her mask as she then added. "Here goes nothin'!"

* * *

"My hunch was correct, the flash bee honey _was_ the cure," Thunderlane read as Meadowbrook's account came to an end. "And today I cured Mother and the rest of the bayou. It was the greatest feeling I'd ever had, and I vowed to dedicate my life to the healer's cause and helping others."

Cattail nodded. "And that's exactly what she did. There wasn't a disease or ailment that Meadowbrook couldn't cure. But she was never good in crowds, always felt there was somewhere else she needed to be. Probably why she never took off her mask, and why ponies outside Hayseed Swamp started thinkin' she was a unicorn and a sorceress."

"Well all we have to do now is find a flash beehive and get that honey," Shining realized. "Cattail, by any chance do you have the mask that Meadowbrook says she used in her diary?"

Cattail nodded once again, tossing the mask toward Shining who caught it with his magic. "There you go," He replied, before he looked at Thunderlane and gulped. "Say, your friend ain't lookin' too good. Think he might be comin' down with somethin'."

"What do you mean..." Shining began as he turned around. But when he too saw what Thunderlane looked like, he was stricken with dread.

Thunderlane shot back a look of confusion. "What? Why are you looking at me like that? Is something wrong with my mane? I know I haven't really slept in a while but I don't see why that's such a big deal."

"M-maybe it's better to just show you." The prince gulped as he levitated over a small mirror.

Thunderlane took one look at his own reflection and nearly dropped the mirror in shock! His coat had started to dull, and his face was rapidly being covered by orange spots! "Oh no! I've caught Swamp Fever!" He realized with horror. "Must've picked it up from Rumble while I was taking him to the doctor! How could I have been so stupid?! I _knew_ Swamp Fever was contagious!"

Shining immediately threw up his signature shield spell, encasing Thunderlane in a protective bubble! "Always comes in handy when dealing with Flurry Heart, never thought I'd have to use it on one of my friends," He commented and then he looked at Thunderlane. "We can't risk you infecting Cattail or myself! You need to rest, Thunderlane, or else your symptoms will only get worse! I know how to get the honey, let me take the risk!"

From inside the bubble the pegasus stallion pressed his hooves up against the edges and protested. "No! I have to go out there! Rumble's counting on me, I can't let him down! I have to help him, just like Meadowbrook helped her mother and all those bayou ponies long ago!"

"But Thunderlane, don't you understand?" Shining pleaded with his sick friend. "As much as Meadowbrook helped to heal and take care of others, I'm sure she also understood the importance of taking care of one's self. You're no help to anyone in this state. If Meadowbrook were here now, I'm sure she'd agree that as noble as your intentions are, they're ultimately short sighted and reckless. How are you going to help Rumble if you collapse from exhaustion, or worse turn into a tree?"

Despite coughing up bubbles, Thunderlane only protested. "You're not changing my mind, Shining! Please, I have to do this! Rumble's counting on me!"

"There's really no convincing you otherwise, is there?" The alicorn prince sighed as he shook his head. "Well if you're really _that_ determined to go through with it I suppose I can't stand in your way. But let me help you. If we work together, we can get that flash bee honey without a fuss and put this whole nightmare behind us."

"I sure hope you two know what you're doin'," Cattail commented as he began to shudder. "Those flash bees are nasty critters, and they can get awfully aggressive. Trust me, I've learned that fact the hard way."

"Don't worry, Cattail. With Meadowbrook's mask and a little bit of luck, we should be able to get the flash bee honey." Shining reassured the plump earth pony. In his mind though, the prince was thinking. " _This has to be the craziest thing I've ever done! I can't even begin to count the ways this could go wrong!_ "

* * *

As luck would have it the flash beehive was just a short distance away from Meadowbrook's home, high up in a tree overlooking the swamp. With them all huddled together inside their hive, they were capable of generating small clouds of lightning, which crackled and sizzled ominously.

Despite his condition, Thunderlane managed to slip the same mask Meadowbrook had claimed to use over his head. But when he tried to climb up the tree trunk and reach the hive, his strength failed him and he just pawed at the ground helplessly.

"It's okay, Thunderlane, I've got you. Just focus on getting that honey!" Shining advised as he used his magic to lift Thunderlane up the tree and place him on a branch overlooking the hive. "And whatever you do, don't take off that mask until you're on solid ground again."

"Got it!" Thunderlane nodded and then said to himself. "Mind over matter! Maximum effort!"

Cattail dove for cover in a nearby bush. "Oh golly, I can't watch!" He remarked. "This has to be the craziest thing I've ever seen a pony do!"

The flash bees quickly started to swam towards Thunderlane, aware of an apparent intruder. But then they took notice of the mask and seemed to hesitate, as if wondering whether there really was an intruder or not.

Thinking quickly, Thunderlane started to making buzzing noises as he bobbed his head back and forth. That was enough for the flash bees to back off, as far as they were convinced this stranger was not a stranger, it was one of them and thus offered them no ill will. Thunderlane just continued to buzz as he reached a hoof into the hive and started scooping some honey into a jar. "Shining! I think it's working!" He called through the mask.

"Excellent!" Shining called from below. "Fill up that jar, and then we'll see if Meadowbrook's hunch was correct."

* * *

With a jar full of flash bee honey, the two stallions (and Cattail) retreated to the safety of Meadowbrook's home. Thunderlane took a spoonful of the sweet tasting honey. In an instant his coat regained its glow, the orange spots faded completely, and the bubble coughing stopped. "It worked! It worked!" Thunderlane eagerly proclaimed as he bounced all around! "Now we just need to get this stuff home to Rumble, and hope we're not too late to save him!"

"Right you are, we've got no time to waste!" Shining declared. "As soon as we're close to Ponyville, name the hospital your brother's staying at and I'll take us there," But he briefly turned to Cattail and said to him. "And thanks for your services, Cattail. You've been a terrific help."

Cattail just gave a salute. "Just doin' my best to keep the bayou hospitality alive and well. And if you ever need my help again, just give a shout. Reckon it won't be long before this place becomes one of them fancy historical sights or somethin'."

"Only if we tell," Shining gave a knowing wink. "And I think some legends are better off staying legends. If ponies knew Meadowbrook was just a plain old earth pony instead of this ancient sorceress, I don't think they'd be teaching about her as much as they do now."

"Well I'll still probably share some of these journals with folks who wanna know. Never know who else may be inspired by Meadowbrook's legacy," Cattail replied. "Now you two better be on your way."

The two stallions departed Hayseed Swamp a few seconds later without fanfare, and their trip back to Ponyville passed in silence. It was only once they'd reached the hospital Rumble had been admitted to, and convinced the doctors and nurses to let them administer the cure, that they breathed a sigh of relief.

From his hospital bed, Rumble immediately threw his hooves around his older brother. "You really are a lifesaver, big bro! I thought for sure I was gonna turn into a tree!" He exclaimed as tears rolled down his face. "It was so scary, to think my life was over."

Thunderlane (with tears in his own eyes) simply replied. "Well lucky for you you have two great ponies who risked life and limb to find the cure."

Shining couldn't help but comment. "Emphasis on the life part, I might add. Your brother actually ended up contracting Swamp Fever himself."

"Probably got it from me," Rumble giggled. "Guess I should be more careful about going near swamps without protection."

"Maybe, but for right now all that matters is that you're alive and well!" Thunderlane happily exclaimed! "And after what I've been through these past twenty four hours, I don't think Spitfire will object too much to me taking some time off. Family comes first."


	157. Chapter 157: Zeppelin Tales

After the Swamp Fever scare with Rumble, things quieted down in Ponyville for quite a while. Shining Armor took advantage of the opportunity to move back to the Crystal Empire. Try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to be away from his family for long. Since Flurry Heart was getting to the point where she could now start to walk a little and even spout something besides gurgles and coos, he didn't want to miss any major developments in her life. " _Seems like only yesterday Twily was as young as Flurry is now. And now look at her, all grown up and living her own life with her own friends,_ " He thought to himself. " _Man, I'm getting old!_ "

Of course the prince had to get used to waking up in the middle of the night to tend to Flurry, which often meant changing her diapers or soothing her upset stomach. "One thing's for sure," He could be heard to say. "I can't wait to leave this phase of growing up behind. Long live the age of the lavatory!" He even started consulting some books on that crucial development phase known as potty training. He'd been down that bumpy road with Twilight, and he'd seen how it had driven his parents crazy. This time he was going to be prepared, even if that phase wasn't for another year and a half at least.

Then one morning, as Shining was sipping his morning coffee (to counter the effects of another sleepless night of tending to Flurry) and Cadence was busy feeding Flurry her _Mashed Peas_ , a small letter suddenly appeared before the alicorns. Shining carefully grabbed it in his magic before his daughter could get any ideas, and scanned it over. When he'd finished reading it his eyes lit up like a Hearth's Warming Tree! "Cadence, you are NEVER gonna believe this!" He exclaimed! "Twily just wrote to me! She says Mom and Dad just won a free zeppelin cruise, and they're going to take the whole family with them! Even Twilight and Spike are gonna come along!"

"That's terrific, dear," Cadence said with a smile. "But are you sure _you_ want to go? You know you get air sick on long zeppelin cruises."

"I'm sure I'll be fine, just so long as I can cast the necessary spells to keep it under control," Shining retorted. "Celestia knows we could use a vacation after all we've been through."

Cadence nodded. "Not to mention, Flurry really needs to get out of the Crystal Empire and see other foals. There aren't very many on her level around here. And as much as I appreciate you turning into a foal sometimes, the last thing this place needs is another little one running around and causing chaos."

Shining blushed. "I'm not _that_ bad, Cadence. My parents say I was extremely well behaved as a foal. Twily was the wild one."

Cadence just winked. "That last mess in the nursery says otherwise."

"It's not _my_ fault Flurry doesn't know how to change a diaper," Shining playfully whined as his blush grew brighter. "I was trying to show her how. I just didn't anticipate my tiny hooves being so clumsy."

"Whatever you say, dear." Cadence cooed at her husband.

* * *

The very next day, Shining Armor and Cadence were standing at the dock in Canterlot, waiting to board the zeppelin. Twilight and Spike were already there, as were Twilight and Shining Armor's parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet.

When the ramp was rolled down, all the passengers made their way up to the zeppelin one by one. The Sparkle family was no exception, and Flurry Heart was safely in tow in her transportable mini-cradle.

"Oh gee," Twilight Velvet said to herself in a giddy tone of voice. "It'll be so nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of Canterlot, and my writing desk. I am _really_ looking forward to a nice, relaxing vacation."

Night Light laughed and whispered to his children. "Watch out. She'll never admit it, but when my darling Velvet here says 'Relaxing Vacation' she really means doing something crazy. Last time she ended up bungee jumping over Luna Bay, go figure. And I hear what she's _really_ looking forward to most, is a barrel ride at Neighra Falls. But you can't help who you fall in love with."

"What was that, hun?" Velvet innocently called.

Night Light quickly responded to his wife. "Oh uh... I was just telling the kids about my new bingo strategy book, it's a... real heck of a page turner, you know." Then he gave a knowing wink to his children, who said nothing more on the matter.

"I'm just glad I finally get the chance to see my favorite niece," Spike cooed as he tickled Flurry Heart with a claw. "Isn't that right, Flurry Heart? You love seeing your uncle Spikey Wikey, don't you?" Flurry just babbled and cooed in response.

Twilight couldn't help but snicker. "You're actually going through with this, B.B.B.F.F? I seem to remember you getting airsick on Admiral Fairweather's Wild Ride at Pony Island in Manehattan."

"Twily, you promised not to tell!" Shining whined, before he realized his mistake and hastily tried to correct himself. "Er, I mean... I don't know what you're talking about. I do _not_ get airsick."

"Whatever you say, Shining." Twilight said with a wink.

Cadence decided it was best to change the subject. "I'm just looking forward to the Peewee Princess Playtime, Flurry's finally going to have a chance to meet some foals on her level," She commented. "Thanks again for finding out about it, Twilight. You've really done your research."

Twilight beamed with pride. "It's what I do. Although, come to think of it, the whole cruise seems to have a really weird prince/princess theme to it."

"You don't suppose that's just a coincidence, do you?" Spike pondered as they all stepped aboard the zeppelin, mere moments before it was set free from its moorings and departed Canterlot for the open skies.

"Come to think of it, I don't remember what kind of contest we entered that mentioned a zeppelin cruise as the grand prize," Night Light commented as the group made its way to the suite provided for them. "But as my darling Velvet likes to say 'Never look a gift horse in the mouth'."

Velvet nodded. "Exactly. When somepony offers you a free zeppelin cruise, you just sign on the dotted line and don't ask questions. Besides, royalty is always a popular theme among vacation enterprises. Who wouldn't want to feel like royalty for a day?"

"You'd be surprised at how much work goes into being a princess," Cadence cautiously replied. "Or a prince for that matter. Sometimes I really wonder how my aunts put up with it all every day. If it weren't for Shining Armor and Flurry Heart, I'm not sure I'd be able to handle _my_ responsibilities day after day."

Shining smiled and pecked his wife on the cheek. "That's so nice of you to say, Cadence. You always know just what to say to make everypony feel better. No wonder you're the princess of love."

Now it was Cadence's turn to blush. "Oh stop it, not in front of Flurry Heart! She's just a foal for Celestia's sake!"

"Oh come on, Cadence," Shining teased. "She's seen her parents sweet talk each other before, why should this time be any different?"

Just then, the loudspeaker blared to life. "Hey there, cruise ponies!" An energetic, male sounding voice could be heard shouting. "This is your captain speaking! Don't let this cruise be a bore, why not leave your room and see the tour? Tours are starting in less than five minutes. Better hurry and get in line now if you want to see the sights of Canterlot!"

"Good," Twilight smiled as she pulled out a long piece of parchment from her saddle bag. "That fits perfectly with the schedule I made for everyone! We've got some time to kill before the bingo tournament, which is princess themed if you can believe it."

"Ah, bingo," Night Light fondly sighed. "I just love how the numbers and letters are so organized in their neat little columns. There aren't enough bingo tournaments in Canterlot as far as I'm concerned. Foals these days, always obsessed with _Ogres and Oubliettes_ or _Dragon Pit_. Just give me a bingo card any day and I'm golden."

* * *

However, when the group left their suite and joined the tour, they were shocked to discover that all the ponies in the tour group were decked out in prince and princess grab. Some even wore masks and crowns that loosely resembled Shining Armor and Cadence.

"The whole cruise is prince and princess themed!" Shining Armor and Cadence realized together! "And it's modeled after us!"

"That explains things like Princess Bingo and Peewee Princess Playtime," Twilight realized! "How could I have overlooked something so obvious?!"

Velvet gulped. "It's all my fault! I should've read the fine print! How many times do I hear other ponies saying that, and now I can see why."

"It's not your fault, hun," Night Light apologized as he put a hoof around his wife. "We're both guilty of singing on to something before we even knew what it involved. I should've realized there was a catch for a free zeppelin cruise."

"Well whoever sent you the paperwork is about to wish they never had!" Shining declared as he stomped a hoof down in protest. "I'm going to find the captain of this here airship and let him know just what I think of his little marketing scheme! No one tricks my family and gets away with it!"

Before anyone could stop him, the prince stormed his way up to the captain's quarters and threw open the door. "Okay, you!" He hissed. "What's the big idea?! What do you think you're trying to accomplish by selling a zeppelin cruise to my family, just so my wife and I can be a part of your marketing scheme?!"

The ship captain spun around, revealing himself to be a unicorn stallion of medium build. He sported a gleaming white coat, a dark blue mane and tail styled into waves, eyes that seemed an innocent ruby red in color, and a cutie mark depicting an anchor. He was decked out in a white captain's hat and matching uniform that had blue on the sleeves. "Oh my," The stallion spoke up in what sounded like an innocent tone of voice. "Whatever are you talking about, prince? I thought your family willingly signed on?"

"Don't try to act innocent with me, Captain," Shining hissed. "My parents got a flyer saying they'd won a free zeppelin cruise and they signed it in eagerness. But you conveniently forgot to mention what it involved, that it was modeled after my wife and I, the newest alicorns of the royal family. All so you could market a royalty cruise to the masses!"

The captain appeared to be shocked at the allegations if the wide eyes and jaw dropping open were any indication. "Really? Is that why you've here? But I thought you..." Then a thought struck him and he gasped! "Oh dear! Well... this is quite the unfortunate pickle!" He then offered his hoof to the prince. "I'm Captain Iron Anchor, but you can just call me Captain Anchor. This is my first time as captain on Canterlot Cruise Lines, the company I used to work for got bought out just after the Storm King's invasion. There were... rumors, totally unfounded I might add... that my company had secretly supplied airships to the Storm King's forces. When in truth they were simply old models discarded and due to be cut up for scrap, and it seems the Storm King's army got a hold of them before then."

"And just what does that have to do with the nature of this cruise?" Shining demanded. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't report you to the authorities and have this operation shut down?"

Captain Anchor explained. "I swear, it was never my intention to mislead anypony about the nature of this cruise. I specifically recall sending out a form asking your family for permission to use the royal image of you and your wife for a series of themed zeppelin cruises. It seems that somehow, that form got mixed up with the promotional flyers and one of them was sent to your parents instead. Somepony else must've mistaken their signature for a stamp of approval, and thus felt no need to contact either you or Princess Cadence," A sigh escaped his lips. "It seems I'll have to turn this ship around now and issue a refund to all the passengers, to say nothing of the legal challenges I'll surely face because of this slip up. I'm sure to be caned over this," He kicked the ground in frustration. "Can't I do anything right?!"

At that the prince stepped back, stricken with guilt. While it was possible this was all a tall tale made up by the captain to sound sympathetic, something deep inside told the alicorn that wasn't the case. Was it really fair of him to ruin everypony's fun because of an honest mistake, even one as big as this?

It was then that Shining got an idea in his head. "How about this, Captain Anchor?" He proposed. "I'll let this incident slide and allow you to use me however the nature of this cruise demands, but in return you have to let my family and I do the things _we_ want to do. It's our cruise as well, and we want a chance to have a relaxing vacation without being hounded by autograph hounds."

Captain Anchor beamed and shook Shining's hoof. "Oh thank you, Prince Shining Armor! You really didn't have to do this! Be assured that I'll honor the deal as best I can! You have my word that the cruise passengers won't bother your family. And you only need to preside over a few activities here and there."

* * *

Shining soon returned to the suite to explain his decision to the others. They all took the news surprisingly well, even though Cadence had a noticeable frown on her face. "You really didn't have to do that, Shining Armor. You shouldn't have to sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of others. Don't forget, it's _your_ vacation too."

"I know, Cadence, but I can't ruin everyone's happiness because of an honest mistake," Shining replied with a sigh. "If that means I have to make a bit of a public spectacle of myself so all of you can enjoy your vacation, it's a price I'm willing to pay. Besides, there's not much I actually need to do. Just a few appearances here and there will be enough, Captain Anchor said so."

Cadence still frowned. "You don't have to prove yourself, Shining. I know you still blame yourself for what happened during the Storm King's invasion, and you want to make up for it. But this isn't the way to go about it. You may be a prince, but you're also a loving husband, a caring older brother, and of course a very devoted father. Other ponies will understand, your needs are just as important as everyone else's."

Shining shook his head. "I put myself before others, Cadence, and we know what the end result was. I'm not about to repeat that mistake. So long as Captain Anchor upholds his end of the bargain, I'm honor bound to do the same with my end. The alternative would be to scrap the agreement and call off the cruise. I can't let that happen, not when everypony's been looking forward to what may be their only chance all year to get away from it all."

"Well then, I just hope you know what you're doing, Shining," Cadence unhappily sighed. "I'm going to go see about signing Flurry up for the Peewee Princess Playtime. But in the meantime, why don't you stay here with Velvet and maybe get Flurry to take a nap? Don't need her to get tired out in the middle of playtime."

The prince nodded. "I can do that, Cadence. I'm not needed for a good half an hour at least, and Captain Anchor promised to come get me when I'm scheduled to make a public appearance."

* * *

Soon, Shining and Velvet were alone in the suite with Flurry. Shining had taken Flurry out of her mini-cradle and was now gently rocking her back and forth in his hooves.

Velvet couldn't help but coo. "This really takes me back, you know. To when you and Twily were just little ones. You especially used to love playing with my mane, molding it into all kinds of funny shapes."

"And it seems the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Shining commented as he observed his daughter trying to do the same with his mane. "Now, Flurry, we don't play with other ponies manes."

Flurry babbled something, but seemed to understand what her father was asking her to do.

"Oh, would you look at that?" Velvet commented. "She's so well behaved around you. You could practically whistle and she'd obey."

"Well, she wasn't always like this. And sometimes it still seems like what I say goes in one ear and out the other," Shining replied to his mom. "Like right now, for example," Then he instructed. "Hey, Flurry, be a good little pony for Daddy and go to sleep, okay?"

Flurry stuck out her tongue and made a face.

"See what I mean?" The prince complained. "And don't get me started on diaper changes, she never wants to hold still."

The elder mare commented in observation. "Well I remember that when you and Twilight were Flurry's age, a bedtime story was just what you needed to fall asleep. I used to read you _Daring Do_ , or tell you stories about Meghan and the Rainbow of Darkness."

"I think that's a little too advanced for Flurry," Shining remarked with a frown. "I need something more on her level. Something simple enough for her to understand, yet interesting and exciting enough to get her in the mood for a nap," Then his eyes lit up as realization struck him! "Of course, why didn't I think of it before?! The legends of the ancient ponies! I've heard the stories so many times, I know them like the back of my hoof!"

"You think Flurry will want to hear about the likes of Flash Magnus, Mistmane, and Rockhoof?" Velvet pondered. "I'm not so sure those are stories to be telling to little ones."

"And I suppose tales about evil creatures threatening to roll heads and enslave ponies _are_?" Shining arched an eyebrow upward. Velvet blushed, realizing she'd been beaten at her own game. And Shining just giggled. "That's what I thought," Then he turned his attention back to his infant daughter. "So, Flurry, you want to hear a story?" He asked her, and she babbled in response. "Well, how about I tell you the story of Flash Magnus?! He was Flash Sentry's great great grandfather, and he served in the royal legion under Commander Ironhead! In fact, this story I'm about to tell you, is how Flash earned his famous shield and cemented his reputation as the bravest soldier ever to serve in the legion." And this is how the story went:

* * *

It didn't take Flash Magnus long to build up quite the reputation in the royal legion. He wasn't quite reckless, but all the same he was young and eager to prove himself.

On more than one occasion, Commander Ironhead would have to warn the young soldier. "Don't try to rush headlong into battle, boy. The truly brave wait and survey the danger before they make their move. Only a fool charges in without realizing what awaits them."

Then one day, Flash Magnus tagged along with the Commander on a visit to the disputed territories on the border between Equestria and the dragon lands. When they arrived, there was trouble. The dragons had seized all the disputed lands, and the current dragon lord, Cinder, had made it clear ponies weren't to set one hoof into the territory.

Naturally, Commander Ironhead refused. "Those lands are not yours to take, Cinder!" He coldly hissed. "We've no intention of starting a conflict, but if you start one we'll gladly finish it!"

At that Cinder let out a roar! "You ponies are fools to challenge us dragons! You can't defeat us!" And he gave the order for the dragons accompanying him to attack!

Ironhead, Flash, and the rest of the legion members all split off and flapped their wings to try and escape. Flash, Ironhead, and Grimhoof all managed to meet back up. But two of their comrades weren't so lucky, they were captured and imprisoned.

"Commander, permission to launch a rescue mission for the cadets!" Flash Magnus spoke up.

Commander Ironhead shook his head. "Permission denied, Flash Magnus! This is a hostage situation, and the dragons hold the upper hand. We cannot risk the lives of our comrades for a personal vendetta."

"But sir, we can't abandon them! They're a part of the legion, and the legion never leaves a soldier behind!" Flash protested. "Please, Commander, allow me to try. I'm fast enough! I can be in and out of there before the dragons have a chance to react!"

"I won't risk an international incident for your personal glory, Flash," Commander Ironhead frowned. "Dragons are too dangerous to engage head on. I don't like the idea of having to leave the cadets behind, but we may have no choice. We need to retreat and think carefully about our situation. If we don't, we could be looking at a mass casualty situation."

Flash shook his head at the commander. "I'm sorry, sir, but I joined the Royal Legion because I wanted to make a difference! I told myself I'd never let anyone be put in harm's way if I could help it! And that's a promise I intend to keep! If you wish to court martial me for my disobedience, then do so! But regardless of circumstance, regardless of what the future may hold, I'm not leaving here until my fellow cadets are safe and sound!"

Commander Ironhead sighed. "You're quite persistent, Flash. You remind me of myself when I was your age. I suppose, so long as you know what you're doing, I'll look the other way this once on your rescue mission. But the next time you defy my orders, there _will_ be consequences! Do I make myself clear?!"

"Yes, Commander!" Flash saluted.

"One more thing before you go, Flash!" Commander Ironhead spoke up and held out a shield. "I'd like you to have this. It is said that this shield can withstand just about anything. It was supposedly wielded by Commander Hurricane himself on the battlefield, and even the icy touch of the windigos couldn't put a scratch in this shield. If you use it wisely, it's yours to keep."

Flash beamed a bright smile. "Thank you, Commander! Now wish me luck!"

"You'll need far more than that, Flash Magnus!" Commander Ironhead cautioned and watched as the young recruit flew off to the rescue. "One of these days, you're going to be the death of me, kid." He sighed.

The shield was a big help to Flash, for it allowed him to block the fiery hot breaths of the dragons as they tried to no avail to halt his progress. He was able to eventually reach the cave, pick the lock, and free his captured comrades! "Follow me! I'll lead us to safety!" He called.

Of course, every wise pony knows that in a one on one race you can never out fly dragons. But you _can_ out smart them, and that's just what Flash Magnus did. Flying about erratically and with no clear destination in mind, he was able to confuse the dragons that chased after him. They didn't realize until too late that the puny pony pipsqueak they'd dismissed earlier, had tricked them into a collision course with each other.

And when they bumped heads and were rendered dazed and confused, Flash took full advantage of the opportunity and quickly got the cadets out of there!

Even Commander Ironhead was impressed. "That was a very brave yet very gusty and almost reckless decision on your part, Flash Magnus," He cautioned. "You were lucky this time, but next time you might not experience the same results. All the same, you deserve praise for risking life and limb to save your fellow cadets. And for that, I'm proud to have you serve by my side from now on!"

"Thank you very much, Commander Ironhead, sir!" Flash Magnus saluted. "I won't let you down!"

* * *

"And from that day forward, Flash Magus was forever known as the hero of the royal legion," Shining finished telling his story. "He carried that shield with him wherever he went, until the day when he left on an unspecified mission and never returned. Even his shield seemed to disappear without a trace, but through the years and decades that followed, his legend only grew. To this day, Flash Magnus is considered a pillar of bravery. A pony who risked so much, even when he got so little in return."

The story had worked like a charm, Flurry was soundly asleep as her tiny body bobbed up and down with each breath. Shining lightly nuzzled her mane as he inserted her pacifier.

But just as the prince was hoping to have some solo time, Captain Anchor came trotting into the suite (by now Velvet had left to go explore the ship, and Night Light hadn't come back from the bingo tournament yet) and cleared his throat. "So sorry to disturb you, prince. But it's time for your first official appearance. You're needed to preside over the tiny boat races in the tiny pool. There's a total of ten races, and you're going to referee them all."

"Great, in a minute," Shining declared with a reluctant sigh, as he slowly got up. By now the spell he'd cast was beginning to wear off. But that was easily rectified with a glow of his horn. "Okay, ready," He said to the captain, before he turned his attention towards the sleeping form of his infant daughter. "But what about Flurry? I can't just leave her, but I also don't wanna wake her up."

Luckily, at that moment Cadence came trotting back into the suite. She had heard everything. "It's okay, dear. I'll watch over her. I signed Flurry up for the Peewee Princess Playtime, but it won't be for another hour and a half," Carefully plopping down next to her sleeping daughter, the princess of love then looked across to her husband and said to him. "Are you sure you want to do this? I know you were really looking forward to racing Twilight in the tiny boat races."

"Cadence, I already told you, what _I_ want is unimportant," Shining protested. "I have to do this if I want to be a good prince, and set a good example. I gave my word, and I intend to keep it."

"You're already a good prince, Shining," Cadence sighed. "Your happiness is important too, don't forget that."

Captain Anchor simply spoke up and cleared his throat. "If you wouldn't mind, we need to get going. The tiny boat races will start at any minute!" And with that, he and the prince departed the suite.

Cadence couldn't help but frown as she watched her husband depart. " _Sometimes you can make it so hard to love you, Shining._ " She thought to herself.

* * *

The tiny boat races took part in a small pool on the back end of the zeppelin, ponies had lined up for a mile long at least just to have a chance to compete in one of the ten races.

Twilight and Velvet were already there, and Twilight was most surprised to see her brother decked out in referee attire. "Hey, I thought you and I were gonna have a race," She frowned. "Did you chicken out?"

"Of course not," Shining shook his head. "I simply got drafted to be the referee instead. I'm sorry, sis. It looks like we'll have to find something else to do together."

But Velvet had an idea. "Shining, you owe your sister a tiny boat race. And you know you never break a promise," She trotted up to Captain Anchor and said to him. "How about I stand in for my son on this race, and he and his sister can race each other for an exhibition match?"

"I don't see why not." Captain Anchor nodded in approval, and then lifted the referee attire off of Shining and onto Velvet.

Shining simply slipped on a life jacket, and stepped into his tiny boat, as Velvet held a flag high above her head with her magic and said. "Racers: On your marks, get set, go!"

The Sparkle siblings took off without hesitation, but ultimately Twilight proved to be too fast for her brother and crossed the finish line before he had any hope of catching up! "Yes, I won!" Twilight proudly cheered! "Better luck next time, eh B.B.B.F.F?"

"What are you talking about, sis?" Shining playfully retorted as he stepped out of his boat. "I _let_ you win. You know, air sickness and all that."

Twilight simply snickered. "Whatever you say, Shining. It's a good thing Cadence and Flurry weren't here to see me whip your sorry behind," Then in a friendlier tone she added. "Don't forget about the Northern Stars tonight, I've been looking forward to them since I found out our cruise will pass a prime viewing location for them at just the right time."

"Sounds cool, I guess," The prince commented in response. "But for now, I've got tiny boat races to referee. And then I think I'm just gonna go back to the suite and try to get some rest."

* * *

The boat races flew by lightning fast for Shining, but he was glad that when it was all over Captain Anchor agreed to let him go back to his suite. "You won't be needed again for another half hour or so," He told the prince. "Then you're gonna do a Q & A session on becoming an alicorn. Lots of ponies wanna know what it takes. And then, after we leave Neighra Falls, you're going to sign autographs."

"Just remember our deal, Captain," Shining advised. "My family isn't to be bothered during any of this."

Captain Anchor nodded in agreement. "I've kept my word so far, prince. Your father had a terrific time at Princess Bingo, and we've already arranged for a barrel ride for your mom when we get to Neighra Falls. And we've made sure to leave room for everyone in your family to see the Northern Stars tonight."

The prince felt happier upon hearing that, and then made his way back to the suite. Cadence and Night Light were now with Flurry, who had clearly woken up from her nap.

"Hey, Flurry," Shining called. "Daddy's back!"

Flurry floated out of her mini-cradle and into her daddy's waiting arms. She booped him on the nose and seemed to babble something. Her father just smiled. "Aw, I think somepony missed me."

Night Light giggled. "Reminds me of how you and Twilight were always at the front door, waiting for me when I came home from work everyday. You especially seemed to love hearing about my work."

"You always made it sound so cool." Shining replied.

Cadence, for her part, looked exhausted. "She's really excited today, she woke up from her nap not even ten minutes after you left. I need a break," She got up from her spot on the couch and told her husband. "I'll be back to take Flurry to the Peewee Princess Playtime. Don't worry, I already changed her diaper and she hasn't had anything to eat. Just keep her occupied and maybe try to calm her down a little until I get back, okay?"

Shining gave a salute. "Can do, Cadence!" And he watched as his wife left the suite.

The young prince then sat down on the spot on the couch his wife had just occupied, cradling Flurry in his hooves. "How about another story, Flurry? You like hearing stories from Daddy, right?" He asked his little one. Flurry babbled and clapped her hooves in response.

"If it's a story you want, I've got plenty of those," Night Light offered. "Did I ever tell you about the time Shining got into the cookie jar and got stuck?"

Eager to change the subject before any embarrassing baby stories could be brought up, Shining looked at Flurry and cleared his throat. "How about the story of Mistmane? She was a unicorn who gave up everything in order to save that which she held dear." And soon he had launched into another story:

* * *

Mistmane was from a village in Eastern Equestria, the same area from which Fleur hailed from. Mistmane was known to many as the most beautiful and magically gifted mare they had ever seen.

Her talents did not go unnoticed, and one day she was invited to study abroad. All were there to see her off, knowing that Mistmane would not disappoint them.

For years Mistmane was gone. But when she finally returned to her village she was shocked and dismayed to find that everything had changed. The land seemed to have fallen into disarray and the villagers went about in drab clothing with only frowns on their faces.

"What caused all this?" Mistmane questioned a villager. "What has allowed this village to fall into ruin?"

"The Empress," Came the reply from a stallion. "Sable Spirit has declared that beauty is a lie, and all traces of it are to be removed. The land has been like this since she rose to power."

Horrified at this discovery, Mistmane marched into the empress' courtyard. "Sable Spirit!" She sternly demanded. "Why have you done this?! You were once my friend!"

Sable Spirit simply hissed in reply. " _Once_ your friend, yes. But when you left to study abroad, someone had to step in and fill the void," And then she growled. "I tried hard to be a good leader, but everyone kept talking about you. Prattled on and on about how you were the best thing to ever happen to us! So I tried to give them what they wanted."

At that Mistmane gasped! "You didn't!"

Sable Spirit lifted the black veil covering her face, exposing a pony that had aged very considerably and rapidly. "I did, and it backfired spectacularly!" The empress then went on. "I saw in that moment that I would never be as beautiful as you are, that true beauty is impossible. So I sought out a chance to correct that oversight, to shatter the false hopes of other ponies. I'm simply taking what you taught me about beauty, and perfecting it. Beauty is an outdated ideal, there's no need for it in this or any other world!"

"I can't let you do that, Sable Spirit! I won't allow it!" Mistmane retorted with a growl. "Ponies like you don't understand that true beauty comes from within, not from the outside. And I won't allow you to run this village into oblivion in pursuit of your revenge scheme!"

"Just try and stop me, Mistmane!" Sable Spirit laughed as she lit up her horn, summoning a projection of a massive dragon.

Mistmane countered with a projection of a phoenix which ultimately managed to overpower Sable Spirit's projection. Then, drawing on her innate magic abilities, the young mare conjured up a series of vines to imprison the empress that had once been her friend.

It was then that Mistmane became aware of a cruel fact. "Yes," She spoke to the vines. "I'm aware that the land is starved of proper nutrients. Plant life cannot grow here. Not to worry, I've prepared a solution. I will do what I must to ensure beauty is not snuffed out." And just like that, in a magical glow that surrounded her entire body, Mistmane began to age rapidly. Yet even as she did so, the landscape around her grew more and more beautiful.

Even after she had given up her own outer beauty to restore to the land, however, Mistmane still went about in public. She worked hard to teach her fellow villagers how to grow plants and care for the soil. Eventually she built her own greenhouse, where she kept and nurtured many plants that would otherwise not survive in the outside world. And that's what she did day in and day out until her abrupt departure on an unspecified journey, a trip from which she never returned.

* * *

"It is said that Mistmane's greenhouse eventually became a garden, and to this day there are those who still maintain it. Waiting for the day when Mistmane returns," Shining concluded his story. "And it's also said that her most prized possession, was a lone flower she planted when her village was still recovering from Empress Sable Spirit."

Night Light beamed with delight, noticing how Flurry appeared to have hung on every word Shining had said. "You really should write those down somewhere, son. You've got a real knack for storytelling."

"I certainly try my best," Shining replied. "Seeing Flurry's smiling face is what makes it all worthwhile. But those parenting books you and Mom gave me were certainly a big help."

"They're a real life saver," Night Light agreed. "Without them, I'm not sure if I would've survived dealing with you and Twilight. You sure knew how to run me ragged."

Just then, Cadence came back into the suite, as did Captain Anchor. "I'll take care of Flurry Heart from here on, dear. It looks like you're needed on the upper deck." Cadence said to her husband, as she gently levitated Flurry over to her.

Captain Anchor nodded in agreement. "It's time for the Q & A session, and one fan wants to do some themed photo shoots really quickly."

"Alright, just give me a second." Shining responded as he cast the spell to calm his air sickness. " _I should really start looking into long term solutions, like medication or something. I'm not sure I can keep doing this._ " He thought to himself.

* * *

The Q & A session lasted a little longer than either Shining Armor or Captain Anchor had expected. Shining barely had time to reach the balcony overlooking Neighra Falls, as his mom safely plunged over it in a barrel.

"Oh! Neighra Falls was so amazing!" Velvet proudly exclaimed! "This barrel ride was the best thing I've ever done!"

Night Light (with a camera hanging around his neck) simply laughed and gave his wife a wink. "Another 'relaxing vacation' in the books, darling."

"You're one to talk, Mr. Bingo Tournament Winner," Velvet ribbed her husband as she got out of the barrel. "Because of that we've got a matching set of princess and prince themed socks."

Shining simply commented. "Glad to see you're having fun, Mom." In a tone of voice that made it clear he was starting to feel just the slightest bit left out of all the exciting activities going on on the cruise.

"Oh now honey," Velvet cautioned. "You really should be enjoying yourself, too. This vacation is for the whole family. Even princes need to take some time off for themselves every now and then."

"I'll settle for seeing the Northern Stars tonight with everypony," Shining declared. "But for now, I need to rest. My autograph session isn't for a good half an hour or so."

The prince returned to the suite to rest, only to find an exhausted looking Cadence with Flurry in tow. "What are you doing back here already, Cadence? I thought the Peewee Princess Playtime lasted longer?" He questioned his wife.

Cadence let out a sigh. "Let's just say that when I told Flurry to go play with the other foals, she didn't quite do it in a way I wanted. And what's worse is that the moms kept telling their children to play with Flurry so they could and I quote 'make a princess friend.' I don't want Flurry to be treated like some wild animal in a zoo!"

Without even thinking for a moment about the implications, Shining declared. "Well, how about I take her off your hooves for a while? You look worn out."

"I could say the same for you," Cadence commented with a frown. "You've already done more than enough for one day, dear. Let somepony else tackle the responsibilities for a while."

"Weren't you just saying the other day how I needed to be spending more time with Flurry?" The young prince inquired as he sat down next to his wife.

Suspecting nothing, Cadence responded with. "Well, yes, but..."

"-But nothing!" Shining protested. "It won't even be for that long. Besides, I've got one more story I wanna tell Flurry."

The princess of love reluctantly folded, sensing that her husband wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Alright, Flurry's yours until you're called away again. Just don't forget, you promised to see the Northern Stars tonight with everypony. So don't disappoint." And with that she got up, though not before levitating Flurry over to Shining.

Shining soon had his daughter bouncing on his knee, looking up at him with those innocent green eyes. "So, Flurry, are you ready to hear the story of Rockhoof and the Mighty Helm?" He asked her. Flurry gurgled and cooed in response. "Good," Shining smiled. "Well, the story of Rockhoof begins when he just a scrawny little colt." And like before, he was soon immersing himself wholeheartedly in the story:

* * *

Rockhoof did indeed begin life as a scrawny little colt. But he always looked up to the Mighty Helm that lived in his village and maintained a silent but watchful vigil over it day in and day out.

As soon as he was old enough, Rockhoof tried to join the helm itself. But its members all laughed him off without a second thought. "You're much too small to make a difference," They teased him, and one even gave him a shovel. "Here, take this and knock yourself out with it. Maybe one day when you're all grown-up and strong, we'll have something for you, lad."

The members of the Mighty Helm thought they were being clever and funny, but the joke would be on them. Rockhoof took their words to heart and started to train hard every single day, all the way that shovel never left his side. Slowly but surely he built up his body, his physical strength becoming something to marvel at.

"My shovel and I, we make a fine pair," Rockhoof was soon heard to have said. "Aye, I daresay there's not much we could ever _not_ accomplish together."

Little did the young stallion know that his words (and strength and bravery as well) would be put to the test in a way he never imagined.

One day, while Rockhoof was hard at work digging trenches with his shovel, there came a low and ominous rumbling. The whole village began to shake like it had never shaken before! Rockhoof immediately stopped what he'd been doing and looked up. And what he saw, horrified and frightened him to no end!

The volcano that his village had been built near was about to erupt, and the stream of lava that would pour out of it threatened to bury his entire village! Orders were soon given to evacuate, with the Mighty Helm leading the charge.

Civilians were put onto boats and sent far away with no clue as to whether or not they would ever return. But the Mighty Helm, lead by its bold captain, Steela Oresdotter, vowed to stay and protect the village for as long as they could.

But Rockhoof knew that the helm was in over its head. Even an entire brigade of well trained ponies would be no match for the volcano. So without hesitation and without an invitation, the stallion grabbed his shovel and started digging trenches as fast as his legs could carry him! His strength was rivaled only by his speed, in a matter of moments he had encircled the entire village with a set of trenches that led to the sea.

And he was just in time too! For no sooner had he climbed out of the trenches he'd dug and set his shovel aside, then the volcano blew its top! Molten rock, hot ash, and boiling lava poured down the mountainside lightning fast! But the trenches Rockhoof had dug worked to perfection, preventing any of it from reaching any of the villages. The Mighty Helm could only watch in amazement as it all flowed safely out to sea, where the waters cooled the hot mixture and reduced it to small deposits of mud and sediment at the base of the shore line.

Steela Oresdotter was, needless to say, impressed. When the volcano finally quieted down and the all clear sign had been given, she approached Rockhoof and extended a hoof out to him. "That there was a mighty fine job, lad," She told the stallion. "Your quick thinking and even quicker digging saved us all from what would've surely been a disaster. The Mighty Helm is honored to welcome you into its ranks."

Rockhoof shook Steela's hoof in eagerness! "Oh thank you, Steela! You've made me a happy lad!" He proudly exclaimed! "Henceforth, my strength lies with you!"

* * *

"Up until the day he disappeared, Rockhoof served in the mighty helm fatefully," Shining concluded his story. "And his shovel, or at least a replica of it, was always by his side. Much like Mistmane, Flash Magnus, Somnambula, and Mage Meadowbrook, he too became a legend. And to this day, though it isn't know what happened to any of them, ponies still look up to them and admire them for the traits they represent."

Captain Anchor (who had come into the room sometime ago) clapped his hooves. "Very impressive, prince. You're a fine story teller, and an even finer family stallion."

Shining looked up and gasped, looking out the window! "Oh my gosh, it's late!" He exclaimed when he noticed it had gotten dark out! "Oh, I hope I'm not too late to see the Northern Stars!" He quickly teleported up to the deck, just in the nick of time! The stars zipped past mere seconds later. " _Twilight was right, they_ _ **are**_ _beautiful!_ " He thought to himself.

But the prince then felt a pang of guilt as he realized something. If the Northern Stars had just passed, then how long had Captain Anchor been waiting for him to come out and sign autographs as promised? With a gulp, the prince immediately rushed to find the captain, who was facing down an entire mob of angry passengers. All of whom were yelling and shouting. "Where's the prince?! We were told this cruise would give us a chance to see Equestria's newest member of royalty! You said he'd be here to sign autographs!"

Captain Anchor gulped, trying to defend him. "N-now hold on, folks. I made no promises about the prince or where he'd been at any given point. Events are subject to change."

But the crowd just continued to shout, "We want the prince!" over and over again.

"Enough!" Shining cried out, and used his magic to quickly seize the microphone from the captain. "My apologies, folks," The prince spoke at length. "No one is to blame but me. I found out after the fact that this cruise was being marketed to ponies like you as a chance to meet with me. My family never meant to get mixed up in this, but crossed wires caused the wrong piece of mail to be sent to them. I appreciate that all of you wanted a chance to get to know me and see me, it really means a lot to me. But I realize now, that I shouldn't have committed to a deal I couldn't hope to keep. I got swept up in tending to my own needs and tending to my daughter, as I'm sure many of you can relate. But I didn't want to disappoint any of you and ruin _your_ vacation. It's taken me until now that there should've been a better way, I should've been honest with all of you from the start. For the rest of this cruise, I really just want to be alone with my family and enjoy some time with them, alone. If any of you want to see me though, you don't need to go on a cruise. Just stop by the Crystal Empire or Ponyville, or if you're lucky you may even see me on patrol in Canterlot."

Captain Anchor then reclaimed the mic and told the gathered crowd. "I too wish to apologize to you all, folks. I made promises I couldn't keep and tried to conceal the reality of what was happening. This cruise never should've been marketed the way it was. I never should've assumed it was possible to get the alicorns onboard with this," With an unhappy sigh he declared. "On behalf of the company, I want to offer my sincerest apologies. And if any of you want a refund, I won't try to fight you."

But to the surprise of the captain, the crowd spoke up. "We still got a chance to see the alicorns for a while, and get away from it all for a couple of hours. That's more than we could've ever hoped for on a regular cruise." And just like that the matter was settled. A few unsatisfied ponies did end up requesting a refund, but most were convinced they'd gotten their money's worth out of the ordeal.

* * *

As the zeppelin was pulling back into the dock in Canterlot the next morning, Shining was most surprised when Spike ended up belching out a scroll. He gave it to Shining Armor as the little dragon told him. "It's for you."

"Hmm, that's odd. I wasn't expecting any dragon mail today," Shining commented aloud as he unfurled the scroll. When he'd finished reading it, something akin to a gasp left his mouth. "It's from Princess Celestia! She wants me to come to Canterlot right away."

"Whatever for?" Cadence pondered.

"She says Sunburst has just made an unexpected discovery, one that could change everything we know about ancient pony legends," Shining explained. "If that's the case, I need to get to the castle right away! It seems she's already requested my friends to be there as well, and Starlight Glimmer."

"Can I tag along too, B.B.B.F.F?" Twilight offered. "If it involves old pony legends, you're sure to need my help!"

Shining smiled. "I don't see why not. I'd be glad to have you by my side on one of my adventures for a change."


	158. Chapter 158: Starswirl's Old Journal

Shining Armor arrived at the castle almost as soon as the zeppelin had docked back in Canterlot. He was surprised to find that not only were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna waiting for him in the throne room, but so were all his friends. Spike and Twilight had even tagged along.

Sunburst quickly explained everything to the gathered crowd as he held up a rather dusty looking book that had seen better days. "I have here what I believe to be the written words of Starswirl the Bearded himself," He explained. "And you'll never believe where I found it. It was in a bargain barrel I bought at a store just recently."

"Wow, you're super lucky there, Sunburst!" Braeburn happily exclaimed. "Last time I bought one of those barrels, I got a bunch of hoof me down junk that wasn't good for anythin'! That's the last time I ever let myself get suckered into buyin' 'em."

Sunburst cleared his throat. "Anyway," He opened up the book and started to scan the pages. "It's not just any old written word. This is the only first hoof source available that contains Starswirl's account of many things. I can't be sure of this... but I think it may be his old journal!"

Everyone in the room gasped!

"Fascinating," Celestia commented as she scanned the journal herself. "This is quite the discovery, Sunburst. It would indeed appear to be Starswirl's journal. Though how it ended up in a bargain barrel of all places, I have no idea. After his disappearance over a thousand years ago, Luna and I shuddered his study and found his journal missing."

"He never did like to be without it," Luna lamented. "It's such a shame he left so abruptly. He wouldn't even tell us where he was going or what he'd be doing. But he couldn't have died, we could find no records to prove it. It's as if he dropped off the face of the planet."

Sunburst adjusted his glasses. "It's funny you should mention that, princesses. Because I think the journal has an account that can explain everything more or less," Clearing his throat he began to read aloud. "The best elements are those found within all of us. Those that can spread light and virtue. And I've been blessed in my old age to know ponies that represent all of these: Strength, bravery, healing, beauty, hope, and sorcery. Myself and these other five 'pillars' as we have come to be called, were all gathered together by another. A pony who claimed he was not a hero but a scholar, though his name eludes me at the moment. However, we eventually came to suspect that this pony had an ulterior motive in mind for bringing us all together. He wanted our power for himself. For that, we had no choice but to cast him out. Bitter and upset by this, the pony turned to darkness to satisfy his desire for revenge. Transformed into a pony of shadow, he vowed to extinguish the light and rob the world of our virtues. In order to stop him, the pillars and I must make a daring sacrifice. But weep not for us, for although we may vanish we shall leave behind a reminder of our presence. A seed, with which we will grow a weapon that will protect the realm long after we are gone. I can only hope it will be enough."

There was a long silence before Sunburst closed up the book and declared. "Those appear to be the last words he wrote before his disappearance. Starswirl and the other pillars, they risked everything to vanquish The Pony of Shadows!"

"So you're sayin' all those legends were true? Rockhoof, Flash Magnus, Mage Meadowbrook, Mistmane, and Somnambula?" Big Macintosh pondered. "And the whole lot of 'em went off with Starswirl to defeat The Pony of Shadows, only for them to all just up and disappear?"

"Duh," Braeburn responded. "Honestly, cousin, weren't you listenin' to Sunburst's story?"

Twilight, for her part, was almost beside herself with joy! "So you can verify that this journal belonged to _the_ Starswirl the Bearded?! My idol?! The pony who knows more about magic than anypony before or after him?!" When Sunburst nodded she happily exclaimed! "Ooh, this is incredible! At long last, the true fate of Starswirl is known! Just think of the knowledge that could be gained from his journal!"

"I'm more concerned about this Pony of Shadows he mentioned," Shining Armor spoke up. "This is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing outside of ghost stories. I always thought it was just a myth made up to scare ponies."

At that Princess Luna frowned. "Oh no, The Pony of Shadows is indeed real. Starswirl was never one to believe in fairytales. And I seem to remember a force that called itself 'The Darkness' that spoke to me just before my corruption into Nightmare Moon. Everypony always thought that my dark self was just an old mare's tail, and we all know what happened on that one thousandth Summer Sun Celebration."

"Well even if The Pony of Shadows _is_ real, it obviously doesn't exist today," Fancy Pants commented. "The world is still full of light and virtue, even after all the threats we've faced down. In fact, not that I mean to jinx anything but since the Storm King's invasion was thwarted there's been no big threats at all."

"Even so, what do you suppose happened to all those pillars?" Thunderlane pondered as he put a hoof to his chin. "They didn't die, but nopony has seen or heard of them in over a thousand years."

"A good question," Soarin responded. "But how exactly are we supposed to find out?"

At that Princess Celestia's ears perked up and a smile started to form on her face. "Oh, you'd like to investigate that?" She innocently inquired. "Luna and I were just content with having a clue as to the last whereabouts of our old teacher. But if you'd like to look into it further and find out just what happened to him and the pillars, that'd be nice."

"And what if we investigate and find out he's dead, or that he's stuck somewhere that we can't bring him back from?" Shining asked the princesses. "I mean, it could be a possibility and I'd hate to get your hopes up only to have to dash them."

"That would be most unfortunate," Luna replied in a somber tone. "But at least we'd have closure. We'd know what happened to him and might be able to pay our respects. Still, my sister and I will for the moment, hold out hope that he's alive and can be freed."

"Well then," The prince declared. "If you really think we're capable of this undertaking, I suppose we'll take the case."

Celestia smiled. "Thank you, Shining Armor. Luna and I would love to do it ourselves, but we can't simply up and abandon our royal duties for the sake of what may be a wild goose chase. Whatever you find, please let us know. And be careful. I haven't received any visions related to this, but danger _does_ seem to have a tendency to follow you and your friends wherever you go."

"Oh relax, I'm sure everything will be just fine," Shining innocently answered as he waved a hoof. Then he turned to Sunburst. "Sunburst, why don't you accompany the rest of us back to Ponyville? I have a feeling we'll be needing your expertise on the subject. After all, I hear you're quite fluent in old ponish, and the answers are probably going to be within the pages of this journal."

Sunburst nodded. "It's like you read my mind, Shining Armor. I'd be honored," Then his eyes lit up and he fondly sighed. "Just imagine what we're going to get up while we're searching for answers! All the research, the reading, the re-reading, and the _re_ re-reading!"

"Then it looks like we're all set," Shining declared. "Let's get back to Ponyville and get to work. Between the whole lot of us, I'm sure we'll find the answers in no time!"


	159. Chapter 159: Old Ponish

Unfortunately it seemed that the journal was a lot harder to decipher than anyone had originally thought. Even with Sunburst to translate Old Ponish to modern Equestrian, it seemed like any leads on the pillars or what had happened to them remained elusive.

The rag tag group that included Shining Armor, Twilight, most of their friends, and even Sunburst, Spike, and Flurry Heart (who Shining had agreed to watch) certainly tried to decipher what they could. But hours turned into days and yet they had nothing to show it for outside of noticeable bags under their eyes and several candles burnt down to stubs.

Spike brought in yet another new candle to help light up the library, disposing of the old one in a wastebasket as he yawned and asked. "So, you figure something out yet?"

The comment unknowingly stirred awake the stallions, all of whom asked the same question. "You figured something out?!"

But Twilight shook her head, as did Shining. And Twilight gave the bed news. "The answer's still no, I'm afraid. Sorry to get your hopes up."

"Ugh, can we maybe take a break now?!" Soarin grumbled. "I was never much of a morning pony, and when I don't get my beauty sleep I am _not_ a pretty sight."

Big Macintosh seemed to nod his head in agreement. "Look, no offense to you two," He said to Twilight and Shining. "But we've studyin' and referencin' and uh... cross referencin' as I believe you call it, for three days straight now. It's like havin' your wagon stuck in a mud puddle. Doesn't matter how hard you spin the wheels, you ain't gettin' anywhere in a hurry."

"I think Big Macintosh may have a point on this one," Fancy Pants agreed. "This mystery is over a thousand years old after all and I think our brains could use a break. A day or two away from the books certainly won't hurt."

"Two days?! I don't even want to waste two seconds!" Twilight stubbornly protested. "Starswirl _was_ a genius, obviously. But forget Old Ponish, there are times when his horn writing is practically another language entirely! But I'm close to an answer, I can feel it! It's like having that itch that's just on the tip of your nose but you can't scratch it no matter how hard you try."

But Shining commented in response. "I'm siding with my friends on this one, Twily. Even Flurry Heart is getting antsy, she's never had to sit still for this long before. We've been spending the past day trying to decipher Starswirl's horn writing and we're not getting anywhere. Best if we rest and come back to it when we're refreshed and ready."

"Come on, B.B.B.F.F," Twilight pleaded. "You've gotta back me up on this! Haven't you ever had a dream that's so close to coming true, and it just needs a little more time?! I swear, there must be something I'm not thinking of!"

Out of curiosity, Starlight happened to trot into the room at that very moment and lay eyes upon the opened journal. Strangely, to her the writing was actually legible (albeit just barely). And she read aloud. "' _Hearg sylfum se Ponhenge_ '? What's that?"

Twilight let out a gasp! "'The Temple of Ponhenge'! Of course, _that's_ what I wasn't recalling!" Then she remembered something else. "Wait a second. You can read that, Starlight?!"

Starlight shrugged. "Y-yeah, more or less. The horn writing's pretty sloppy but it's nowhere near as bad as mine. I just sort of... 'borrowed' Sunburst's notes in class."

"Never mind that," Shining spoke up. "You can read Old Ponish?!"

Starlight nodded. "I started dabbling a bit once I found out Twilight and Sunburst were really into it. I think I can make out what the words are, but I'm not too good at translating."

"That's okay," Sunburst offered. "I'm more than capable of doing that. Read, and I'll translate as best I can."

"Okay," Starlight replied and continued to read aloud. " _Toward dol grimlic of Fola Firgenbeorg_ ''?"

Adjusting his glasses, Sunburst translated. "At the base of Foal Mountain..."

"' _User endemest scield_ '?" Starlight finished.

Twilight and Sunburst gasped together at the translation! "Our last stand!"

Thunderlane gulped. "I don't like the sound of that. It sounds like the pillars did indeed make the ultimate sacrifice to stop the Pony of Shadows."

"But they can't be dead! Ponies would've surely known about it by now!" Braeburn protested. "There's gotta be another reason why they all just up and disappeared! Ponies don't just drop off the face of the world, that can't happen!"

"Well," Spike yawned as he propped up a pillow in the library. "I guess Foal Mountain holds the answers. But take my advice, let's wait until we've caught up on sleep."

"Good idea, we'll go tonight after we're all rested and refreshed!" Fancy Pants declared. "I assume one of you has a map to Foal Mountain?"

Twilight gave a firm nod. "There's plenty of non glowing maps in the library, I'll find one for Foal Mountain."

"Good. And while you do that, I think I'll pop back to the Crystal Empire and return Flurry Heart to Cadence," Shining spoke up. "I have the feeling this could be another one of our big adventures. And the last thing I need is to bring Flurry along and have her get lost. Cadence would kill me for sure."


	160. Chapter 160: The Temple of Ponhenge

That night, Shining, Twilight, and the others all set off for Foal Mountain. Upon arrival, they soon spotted what looked like the remnants of an old temple. Six stone slabs with small perches lay in the center of the ruins, laid out in a roughly circular style.

But now the whole place appeared to be overrun with vines.

"So, this is it? _This_ is the great Temple of Ponhenge the journal mentioned?" Soarin commented as they examined the ruins. "Doesn't look like anyone's been here for years, maybe decades even."

Sunburst was more noticeably impressed, largely because of the ruins' historical value. "I've never even seen magical runes like these before!" He happily exclaimed. "I'm practically in heaven! Have you ever seen _anything_ like it?"

Everyone shook their heads as Twilight held the book close.

"Well, I reckon it'll probably take an entire team of ponies to clear away all these here vines and get this place lookin' spotless again," Big Macintosh commented. "The years have done a real number on it."

Thunderlane tried to move some of the vines on his own, but ended up discovering that the stone slabs themselves had decayed. A part of one of them even gave way, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't make the piece fit back into the slot it had made. "Even then, I'm not sure we'll ever truly find out just what happened over a thousand years ago."

Twilight let out a sigh of sorrow, resigning herself to the possibility. "Guess you're right, it was kind of a long shot anyway. Can't blame a devoted mare for trying though."

"I'm just disappointed that the trail ends here," Shining glumly commented. "All that effort and yet we have nothing to show for it but these old ruins. We still don't know if Starswirl even made it here, or if the pillars ever occupied this space. We're right back where we started."

"Well, cheer up," Spike encouraged. "At least it's not a total loss. Finding these old ruins has to count for something. Maybe you could write a paper on it or something?" He suggested to Twilight.

"I suppose it's better than nothing," Twilight unhappily sighed. "But I guess I was hoping we'd get here and the mystery would just magically be solved. It's what I get for getting my hopes up."

But when Twilight set Starswirl's journal down on one of the stone slabs, something rather unexpected happened! All of a sudden the journal began to glow! In the blink of an eye, a transparent image of the mighty wizard emerged from the journal!

Everyone was shocked, but none were more shocked than Twilight! "Starswirl the Bearded!" She fondly gasped! "I can't believe it, you're finally here! I always wanted to meet you!"

But Starswirl didn't answer. It was if as he didn't know anyone else existed.

Twilight waved a hoof. "Hello? Starswirl?"

"I don't think he's actually here, Twilight." Spike commented in observation.

"I don't think _any_ of them are here," Sunburst added. "See for yourselves!"

The ponies (and Spike) could hardly believe the sight that greeted their eyes! Transparent versions of each of the pillars appeared on the six stone slabs, each of them carrying an item of significance as described in their legend (except for Starswirl who did not appear to have one on him).

* * *

And then, seemingly from nowhere came a massive black blob. Said blob slowly morphed itself into a massive pony like creature made of pure darkness, complete with blank white eyes and a curved horn. The creature laughed wickedly and boasted. "You summon me here at your own peril, Starswirl! You must be getting senile in your old age! Even you must know that drawing me out here will only make me stronger!"

The creature appeared to draw in power, as massive waves of black energy surged through it and then suddenly extended outward as black tentacles! Said tentacles ensnared the pillars one by one, preventing them from moving! "Only now, in your final moments, do you see the error of your ways!" The creature boasted. "Once I defeat you all, this entire realm will embrace the darkness as I did so long ago! And you'll have only yourselves to blame for it!"

But Starswirl did not seem to be deterred by the bold assertion of the creature. Instead he simply bellowed in response. "It is you who is senile, fiend!" He coldly hissed. "We did not come here to defeat you!"

One by one, the pillars became surrounded by a white glow that originated from their objects (in Starswirl's case it was his journal), forming a circle around them that looked not unlike a seal.

The creature stumbled back as if realizing it had just made a mistake. "No, you can't possibly mean-"

Starswirl nodded. "We came... to _contain_ you! Begone!"

The seal circled around the pillars and appeared to trap the shadow creature they were facing. Then they all began to rise into the air, before they vanished in a blinding flash of light! The display ended as the transparent projections of each of the items fell from the sky and disappeared upon making contact with the ground.

"Okay, does someone here wanna tell me what the heck that was just then?" Soarin remarked.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but that looked like some kind of banishing spell. One cast by Starswirl," Starlight spoke up. "And do you suppose that shadow creature was The Pony of Shadows?"

Sunburst nodded! "Of course!" He realized! "Now it all makes sense! Powerful magic like that would leave an impression on this place. And bringing the book back here let us see what happened all those years ago."

"Which was what exactly?" Big Macintosh asked.

Shining draped a wing over his chest as he somberly declared. "Starswirl and the Pillars did indeed make the ultimate sacrifice. They sacrificed themselves to stop The Pony of Shadows. That's why no one's ever seen or heard from them in over a thousand years."

"Then, what are we supposed to tell Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?" Braeburn asked. "That their teacher's neither truly alive or truly dead? And we don't know how to get him out or even contact him?"

"I... don't know I'm afraid," Shining confessed. "We may know why the pillars sacrificed themselves but we don't know how they did it. That... may be a mystery we will _never_ solve."

"Well, I for one don't intend to give up now!" Twilight vowed. "I won't rest until I've figured out just what Starswirl and the Pillars did to banish the Pony of Shadows! With your permission of course, B.B.B.F.F."

Shining nodded. "You're quite welcome to pursue any avenues you want, Twilight. Just run any potential spells by me first. We don't wanna risk another disaster like Starlight's doozy of a spell combination. No offense, Starlight."

Starlight sighed. "None taken. But you know I apologized for that a thousand times already, right?"

The prince nodded again. "Yes. However, my point still stands."


	161. Chapter 161: Limbo?

Twilight set right to work on reading through Starswirl's journal again, calling upon Starlight and Sunburst only as needed to decipher it.

Despite the apparent progress, neither Starlight or Sunburst seemed aware of what Twilight had discovered. For one day they were strolling through the castle hallway together, chatting as good friends often do.

"I still can't believe one of the greatest discoveries of our time was all set into motion by a find in a bargain barrel of all places," Starlight commented to Sunburst. "When I learned you'd bought it at a store here in Ponyville, I thought you were crazy."

Sunburst grinned and beamed with pride. "Told you it was worth the bits it cost. And trust me when I say that's not the _only_ thing I've stumbled across in those barrels. Sometimes good things can be find in the most unexpected of places."

"So, I guess you're going to head back to the Crystal Empire when Twilight's all done with the journal, and you'll start reading all the spells?" Starlight questioned with a sigh. "I was kind of hoping this extended break from your crystaller duties would give us more time to spend together. Seems like we don't do much of anything even after getting back in touch."

Sunburst reached out a hoof to reassure his friend. "You know that's not true, Starlight. I always look forward to your visits to the Crystal Empire. And being in Ponyville with you has made this whole experience all worthwhile, far more than any old journal," Then he started to stroke his chin as he added. "But I wouldn't say the mystery is solved just yet. It's a step in the right direction but there's still so much we don't know. So many things we've barely even scratched the surface on. It could take a full team of magical scholars years to fully understand what Starswirl's written, and that's assuming they'll even know how to read his horn writing. Never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad my mom signed us up for those horn writing classes."

"Didn't seem to do a lot of good for me," Starlight blushed. "My horn writing's still pretty bad."

"At least that's something you and Starswirl have in common now," Sunburst teased. "Don't tell Twilight I said that."

Fortunately, there was no need for Starlight to even dwell upon the matter. Because at that very moment the library door swung open, and an eager looking Twilight popped out as she declared! "Good news! I think I understand Starswirl's spell! Tell Shining and his friends to meet me in the throne room! You won't believe what I've discovered!"

* * *

A short time later, the six stallions were all gathered in the throne room alongside Twilight and Starlight. Twilight was practically beside herself as she declared! "Never in all my life did I imagine I'd get a chance to solve a mystery related to Starswirl the Bearded! Ever since B.B.B.F.F completed one of his spells and got his wings, I always wondered what other unsolved works Starswirl might have left behind in the wake of his disappearance. But this was a spell on an entirely different level compared to what Shining managed to pull off. Was it an explosion of magical feedback? An evocation? A kind of incantation? It's Star Swirl, so the possibilities are endless!"

"That goes without saying," Shining nodded. "But how did you manage to figure it out so quickly, Twilight? Even with Sunburst's help I could barely make heads or tails of the writing. Old Ponish is hard to translate."

"Oh that's easy, Starlight and Sunburst were big helps!" Twilight smiled in response. "Starlight in particular since she was able to point me in the right direction with Starswirl's horn writing," She paused to laugh and snort as she added. "I mean, he was a genius after all. So I guess we can forgive a little messiness in the pursuit of knowledge. Anyway, I went through the journal again, and it's amazing!"

Soarin arched an eyebrow upward. "What's so amazing, exactly? And why do I get the feeling this is somehow related to the six of us?"

Twilight replied by clutching the journal in her hooves as she ominously declared. "Why, only the fact that Starswirl and the Pillars sent The Pony of Shadows to limbo!"

"Hold on, they did what now?!" Big Macintosh asked.

"I told you, they sent The Pony of Shadows to limbo!" Twilight replied as she presented a diorama depicting Ponhenge and lit up her horn while moving her hooves. "Allow me to explain: They used their combined magic to open a portal between worlds – to limbo – and pulled The Pony of Shadows inside, taking themselves with him. They had to use Ponhenge, because Starswirl knew that was were feats of magic otherwise impossible for even the highest level unicorns to pull off could occur." As she finished speaking her diorama disintegrated with a poof of magic."

Fancy Pants let out a gasp! "Twilight, your diorama! And you worked so hard on it too!"

"Oh that's okay, I made more!" Twilight proudly declared. "I always come prepared!"

"But why exactly did the pillars have to go to limbo too?" Braeburn wondered aloud. "If they could use Ponhenge to banish their foe, why would they need to go with him? Seems a bit unnecessary to sacrifice themselves like that."

But Twilight shook her head. "They had no choice, Braeburn. They knew the only way they could even open a portal to limbo, was by taking The Pony of Shadows there with them. That was the ultimate sacrifice Starswirl was referring to in the final pages."

"I see," Big Macintosh realized. "So they all got stuck too. At least now we know where they are."

Thunderlane let out a gulp and shuddered. "The Pony of Shadows must've been really awful for them to do that."

Braeburn couldn't help but ponder. "You know, maybe bein' in limbo with your sworn enemy wouldn't be so bad if you were actually doin' the limbo," As he spoke he found himself actually doing the limbo. "But that'd still be pushin' it. Not my idea of what I'd like to do for all eternity. Sure hope none of my relatives ever got stuck there."

"Well that's the thing," Twilight spoke up. "I think I can pull them out, with a little help from all of you of course."

Sunburst let out a gasp! "Twilight, are you being serious?! You could actually free the most important legends of all time?! The very pillars of harmony?!"

Starlight gulped. "I-I don't know if that's a good idea, Twilight. Opening portals between worlds didn't work out well for me as I'm sure your brother told me. And there's the whole fiasco with that other world you can apparently access through a mirror, even if that one seems pretty stable."

"That's a valid concern, Starlight, but there's one thing you're forgetting," Twilight corrected. "When _you_ opened portals it was through time, not between worlds. Messing with time is dangerous for obvious reasons and you were lucky your actions caused no permanent damage to the time stream. Heck, I made the same mistake myself once, and I think I ended up unintentionally creating a time paradox. But opening portals between worlds isn't as risky if done properly," Then she added. "On top of that, Star Swirl wrote the spell we used to travel through time. If he'd been here, he could have stopped us. Equestria would be much safer with him in it again. We _have_ to save him."

"Uh, you'd be savin' _all_ the pillars, right?" Big Mac asked. "Doesn't seem right to leave them there if we can pull one of them out. But are we sure they're even still reachable? They disappeared over a thousand years ago, who knows how old they are now?"

At that the unicorn giggled. "That's the funny thing about limbo, Big Mac. It isn't one place or another. It's actually in between, so time stands still. If we can pull them out, it'll be like they never left at all."

* * *

But Shining (who had remained silent up to this point) frowned and adopted a noticeably troubled expression upon his face. "I'm actually siding with Starlight on this one, Twilight. Not that I mean to question your magical expertise, but you _do_ have a tendency to cause just as much trouble as you fix when the answer comes down to a spell. And the last time _I_ messed with untested magic, well let's just say it was a good thing I got my wings and was able to come back," Then he added. "And there's one thing about your whole plan that has me really worried. Assuming you _could_ pull the pillars out of limbo, what's to stop The Pony of Shadows from getting out as well? If the pillars are what's keeping him imprisoned, wouldn't removing them effectively undo their attempt to contain him? I'm just not sure it's worth taking that big a gamble, especially since if something went wrong we might not have time for a back-up plan."

"You know, I never thought about it like that," Starlight added. "But I think you should listen to your brother, Twilight. He's never been wrong before."

But Fancy Pants frowned. "I'm afraid you're wrong on that, Starlight. Shining's made questionable decisions before. He _did_ tell you about what he did while we were traveling beyond Equestria to get allies in our battle against the Storm King, didn't he?"

"Actually, I don't think he did." Starlight realized.

Now it was Soarin's turn to frown as he bitterly remarked. "I still don't know what he was even thinking when he decided it was okay to just swipe the Pearl of Transformation, and send _us_ to distract Queen Novo so she wouldn't find out. And the worst part was, he nearly succeeded."

"Is that true?" The mare asked her teacher as she looked him in the eyes. "Please tell me it's not true."

But the prince shook his head as he reluctantly confessed. "Much as I wish it wasn't, I'm afraid it is. Not exactly my finest moment. At the time I told myself it was the only way, that I had no choice but to do it. Of course in hindsight I realize that was stupid and short-sighted, but I wasn't in the best state of mind at the time. I did a lot of things on that journey that I wish more than anything I could take back, but as Twily just pointed out trying to mess with time for any reason is dangerous and not worth it."

"For what it's worth, Shining, I think you have a point about the pillars," Twilight spoke up. "I guess maybe I was a little too eager to meet my idol. But when I first settled on the idea of maybe getting the pillars out, I ran a few calculations in my head and..." She paused for a moment. "I'm ninety-nine percent positive I can pull them out _without_ freeing The Pony of Shadows as well."

"And that other one percent?" Shining questioned.

"Well in that case, there _is_ the possibility The Pony of Shadows will escape somehow," Twilight declared. "But I'm actually about ninety-nine point nine percent positive I can free the pillars without any complications. It's never going to be a one hundred percent guarantee, but then again there aren't usually guarantees in life. And you can't let that stop you from making decisions. It's up to you, though. If you don't think it's worth the trouble, if you think there's something I haven't considered, then you can say no. I may not like it, but I understand that as Captain of the Royal Guard and Equestria's only alicorn prince, you have the safety of the entire nation to think about."

* * *

All eyes turned to the prince, but he didn't answer right away. He stood there, thinking over everything in his head that he'd just been told. It was true that this endeavor was a huge risk that could backfire, and Celestia had warned him specifically to be careful. But on the other hoof, if there was a chance he could rescue Starswirl and the pillars from limbo then didn't he owe it to them and to everyone else to at least try?

At last the stallion with a coat of white gave his answer. "We _did_ promise the princesses that if we could find out where Starswirl and the pillars went, we'd try to rescue them if possible. And if the odds are really that high for getting them out without complication, I say it's worth a shot. Of course, this is strictly a volunteer thing. I don't want you guys to feel like I'm forcing you to do something if you'd rather not get involved. I'm sure you have some concerns about my judgement after what happened last time."

"Nonsense, Shinin'," Braeburn reassured his friend. "You made mistakes, but so have we. What's important is that you've learned from 'em so you can be a better pony. If we expected perfection from you or anyone else, we'd be disappointed."

"Whatever help we can offer, we'll be glad to give," Fancy Pants added. "So what can we do to help?"

"Good question, actually," Shining spoke up. "Twilight, you're the expert on these pillars. Any ideas on how we're supposed to go about freeing them?"

"If I'm right, what we need is to find items that are connected to the Pillars in some way." Twilight explained to the group.

"You mean, like things that once belonged to them?" Spike guessed.

Twilight nodded. "Exactly, Spike."

"Okay, but exactly what would we be looking for? And more importantly, where would we look?" Thunderlane pondered. "I mean... maybe Cattail still has Mage Meadowbrook's mask in her old home, but even then are we sure that's the item she had the strongest connection to?"

"Well it's a good thing Starswirl took a lot of notes, I'm sure we'll find the answers within this journal," Twilight declared as she began to read aloud. "'My compatriots are as varied as the realm itself and hail from every corner of our land, bringing with them artifacts and talismans of great power.'"

As Twilight spoke, the thrones all began to shimmer and then glow. A fact that did not go unnoticed by Starlight who interrupted Twilight's reading by asking. "Um, Twilight? What are you doing?"

"I'm not doing anything!" Twilight protested. "It looks like the map is trying to tell us something!"

Suddenly, one by one objects that were instantly recognizable to the group appeared on the map and came to rest over various locations. Some recognizable and others not so recognizable.

"Rockhoof's shovel!" Big Macintosh exclaimed.

"Flash Magnus' shield!" Soarin commented.

"Mistmane's flower!" Fancy Pants remarked.

"Mage Meadowbrook's mask!" Thunderlane declared.

"And Somnambula's glowpez necklace!" Braeburn realized.

"And I'm guessing Starswirl's journal is connected to all of them as well, since those are the objects we saw in the holograms at Ponhenge," Shining realized. "Seems like we don't need to guess who should get what. The map has given us each an objective. We'll each spread out to retrieve our assigned object, and then we'll bring them all to Ponhenge."

Twilight beamed with pride. "Great! Sounds like a plan! And with Sunburst and Starlight helping us, we should have more than enough magical power to open the portal to limbo and free the pillars!"


	162. Chapter 162: Legends of Magic

Each of the stallions quickly fanned out to search for their designated item and bring it back to Ponhenge, where Shining Armor, Twilight, Sunburst, and Starlight would be waiting with Starswirl's journal.

Big Macintosh's journey brought him to a lonely island at the base of what appeared to be an extinct volcano (or maybe just a very dormant one). As he was not very familiar with such locations, he'd brought along Cheerilee to help guide him. The teacher was delighted to accompany her special somepony.

"So, what are we looking for, exactly?" Cheerilee eagerly asked Big Mac.

"Rockhoof's shovel. He never went anywhere without it," Big Macintosh replied. "The map says it's around here somewhere. But it looks like this place ain't been occupied for decades, maybe even a century."

Cheerilee nodded and noted. "Indeed. It would seem to have become an archaeological site," Then a smile formed on her face. "And look, there's one of my newest students. Petunia Paleo. Surprised to see her here, her cutie mark relates to paleontology, not archaeology."

"Either way, she may know somethin' about this place. She's as good as other pony to talk to." Big Macintosh responded and trotted over to the filly. Petunia was a filly with a light blue coat, a somewhat darker two shaded blueish-gray tail, and and light persian blue eyes. Not to mention a cutie mark depicting dinosaur bones.

Currently the filly was with an older mare who had a dusty brown coat and a similarly colored dusty brown mane and tail, not to mention amber eyes. She wore a red jacket and appeared to be slightly bulky in build. She also wore a pair of thick brown glasses.

Petunia and another pony her age were dusting off a skeleton they'd just uncovered, said skeleton looked like it had part of some sort of armor. The filly eagerly exclaimed! "Look, Professor Fossil! It looks just like the armor worn by the Mighty Helm!" With a gasp she added. "Maybe it belonged to Rockhoof himself!"

Professor Fossil strolled over and examined the skeleton, then shook her head. "I don't think, Petunia," She remarked. "Legends don't wear helmets. I'm afraid this belonged to a _real_ pony."

"Oh, I can tell you that Rockhoof was real alright," Big Macintosh spoke up. "As real as you and I."

Professor Fossil turned to see Big Macintosh and Cheerilee, and then she laughed. "That's a good one. And I suppose next you'll tell me he dug that trench with his trusty shovel, to save his village from an erupting volcano?"

"It's a possibility. There are lots of things in life that seem strange even though they're true." Cheerilee commented.

Professor Fossil only shook her head. "Look, I like old legends as much as anypony else. But ever since I earned my degree I've come to learn that there's far more fiction than fact about these legends. A pony strong enough to stop a volcano armed with nothing but a shovel? It's... well... preposterous to say the least."

But at that very moment, a boulder broke loose and came rolling down the hill towards Professor Fossil and the students under her care!

Thinking quickly, Big Macintosh leaped in front of the boulder's path and threw his back legs against it! With a great deal of straining he managed to force the boulder to a halt before it could roll onto anypony. "Better stand back, ya'll!" He warned! "I'm gonna send this baby flyin'!" And with a mighty kick he launched the boulder into the air, watching it disappear over the horizon!

Needless to say, Professor Fossil and her students were most impressed. In fact, Professor Fossil found herself at a loss for words. "I... can't believe you just did that. You... you saved us!" She happily exclaimed.

Cheerilee flashed a grin at the professor. "Yeah, but I bet if you told anypony else the story it would sound... preposterous." Professor Fossil just blushed.

At that moment, a pegasus stallion sporting a dark brown coat came up and tapped Big Mac on the shoulder. "Excuse me," He spoke up. "Just a while ago, I came upon this rather interesting cavern. You're looking for Rockhoof's shovel, right?"

"Eeyup. Why do you ask?" Big Macintosh inquired.

The stallion pointed a hoof over to the cavern and instructed Big Mac to step inside. Big Mac came out shortly with Rockhoof's shovel clutched in his teeth, the shovel gave off a rather strange glow.

"Well, I guess some legends might be true after all." Professor Fossil commented.

"By the way," The stallion asked Big Macintosh and Cheerilee. "Have you met my daughter? You probably know her name, she writes all those popular adventure books when she should be getting into archaeology like her old stallion."

Big Macintosh and Cheerilee both laughed as Cheerilee replied. "It's funny you should mention that, because do we have a story for you."

* * *

Fancy Pants brought Fleur with him to the village where Mistmane had once lived, for it was where the map had said Mistmane's flower might be located.

For Fleur, the village held sentimental value. "It sure is nice to be back in my homeland again after all this time," She happily commented. "I can still remember the day when I met you. You barely knew your way around this place."

"I still kind of do, I'm afraid," Fancy Pants commented. "Which is why I asked you to accompany me. Now then, if I were a flower in a place like this, where would I be?"

Fleur pointed a hoof. "There aren't many places around here that can grow plants. So I'd try one of the first places that can." She was gesturing to an old greenhouse.

Fancy Pants smiled. "A greenhouse! Of course! Brilliant suggestion, Fleur!" The couple made their way over to the green house and were immediately taken aback at the derelict state of the greenhouse. It seemed as if nothing had grown there in years.

Before long, the two lay eyes upon the item they'd been sent to retrieve. Mistmane's flower sat lonely on a small pedestal in the center of the garden. Fancy Pants reached out a hoof to grab the pot, only to have his hoof swatted away by a spade.

"You keep those hooves to yourself, whippersnapper!" An elderly, wrinkly, grey coated unicorn frowned. She sported faded red eyes and a mane almost a ghostly white. "That ain't yours for the taking!"

"I'm terribly sorry, ma'am," Fancy Pants apologized. "But I really need that flower, it's important."

The mare just continued to frown. "Well it's important to me as well. I've been working my butt off year after year just to try and keep this greenhouse around. It used to be that ponies would flock from all over to come and see this place, and I ain't about to let some no gooder like you come and take the last good piece of it!"

"Well, what if I could help you spruce up this place and give you some more flowers to care for?" Fancy Pants suggested. "I'm not exactly an expert, but I have dabbled a little in gardening. Wasn't my calling but I can see why others appreciate it."

"If you want to try, go right ahead and knock yourself out!" The mare snorted. "But good luck getting anything to grow here."

Fancy Pants just smiled and turned to his wife. "Shall we?" He asked her.

Fleur gave a nod and winked. "I was hoping you'd ask."

Together the two unicorns lit up their horns and enveloped several gardening tools in their magic. They cleared away vines, thorns, and dead branches, and carefully watered plants up and down the green house. It took a great deal of effort and Fancy Pants' suit became slightly dirty in the process. But at long last, the green house was filled with beautiful and healthy young plants.

The mare's mouth dropped open in shock! "Incredible!"

Fancy Pants smiled. "I know. Beautiful isn't it?"

"Of course, you'll have to take care of more than one little flower now," Fleur added. "My husband and I would be glad to take it off your hooves."

The mare adopted a sincere smile and gave the potted plant to them. "You go ahead and keep it. It was a family heirloom, but I never knew what to do with it for I never had foals and all my relatives have moved away. Something tells me that plant is in much better hooves with you young ponies." As she gave the plant to Fancy Pants and Fancy Pants held it in his hooves, it admitted a glow.

* * *

Braeburn smiled as he found himself back in Somnambula Village. He could still remember his last visit just weeks ago, when he and Soarin had learned of the true identity of Daring Do.

And at that moment, who should show up but Daring Do herself? Needless to say she was very surprised to see Braeburn. "Oh, it's you again," She cheerfully commented. "What brings you here?"

"Well if you must know Miss Yea... I mean Miss Do," Braeburn quickly corrected himself. "I'm here because I'm tryin' to find Somnambula's glowpez necklace. But for the life of me I can't figure out where it might be."

"Guess it's a good thing I showed up then," Daring replied with a smile. "I've got a lead on the necklace's location. But... you may not like what it entails."

"Why? What are you talkin' about?" Braeburn inquired.

Daring just took off and instructed. "Follow me and I'll explain as best I can!"

Braeburn did so, following the pegasus all the way into the pyramid that it was said Somnambula had faced down the sphinx to save Prince Hisan. As he did, he soon learned what Daring's lead involved. For he found himself staring down at a pit of some unknown bubbling green liquid, and it looked rather hot. The stallion let out a gulp. "A-are you sure it's down there?" He asked Daring.

"I'm afraid so," Daring declared. "Nopony will volunteer to look though."

"W-well, I suppose I'll do it," Braeburn reluctantly volunteered. "You sure I should be in that stuff?"

Daring chuckled in response. "Oh don't worry, it's not toxic or corrosive if that's what you're worried about. We tested the stuff with a stick and it was just fine," Then she held her nose. "But it _does_ have a rather strong..." She coughed into a hoof. "'Odor' to it if you know what I mean."

The stallion tried not to gulp. "I understand." He gravely remarked.

"Which is why I'll need you to step into this special diving suit," Daring explained as she held it out. "That way you won't get covered in or breath in any of the er... muck. When you're ready to come back up, just give a tug on your line."

"Got it," Braeburn reluctantly commented as he stepped into the diving suit and closed the lid. "Well, here goes nothing!" He was soon lowered into the pit, and before long he appeared to vanish from sight.

A few moments passed and there didn't seem to be any developments. Some of the ponies who had gathered to watch were starting to grow anxious.

"I'm not sure you'll find anything in there, Daring." One pony commented.

As Daring continued to pump fresh air she just replied. "I wouldn't give up hope just yet." But then suddenly the line slipped out of her hooves! She quickly lunged forward and grabbed it as all the green liquid seemed to vanish in an instant!

Braeburn emerged from the pit, now drained of the green liquid and held out what appeared to be a necklace of some kind. "Wouldn't you know it? It was stuck in the drain all this time," He commented as he opened the lid of his diving suit. "Sure hope this stuff washes off." As he spoke those words, the necklace gave off a glow.

* * *

Soarin had brought along Spike for his object, largely due to where it had ended up. "I can't believe it. Of all the places for Flash Magnus' shield to end up in, it had to be the dragon lands!" He remarked as he flew over the rocky and smokey landscape.

Spike grinned. "Well it's a good thing you've brought along the official friendship ambassador to the dragons then," Then he spotted a small group of dragons lurking near a river of lava. "Looks like as good a place as any to start our search. Take us down, Soarin." He instructed.

Soarin landed and immediately he drew the attention of the dragons, who all frowned. "Hey," One of them rudely snapped. "Just because Dragon Lord Ember commanded us to be nice to ponies, doesn't mean you can surf in our spot. So get lost!"

"I'm not here to surf. I'm just looking for a certain shield, and then I promise I'll be out of your scales," Soarin commented. "So if you want to be rid of me as soon as possible, I suggest you cooperate. It's not like I _wanted_ to be here."

"Whatever," Another dragon snorted. "We've got plenty of shields. So just take your pick and go away!"

"Easy now," Spike cautioned the dragons. "He's with me. We're looking for a very special shield. So we'd greatly appreciate it if you could point us in the right direction, okay?"

But just then, from the crowd emerged a familiar red scaled dragon of teenaged size. "Well, well, well," He snarled. "If it ain't the pony loving pipsqueak sticking up for his pony pals."

"Oh I thought I smelled a rat," Soarin hissed, before his eyes fell upon the object clutched in the dragon's claws! "Flash Magnus' shield!" He exclaimed! "Give it to me, Garble! It doesn't belong to you!"

"Oh really?" Garble taunted. "I don't see your name on it. And out here in the dragon lands, it's finders keepers."

"Please," Soarin pleaded. "I need that shield! Can't you just find some other old shield to use?"

Garble just stuck out his tongue. "Too bad! I found it and I intend to keep it!" But then he got an idea. "I'll tell you what though. I _might_ be willing to trade it, for a price."

"Oh I see, you want a race," Soarin realized. "So how's about this deal, Garble? If I win, you give up the shield and go away."

Garble nodded. "Fine by me, but if _I_ win and you know I will, you have to leave and I'll give you back the shield whenever I feel like it!"

"Okay then," The Wonderbolt Co-Captain spoke up. "Let's do this, Garble!"

But Garble shook his head. "Whoever said I wanted to race a pony like you? Wouldn't be a fair contest," Then he turned his attention to Spike. "I wanna race the pipsqueak."

"What?! Me?!" Spike gasped. "Is this your idea of pay back for showing you up at the Gauntlet of Fire?!"

"Maybe it is," Garble fiendishly snickered. "But are you gonna chicken out? Or are you gonna race me and stand up for yourself?"

"Well if that's how you wanna play, fine!" Spike growled! "Prepare to lose, Garble!"

* * *

The two dragons lined up side by side, Spike clutching a small stone slab to use as a lava board. He wasn't sure if he could truly match Garble, but he was determined to try.

Soarin watched with anxiety. " _Come on, Spike! You can do it!_ " He encouraged.

A chubby, orange scaled dragon hovered over the two contestants and relayed the rules. "The first one down the mountain wins. Now keep it clean. Or don't, I'm not your mother," And then he began the count down. "Racers: On your marks, get set, surf!" With a breath of fire, he signaled the start of the race.

Garble took off immediately, pulling into the lead with ease. Spike struggled just to keep control of his board, a task that was easier said than done.

All of a sudden, Spike found himself facing down a cliff. Rather than steer around it though, he sailed right over it. He flew off his board, tumbled down the mountain, and broke the tape at the bottom! "I can't believe that actually worked," He commented before he quickly corrected himself. "Er I mean... I knew that would work," Then he turned to Garble who came surfing up behind him. "A deal's a deal, Garble. Now hand over the shield."

But Garble refused to cooperate! He was steaming at the fact that he'd been twice outsmarted by a dragon who didn't even truly live in the dragon lands! "You've humiliated me too many times already, pipsqueak!" He growled. "Ember said to be nice to ponies. She never said anything about pony loving dragons."

Spike let out a gulp. "H-hey now, let's not do something we'll all regret," He cautioned. "You know I'm friends with Ember, right? If you do anything to me, I'll tell. She won't be very happy."

"Eh, let her try," Garble coldly retorted. "Far as I'm concerned, I don't have to take orders from a pony loving dragon like her. Besides, she ain't here to protect you now, is she?"

But Soarin quickly swooped in and defused the tensions. "Leave him alone, Garble. No one likes a sore loser," He declared with a snort. "So if you're done picking on those smaller than you, how's about another race? I'll go easy on you."

"Oh, okay. You wanna lose?" Garble chuckled. "Fine by me. Name your game."

"Bet you can't beat me back up the mountain!" Soarin boasted. "If I win, the shield is mine. And if I lose, I'll leave you alone."

"Excellent," Garble grinned. "Ready when you are."

Then Soarin planted a suggestion in Garble's mind. "Well before you do that, maybe you should remove your shield. Bet it'll be hard to fly with that hunk of metal weighing you down."

"Huh, fair point I suppose. Guess you ponies are good for something after all," Garble replied, suspecting nothing as he slipped the shield off his back. "See you at the top, losers!" He shouted and flapped his wings.

But when Garble reached the top he found that Soarin and Spike had taken off with the shield now firmly in their possession. "Hey, no fair! You tricked me! Give that back!" Garble roared at the top of his lungs.

Spike only shouted back. "Turnabout is fair play, Garble. Besides, it's finders keepers, remember?"

As Soarin flew out of the dragons lands, he couldn't help but chuckle. "You were right, Spike. Those dragons aren't very bright."

"Honestly, Garble makes it way too easy. But I just love seeing him be put in his place," Spike commented with a satisfied grin. "I just hope the others have had better luck with their search than we've had."

* * *

At Hayseed Swamp, Cattail had put on Meadowbrook's mask and was currently attracting the attention of the flash bees the only way he knew how. By dancing back and forth in front of them.

That did the trick all right, the flash bees started to swarm over towards Cattail who backed away rather nervously.

From the safety of a nearby bush, Thunderlane instructed. "Now remember not to turn away from them, Cattail. The flash bees won't like that. They can get pretty aggressive sometimes. Which probably explains why none of the other bayou animals can get to the water."

Cattail continued to slowly back away. "Not for nothing but, wouldn't it make more sense for _you_ to be the one who wears the mask and calm the bees?" He inquired. "I ain't exactly the best with animals. That was Meadowbrook's specialty, not mine."

"Normally you'd be right, Cattail," Thunderlane commented as he emerged from the bush. "If not for the fact that I had to move the hive." He did so with ease, placing it up on a higher branch in a nearby tree. And meanwhile, the other bayou animals made it across to the water without trouble.

The flash bees finally grew bored of stalking Cattail, and zoomed back to their hive to rest. They didn't suspect anything about how it seemed to be higher than it was when they'd left it.

"There," Thunderlane smiled as he carefully swooped down. "Now the rest of the bayou animals can get to the water without feeling threatened. And the flash bees won't feel like someone's invading their territory."

"You know you didn't have to do any of this," Cattail commented as he took off the mask. "I would've gladly let ya have the mask anyway."

"I know," Thunderlane nodded. "But I figured it would be nice to do you a favor anyway." Then he took possession of the mask, causing it to glow.

"Uh, is it supposed to do that?" Cattail questioned.

"I'm not sure," Thunderlane responded. "But I promise I'll bring this back as soon as I can."


	163. Chapter 163: Operation Rescue!

While the rest of the stallions (and whoever they chose to bring along on their missions) were retrieving their assigned artifacts, Shining Armor, Twilight, Sunburst, and Starlight were all at Ponhenge. They were working to clear away the last of the vines and making sure everything was ready.

"Now, Twily, you're absolutely sure this is gonna work?" Shining Armor asked his sister.

Twilight gave an affirmative nod. "Yes indeed, Shiny. As long as your friends bring the items back here and place them on the pillars, there's enough combined magic between myself, Sunburst, and you and Starlight to open the portal. And from there it's a simple process to yank the pillars out of limbo," With a smile she added. "I can't believe I'm actually going to meet Starswirl the Bearded. Well, outside my dreams and all."

"And _I_ can't believe you're actually going through with this," Starlight nervously commented. "Don't take this the wrong way but this is pretty out there, even for you."

Sunburst scoffed. "Come on, Starlight! What's out there about saving the most important ponies in all of history?!"

"I'm just saying, messing with portals didn't exactly work out for me when _I_ tried it," Starlight explained with a gulp. "And while it's just a hunch, maybe Starswirl and the Pillars knew what they were doing and we should just leave well enough alone. I'm not usually one for caution, but this whole thing is giving me a very bad feeling."

"I appreciate your concerns, Starlight," Shining responded to his student. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't have similar worries myself. But I have faith in my sister's magical abilities, they're second to none. If she estimates our chances of saving the pillars without complications to be almost one hundred percent, then I say it's worth the risk. Besides, we've already come all this way out here. There's no point in going back now. We might as well as see this through to the end."

At that Soarin spoke up. "Well that's good to hear, because otherwise Spike and I would've traveled all over the dragon lands for nothing. You would not _believe_ what we had to go through to get this shield back." He placed Flash Magnus' shield on one of the stone slabs a second later.

Big Macintosh gave a rather confident grin as he simply replied. "I hope you don't think you're the only one who managed to find his artifact, Soarin. 'Cause this here shovel says otherwise." Like with Soarin, he was quick to place Rockhoof's shovel on one of the stone slabs.

Fancy Pants lightly scolded the two. "Oh look at you two, you're just like boys with toys. Not _everything_ has to be a contest," As he placed Mistmane's flower on one of the stone slabs he added. "Although, Mistmane's flower is arguably the most magnificent of all the artifacts."

"Please, you're just sayin' that 'cause you didn't have to dive in a pit of green sludge to get yours!" Braeburn proudly declared as he placed Somnambula's glowpez necklace on one of the pillars. With a gag face he remarked. "You _don't_ wanna know where I found this, trust me."

"Neither of you had to move a flash bee hive for your artifact. And I didn't even need to do it." Thunderlane commented as he placed Mage Meadowbrook's mask on the remaining stone pillar (Starswirl's journal already occupied one).

"Excellent!" Shining smiled. "I knew I could count on you guys! But where are Cheerilee and Fleur? I thought they went with you."

"Cheerilee said she had to go back to Ponyville, wanted to work on the lesson plans for her next class," Big Macintosh commented. "A shame really, my family's taken quite the shine to her."

"And my dear Fleur is staying behind in her village to catch up on the news. When she's finished, I presume she'll return to Ponyville on her own. She's a big mare and is more than capable of taking care of herself." Fancy Pants declared.

Twilight just clapped her hooves together. "Well that's a shame, but at least the rest of us are all here now. So that means we can put the plan into action! Is everypony ready?!"

"You betcha!" Sunburst declared!

"I... guess I'm in too," Starlight reluctantly added, even as she muttered under her breath. "I hope this doesn't backfire on us."

"I'm ready as well!" The prince firmly declared. "Okay, here we go!" And to the unicorn trio he instructed. "Give it all you got! Full power in 3... 2... 1, now!"

On cue, the trio of unicorns lit up their horns and Shining did the same! They all concentrated their magical powers on the journal, and watched in delight as the magic was transferred to the rest of the artifacts. They rose into the air and created a magnificent circle of light. There was a blinding flash and for a moment everyone shut their eyes!

* * *

The flash faded just as soon as it had arrived, and six ponies appeared from the sky. With nothing holding them up they began to fall, followed closely by pieces of the stone slabs that threatened to crush them!

Reacting quickly each stallion rushed to save the pillar whose artifact they had retrieved, with Shining saving Starswirl the Bearded.

The aged wizard slowly opened his brilliant gold eyes as he forced himself to stand. "What? Where are we?" He wondered.

"Starswirl the Bearded?" Twilight spoke up. "My big brother and his friends just recused you and the other pillars, and we..."

At that Starswirl seemed to become alarmed! "You did what?! No! Quickly, you must undo what you've done!"

"Why? What do you mean? I'm not even sure we could, Starswirl," Shining stuttered in response. "Or do you prefer Mr. The Bearded?"

"Just Starswirl will do, but there's no time for formalities!" Starswirl protested. "Please, you must reverse the spell! You can't bring us back!"

The prince became confused. "Why? I just did."

Starswirl shook his head. "You fool! You cannot bring _only_ the pillars back!"

It took the prince but a moment to realize what Starswirl was referring to. "No, it can't be..." He remarked as he nervously turned his attention to the center of Ponhenge. An ominous black blob was beginning to take shape, slowly morphing into the form of a giant pony with a curved horn and glowing white (but blank) eyes as dark clouds hung overhead.

The familiar form of The Pony of Shadows soon stood before all, cackling with delight. "At very long last, I'm free!" It declared. "The darkness is here to stay!"

Everyone gulped. And both Shining and Starlight could only find themselves thinking one thing. " _We've really done it this time! How are we going to get out of_ _ **this**_ _predicament?!_ " And neither of them knew the answer, assuming there was one.


	164. Chapter 164: The End of Ponhenge

The Pony of Shadows delighted in boasting to Starswirl's face. "Once again, you have failed to stop me, Starswirl! Getting slow in your old age, perhaps?"

Starswirl only growled as he tried to light up his horn. But he couldn't muster up any magic at all, it seemed that the banishing spell had drained him. "My plan would've worked, had certain ponies known to leave well enough alone!" He remarked and turned to Shining Armor. "Please, you brought us back from limbo! Surely, you must have _some_ plan for this! Some way to send this creature of darkness back to limbo!"

Shining nervously stuttered as he broke out in a cold sweat. "Oh... right. A plan. Uh... Sunburst?!"

Sunburst gulped and started frantically flipping through the journal for answers! "I-I'm working on it! No table of contents here!" He profusely apologized! "Really should've planned for this!"

The Pony of Shadows just laughed. "Allow me to 'help' you!" Just seconds later a tentacle emerged from his body, knocking the journal out of Sunburst's hoofs and impaling it on one of the stone slabs!

"Oh no, the journal!" Sunburst cried in horror, but it was too late! The journal, alongside the stone slabs of Ponhenge were destroyed with a single blast of energy from The Pony of Shadows.

"There, that should level the playing field a little," The Pony of Shadows taunted. "Without Ponhenge, you can't perform the banishing spell! Which means there's nothing any of you can do to stop me!"

"This can't be!" Twilight protested. "You weren't supposed to get out! I just wanted to finally meet my idol."

The Pony of Shadows laughed again. "Your first mistake, but certainly not your last. Oh, but don't worry. Once I've robbed this world of light and vanquished all hope, you won't remember any of this. You will know only darkness, and I shall reign supreme!" Then he threw back his head and charged up his horn, sending a beam of magic towards Twilight.

Shining stepped in to deflect the blast, then lit up his horn and attacked The Pony of Shadows while he was caught off guard! "She's not alone, she's got back-up! And I think you'll find me to be a lot harder to take down, shadow fiend!"

The Pony of Shadows growled as he doubled back in pain. "Not bad, you've actually _hurt_ me. Even Starswirl couldn't do that unless I let him," He remarked. "But even in my weakened state, you cannot stop the might of shadows! None of you can!"

But this time, Starlight jumped in aid to Shining and Twilight, and together the three managed to once again force The Pony of Shadows back. "What part of 'she's got back-up' didn't you understand? And you call yourself a villain," She remarked. "You're nothing compared to Chrysalis. Now there's a villain who knew how to give me a challenge."

"I don't know who this Chrysalis is that you speak of, but I assure you she is nothing compared to me!" The Pony of Shadows commented in an ominous yet weakened tone. "My time in limbo has left me weakened! Yet all you can do is match me. When I'm at full power, you won't stand a chance. I'll make sure of it!"

"That will never happen so long as my friends and I are here to stop you!" Starswirl remarked with narrowed eyes. "And know this, shadow fiend. We will not rest until we find a way to return you to limbo, where you belong!"

At that The Pony of Shadows seemed to lose his composure all together, for he bellowed at the top of his lungs! "NEVER! I'll never go back to that accursed place! Your time is up, Starswirl! Pillars like you aren't needed in this world any longer! When this is all over, you six will bow before your master! And then _maybe_ I'll maybe spare you, if I feel like it." Then he quickly morphed into a ball of pure darkness that was pulled up into the clouds, which then retreated away from Ponhenge. Just like that, the threat was gone.

* * *

"This is bad news for Equestria." Shining Armor realized once The Pony of Shadows had left.

"I'll say," Soarin glumly commented. "But now we don't even know where we went. He moves fast. How are we ever supposed to track him down?"

"Ah, that is a riddle we must solve, and quickly!" Somnambula spoke up. "We swore an oath to stop that monster, and it's an oath I for one don't intend to betray."

Mage Meadowbrook then asked. "How long have we been gone? Everythin''s happenin' so fast."

"Over a thousand years." Thunderlane told the pillars.

Starswirl was delighted to hear the news. "Ah, good. So my spell worked, _before_ it was meddled with. And the realm has known peace for a millennia!"

Braeburn couldn't help but chuckle at that statement. "Well, you _could_ say that. That is, if you don't account for Nightmare Moon, and Discord, and Queen Chrysalis, and King Sombra, and Lord Tirek, and Queen Chrysalis again, and did I mention the Storm King? Oh, and there's this one time Starlight here tried to mess with time. But hey, that's all in the past now. Fortunately, we've all been there to stop 'em."

Flash Magnus beamed with pride. "Not bad if I do say so myself. If you're really that skilled, then together we'll stop The Pony of Shadows twice as fast!"

"We shall see, Flash Magnus," Starswirl cautioned. "You'll find that it is one thing to _say_ you've saved the realm, it is quite another to have done it."

"Oh trust me, your beardedness!" Soarin boasted. "We've saved the world alright, we've got the skills to prove it."

"Be that as it may, there still remains the problem of tracking down our enemy," Starswirl spoke up. "This land is vast and The Pony of Shadows could be anywhere."

"Indeed it is true, Starswirl," Mistmane nodded in agreement. "And unfortunately, I'm not nearly as fast as I used to be. There's only so much ground the six of us could ever hope to cover."

Then Fancy Pants spoke up. "Sounds to me like you could use a map. Well lucky for the six of you, Shining Armor has just what you're looking for back at his castle."

"A castle, huh? I take it it's not one that dwells within Canterlot _or_ The Everfree Forest? I never quite felt at home in either one to be honest." Starswirl remarked.

"Well then, how does a castle in the middle of Ponyville sound?" Shining asked the wizard.

"Ponyville? I don't believe I've ever heard that name before," Starswirl commented as he put a hoof to his chin. "But so long as your castle has a map I shan't complain. You must take us there immediately!"


	165. Chapter 165: Seeking Darkness

The pillars accompanied Shining and the others back to Ponyville and were soon lead to the throne room to see the magical map that displayed all of Equestria. They were very impressed.

"Something about this map and this castle seems strangely familiar, as if I've seen it before," Starswirl pondered. "Hope you don't mind, but I wish to try something. It shan't take more than a moment."

Shining bowed his head. "By all means, go ahead. Just be careful not to accidentally deactivate it, Starswirl. We need that thing to work."

Starswirl lit up his horn and aimed a beam of magic at the map. The map responded with a shimmering glow and displayed a projection of the Tree of Harmony, a sight that the pillars had never seen before and the stallions hadn't seen since Tirek's defeat.

"Did you know he could do that?" Sunburst whispered.

Twilight nodded. "He's Starswirl, Sunburst. He can do anything he sets his mind to."

Meanwhile, the old wizard fondly proclaimed! "A-ha! I might have known it! This tree and by extension this castle have grown from the seed that we planted here over a thousand years ago!"

"Then it _did_ work after all!" Rockhoof declared as he brought a hoof down on the table. "And you all had your doubts."

"I prefer to be a realist myself, we had no idea what it would do when we planted it." Starswirl politely responded.

"Hold on now, what are you talking about?" Sunburst wondered. "None of the stories about you mentioned anything about a tree."

Somnambula smiled as she explained. "It is really quite simple. Before we departed to Ponhenge, each of us infused a crystal seed with our magic. All in the hope that it would grow into a mighty tree."

"It was really my idea, though I shouldn't take all the credit for it," Mistmane replied in her aged tone of voice. "We were commissioned by King Michael and Queen Lauren to make a contribution to the castle in the Everfree Forest, they hoped to have their daughters move there when the time was right. As for us, we wanted to leave something behind to protect the realm in our absence."

"But we had no idea that our little seed would grow into somethin' so powerful and so magnificent!" Mage Meadowbrook fondly exclaimed! "It's truly taken on a life of its own."

Flash Magnus then declared. "And it seems the tree did indeed leave something behind for us to use. Those trinkets that hang on its branches, they must be quite powerful."

"They sure are. In fact, they're called the Elements of Harmony," Big Macintosh commented in response. "So I guess that means you six are the ones who created 'em in the first place?"

Soarin scratched his head. "But I thought the Elements of Harmony were meant to embody the virtues of Equestria's founders, and were the last gift of King Michael and Queen Lauren before they were felled in battle against Discord?"

The pillars all gave confused looks for they had not been around to witness any of this.

"You know, the things that form into necklaces and that big crown whatchamacallit that Shining wore," Braeburn told the pillars and proceeded to list each one in order. "Laughter, Honesty, Generosity, Loyalty, Kindness, and Magic! Ring any bells?"

Somnambula gave a reply. "They are indeed reflections of attributes you could assign to the six founders of Equestria. But I suspect they are also a reflection of the elements we six were known for: Hope, Strength, Beauty, Bravery, Healing, and Sorcery. Most likely, when we were sent to limbo alongside The Pony of Shadows, the Tree of Harmony had to change the attributes into ones that could be wielded by the young sisters."

"I guess they ain't so young anymore if they've gone and kicked bad guy butts," Mage Meadowbrook commented. "I always felt off bein' the youngest of the group by a considerable margin. The rest of you were always so much older and wiser, made me feel like I was a child by comparison."

Mistmane laughed. "You should cherish your youth while you have it, Meadowbrook. Though I know I made the right call to give up my outer beauty to restore it to the land, there are days where I wish more than anything I could feel young again."

"For the record, I assure you I am quite young for my age! A part of me never fully grew up!" Somnambula boasted. "Yet from the way ponies tell the story of the sphinx, they make me sound like this battle hardened warrior. I tell you, that sphinx was but an ill behaved child without a proper mother. No fully grown sphinx would ever dare play such games. I'm just glad the part where it tried to imprint on me has been cut. For something so young, that sphinx could give quite the killer hugs. Lucky for me she liked playing games far more."

"Putting aside the issues of age," Starswirl coughed into a hoof. "We no longer need the power amplification of Ponhenge to perform the banishing spell. We can draw upon the power of the Tree of Harmony itself to do so," As he spoke, various dark swirls appeared on the map. "Our foe is a creature of shadows, so he will undoubtedly seek out places of darkness from which to draw power. That cannot be allowed to happen! I shall set to work on my banishing spell, so that we may strike as soon as you find him!"

But Braeburn protested. "I can already tell ya not to bother with that dark spot down in the desert. Those are the Appleloosan Wastes. At first they were pretty bleak, but ever since we settled things with the Buffalo that place has become a popular square dancin' destination! It's got quite the night life!"

"And that dark spot just a ways north from here is Manehattan, the city that never sleeps," Big Macintosh chimed in. "I should know, I've got plenty of relatives who live there. At night it can get so bright, you can't even see the stars."

"That doesn't even begin to mention the Ghastly Gorge," Thunderlane commented. "There's enough settlements there that light pollution is starting to become a real problem."

"So there are fewer dark places in Equestria than this map indicates," Starswirl concluded. "Even so, we should still investigate. Just because we know they're not very dark doesn't mean The Pony of Shadows does."

Flash Magnus then added. "And if we can catch him in a weakened state, we can stop him before he can do anymore damage. We may not even need a banishing spell to contain him."

"That would be ideal, but it's not going to happen if we just sit around here and discuss it!" Starswirl bluntly commented. "The time for talk is over! Each of you must fan out at once and look for any sign of The Pony of Shadows! If you find him, inform me at once!"

"It'll be an honor to save Equestria with you all!" Big Macintosh proudly declared, and then all left the castle except for a few ponies. Starswirl stayed to work on his banishing spell, while Shining Armor, Twilight, and Starlight decided it would be best to look for a possible alternative. Twilight didn't like the idea of having to send the pillars back to limbo after they'd just been freed. There had to be a way to keep them around.


	166. Chapter 166: Once a Villain?

While the rest of the pillars went off with Shining's friends to search for The Pony of Shadows, and Starswirl worked on his banishing spell, Spike was assisting Shining Armor and Twilight with trying to find something that could allow the pillars to stay.

"What about this one?" Spike asked as he tossed yet another book down.

Twilight scanned the cover and immediately discarded. "Seapony etiquette isn't going to help right now, Spike. We need something big!"

"But what?! We've consulted nearly every book in the library!" Shining commented. "What is it that we're not thinking of?!"

Just then, Starlight Glimmer happened to trot in. "Uh, is everything okay in here?" She asked.

"Really? Why _wouldn't_ things be okay?" Shining sarcastically remarked. "Because of my careless mistake, I allowed my sister to unleash a long sealed evil!"

"And all because I wanted to meet my idol!" Twilight added with a groan. "Why wouldn't I be okay?!" She slammed her face into a nearby desk. Fortunately she wasn't hurt.

Starlight tried to reassure both ponies. "Oh come on, you didn't know that was gonna happen. Neither of you did."

"But now the Elements of Harmony are going to be sacrificed to fix _my_ mistake!" Twilight realized. "Not to mention the Tree of Harmony itself!"

"And when it goes, the Everfree Forest will take over Ponyville again. And this time we won't be able to stop it." Shining glumly added.

"Well, maybe there's another way?" Starlight asked.

Spike tried to put on a brave face. "Well assuming there is, we'd better hope Shining or Twilight can find it soon. We're running out of options and I don't think my back can take much more."

Suddenly, an idea came to Twilight. "Wait, hold on! Portal gate... Portal keys... Portal spells... Yes! Why didn't I think of it before?!"

"Figured something out, Twilight?" Shining hopefully inquired.

Twilight beamed with pride as she explained. "This book just gave me an idea. If the Pillars can hold open the gateway to limbo for long enough, a powerful pony can do the banishing spell herself, or himself as the case may be! Do you know what this means?"

"I can stop carrying these heavy books for one thing." Spike sighed with relief, as he placed the heavy books he'd held in his arms on the floor.

"It means the pillars don't actually have to leave Equestria after all!" Twilight happily replied as her eyes lit up like stars. "We'll still lose the Elements, but we'll have the pillars around to protect Equestria. And The Pony of Shadows will be banished forever!"

"And with Starswirl and the others around, they can easily keep the Everfree Forest at bay until a new set of Elements of Harmony can be created," Shining realized. "But are you sure you can pull it off, Twilight? A banishing spell will take a lot of magic."

Twilight gave a firm nod. "Trust me, this _will_ work! Now all I need to do is fine tune it and present it to Starswirl."

"Oh, that's... great," Starlight nervously laughed. "Though I was thinking more of _another_ way. You know, one that doesn't have to involve banishing?"

"And your suggestion is?" Shining questioned his student. "Starswirl and the pillars wouldn't have resorted to banishing unless it was absolutely necessary. If there's a way to defeat The Pony of Shadows they hadn't considered, I haven't thought of it myself. I don't like the idea of sacrificing the elements, but if that's the price we have to pay for peace it's one I'm afraid we'll have to pay."

"Besides," Twilight added. "If I can somehow make Starswirl's spell even better, then maybe he'll see that I take magic as seriously as he does. And he'll stop getting on my case about messing with his first spell."

* * *

Meanwhile, the rest of the pillars and Shining's friends had all gathered back in the throne room to report that they had been unable to locate The Pony of Shadows. And indeed, there were fewer dark places than the map had first indicated.

"Ah, it seems we still have the advantage. With fewer dark places from which to draw power, our foe will remain in his weakened state for much longer," Starswirl realized. "Which gives me the chance to perfect the banishing spell required."

Thunderlane glumly asked. "Isn't there someway we can defeat The Pony of Shadows without having to lose all of you in the process? You just came back, you shouldn't have to leave again."

"I wish it weren't so," Mage Meadowbrook somberly replied. "But this is our home. And in order to save it from eternal darkness, we're willin' to leave it."

But just then Twilight strolled with a scroll, and as she unfolded it she proudly declared to the pillars. "Well you won't have to! It's not quite finished yet, but with this spell I can banish The Pony of Shadows myself and all of you won't have to go back to limbo too."

But Starswirl frowned and cast the scroll aside, much to everyone's surprise. "Twilight, I appreciate your enthusiasm. It's an admirable trait to have in one so young. But this is hardly the time to take risks on half-baked spells. Have you learned _nothing_ from your last attempt?!"

At that, Shining lost patience. He had heard quite enough. He strolled into the room and marched up to Starswirl so that they were snout to snout. And with eyes he narrowed he bluntly remarked. "Pardon my language, Mr. The Bearded, but you're a real plot hole! I know my sister enough to know she never does anything half way or half baked!"

"She still tampered with my banishment spell and brought The Pony of Shadows back!" Starswirl scolded. "As her brother, you should have reigned her in."

"Then blame me, not her!" Shining demanded. "I could've stepped in at any point and told her no, but I went along with it because I trusted her. I thought you'd appreciate the chance to be free again. And I promised Celestia and Luna that I'd do everything I could to either reunite them with you or give them closure on what happened to you. Had I known that their teacher was just some grouchy, hot headed wizard, I would've told them not to bother!"

"When you get to be as old as I am, you will forgive me if perhaps I am not as patient. I never asked to be freed, I was quite content that no one would attempt to free me." Starswirl retorted.

Shining only shook his head. "Well too bad, you're free now whether you like it or not. And you wanna know something? Twilight's not the only one who messed with one of your spells. How do you think I got my wings in the first place?"

At that Starswirl let out a gasp! "No, you couldn't have figured out my unfinished spell of ascension! I wrote it off as a failure, too dangerous to ever be attempted!"

"So don't you see, Starswirl?" The prince snorted as he unfurled his wings. "I succeeded where you could not. But I still regarded you as this great figure of ancient magic and sorcery. My sister and I feel bad that we caused The Pony of Shadows to escape, the least you can do is let us make an honest attempt to correct our mistake."

"And I think you'll find Twilight's spell here to be quite worthy of your time," Fancy Pants added as Shining's friends came to his defense. "So I suggest you read it further before you just rudely dismiss it out of hoof. Otherwise, you'll get no further help from any of us."

The old wizard reluctantly folded, sensing that he was outvoted. "Alright, fine. I'll look over the spell, and maybe there's something to it."

"If I may butt in, Starswirl," Mistmane commented. "My magical knowledge isn't quite as strong as yours, but I know my way around spells. And while this one is an unconventional approach, I believe that it could work."

Starswirl picked up the scroll and at Mistmane's suggestion he read over it. Indeed, the spell looked quite potent. "Hmm, it's fine for a rough draft but it needs fine tuning to be perfected. Fine tuning I'll be willing to offer. However, we still don't have any lead on the location of our foe. And every minute we spend searching aimlessly is a minute that gives The Pony of Shadows a chance to grow stronger. We must find out where he is before he becomes too powerful to be stopped!"

Just then, the cutie marks of Shining Armor and all his friends began to glow. All eyes turned to the table map as the six marks surrounded a dark looking place in a small, tucked away corner of Equestria.

"How'd you do that?" Flash Magnus questioned. "Our cutie marks never did such a thing. And I'm glad they didn't, I don't know how I'd explain it to Commander Ironhead."

"That's just the magic of this here map," Soarin replied. "It's connected to each of us, and when it has a need for us it calls us via our cutie marks. It took some getting used to."

Meanwhile, Big Macintosh eyed the highlighted location as he commented. "Hey, I think I know that place. The Hollow Shades. I think Granny Smith said a branch of the Apple Family lives there, or used to anyway."

Sunburst started to stroke his chin. "Well they'd have to be pretty distant if that's the case. The Hollow Shades was abandoned eons ago with no signs of life and no clue as to what happened."

Fancy Pants found his attention drawn to another fact. "It's strange though, don't you think? The map has only called all six of us once before, to Starlight's old village."

Soarin let out a gasp of joy! "It must be like a super villain tracker or something! Now why didn't it work with Chrysalis?" Then he turned to Starlight. "Oh, no offense, by the way."

Starlight just raised an eyebrow and remarked. "I wanna say 'none taken' but that'd make me a liar. That was uncalled for."

"Alright, alright, let's not start a fight," Shining encouraged. "Starlight, Soarin wasn't trying to make you feel bad. And Soarin, we agreed not to keep bringing up Starlight's past all the time. She's changed."

Twilight, in the meantime, was asking Starswirl. "Do you suppose the map was responding to your question, and it's trying to tell us where we can find The Pony of Shadows?"

The wizard put a hoof to his chin, deep in thought. "Hmm... The Tree of Harmony acting to help protect the light of the realm... Yes. A good thought, Twilight." Twilight's eyes lit up and her face adopted the biggest smile she'd smiled in a while. At last she'd finally impressed her idol!

"Now come, we must prepare for the battle ahead," Starswirl urged. "And I'll be making my notes on this spell until it's been properly fine tuned."

* * *

But a short time later, Starlight happened to stumble upon Twilight and Shining with Starswirl, and she nervously inquired. "Uh, I know I'm not as experienced as all of you, but is banishment really the only option here? I mean, it's been a long time. Maybe The Pony of Shadows is ready to talk?"

"You forget, in limbo time stands still," Twilight corrected. "To him it's like no time at all has passed."

"But something about this seems wrong. Why does it have to be banishment? Are we sure this isn't something else?" Starlight questioned. "It wouldn't hurt to talk to The Pony of Shadows, right?"

Starswirl didn't bother to turn around as he replied to Starlight. "I doubt we can save Equestria with a conversation. Words alone won't save the day."

"Doesn't hurt to try though, right?" Starlight pressed further. "The Pony of Shadows used to be someone else. He was once your friend, or at least your ally. Would you really want to banish your friend just because he poses a threat?"

"If you are referring to Stygian, that is the name that The Pony of Shadows gave up when he willingly turned to darkness!" Starswirl coldly replied. "When he confronted us it was clear he was no longer interested in reconciliation."

Starlight let out a gasp! "You'd turn your back on your friend just like that?! You said it yourself, he brought you all together!"

"Maybe so, but he still went behind our backs and became The Pony of Shadows! We did what we had to do!" Starswirl angrily retorted!

"But why? That's what I don't understand," Starlight replied. "Why is banishment the only option? Why not containment? I know from experience that it's possible to come back from that dark road of bitterness, and sometimes it just takes someone being there to reach out to you. It might be the same this time."

Starswirl lost patience, he approached Starlight and stomped his hoof down as he snorted! "Stygian wants to destroy all that is good in this world. There's absolutely no way to befriend a pony like that. Once a villain, always a villain."

* * *

Upon hearing that, Shining Armor let out a gasp! "Starswirl, you don't really believe that, do you?! Your world view can't be that black and white, can it?!"

"And I suppose _you_ know more than I do on the subject of good and evil?!" Starswirl arrogantly replied. "In my time I faced many evil forces, none of which showed the slightest remorse for what they had done."

"But you don't understand, you haven't been around to see," Shining explained. "You know Princess Luna? The same sweet little filly who alongside her older sister always drove you nuts?"

Starswirl nodded. "I remember the little tykes like it was yesterday. At first they wanted nothing to do with me, called me a smelly old wizard and tried to yank out my beard. But in time, I became like a father to them and it pained me greatly to have to leave them behind to protect the realm."

"Well after you and the other pillars left, Princess Luna eventually fell to darkness the same way Stygian did," Shining told Starswirl. "She became a wicked mare of darkness, Nightmare Moon!"

"No! Not sweet Luna!" Starswirl gasped! "She never had an evil bone in her body!"

"And yet she was led astray and tried to dethrone her sister," Shining continued. "But instead of destroying her or even banishing her, Celestia sealed her younger sister in the moon for a thousand years. And in doing so, the Elements of Harmony were rendered useless to her."

"Which only proves how foolish she was," Starswirl snorted and folded his hooves. "Had she did what needed to be done, she might not have lost the elements after all."

Shining shook his head. "But she didn't give up. She set out to find new ponies to wield the Elements of Harmony and free her sister. A task that eventually fell to my friends and I. And that's not the only time we've converted an evil to the side of good."

"Oh really?" Starswirl questioned.

"Yes, really," The prince nodded. "The same Discord who brought about the demise of King Michael and Queen Lauren, and the same Discord who once freed from his stone prison tried to break the bonds of friendship between my friends and I, is the same Discord we managed to reform. He proved to be a big help in stopping Lord Tirek, and even temporarily sacrificed himself to save us all from Queen Chrysalis, the evil queen of the changelings."

"Don't forget about ponies like me," Starlight chimed in, feeling much more confident. "I was lost, my thoughts consumed by an irrational hatred of cutie marks because I thought they took away the only friend I ever had. But you showed me that revenge isn't the answer, that it wouldn't bring Sunburst back or make him want to be my friend again."

"And there's Sunset Shimmer, Princess Celestia's former student," Twilight added. "She stole your crown and tried to take over a parallel world, but you defeated her and helped her to become a better person... er I mean pony. Now she's saved that world from evils on multiple occasions, and inspired someone else to do the same."

Spike also commented. "And just recently, you have Fizz... I mean Tempest Shadow. She was working for an invading army led by the Storm King, all because she was bitter at the world after losing her horn. And you helped her come back to the light, helped her to realize that being cruel and malicious wouldn't change anything. And in the end, she was the one who brought down the Storm King."

"And don't think for a moment my friends and I are soft, Starswirl," Shining said to the wizard. "We've had to destroy evil forces a couple of times. King Sombra and the Storm King are testaments to that, neither of them were repentant for the destruction and hardship they'd dealt out to others. And for that, they had to pay the ultimate price. There are also forces like Lord Tirek and Queen Chrysalis who were defeated and contained, but not destroyed. So you see, Starswirl, the world isn't so black and white. Even I am guilty of having to learn that fact, I once allowed myself to believe that changelings could never be good and I almost took out my aggression on an innocent changeling that wanted to prove me and everypony else wrong. So pardon me if I disagree quite strongly with your assertion 'Once a villain, always a villain'."

* * *

For a moment Starswirl was silent, the old wizard just stood there and contemplated. But at last he spoke up. "With all due respect, prince, you do not know The Pony of Shadows like I do. Whatever your personal feelings may be, you are still responsible for ensuring the peace and security of the realm. If The Pony of Shadows is not stopped, all of Equestria will suffer. Is that a price you're willing to pay on the hunch that perhaps our foe is interested in redemption?"

Starlight retorted. "But you don't really think banishment is the answer, do you? You've been right before, you're the Prince of Friendship for crying out loud! Please, think about what Starswirl's implying! Think about what it will mean for future generations!"

With a reluctant sigh, Shining responded. "I... don't know what to think to be honest. But I'm afraid that Starswirl has a point. Even if I may personally disapprove of banishment, I can't afford to endanger all of Equestria for my personal desires. As an alicorn prince and captain of the royal guard, my duty is to first and foremost put the well being of others before myself."

"So that's it?! You're really going to go through with this banishment?!" Starlight gasped! "I can't believe you'd do this! After all the times you've stuck your neck out for someone else, now you finally decide that a pony from over a thousand years ago is right?!"

"I'm not saying he is, Starlight," Shining corrected his former student. "But unless a better option presents itself, I have no choice but to side with Starswirl. I should've prevented this from ever happening in the first place, I should've been the adult in the room and said 'No'. But I went along with it because I was convinced the reward was worth the risk. Now, I must do what is necessary to ensure Equestria doesn't suffer for my decisions. I still want to hold out hope that Starswirl is wrong, and maybe he is. However, I can no longer afford to take a chance on whether I'm right or not. If banishment is the only option available, so be it."

"Well..." Starlight struggled to keep her lips from quivering. "You've made your bed and now you must sleep in it. I just hope you're making the right decision." As she turned and trotted out of the library, she started thinking to herself. " _Something's wrong. The map only calls Shining and his friends for friendship missions. Even in the case of my village, it was because I was forcing the villagers to live a lie and keep them from experiencing true friendship. What's going on with The Pony of Shadows has to be similar. There must be more to the story than what Starswirl's willing to tell. Maybe the other pillars will know?_ "


	167. Chapter 167: The Sad Story of Stygian

As the pillars prepared for battle, Starlight came trotting into the main hallway. This had to be done. There were things that she needed to know. "There's still one thing I don't get about all of this," She inquired of the pillars. "About Stygian. You were all friends with him once, before he became The Pony of Shadows. What happened between you to cause all those events?"

At that the mood of the pillars soured, turning almost mournful in posture. It was Rockhoof who broke the grim silence. "Reckoned it was only a matter of time until someone asked. But fair warning, lassie, the tale of our effort is a sad one," He began to recount the story of Stygian. "Stygian was a pony like the rest of us, though more the scholarly type than a hero. Always said as much. But when a group of sirens who called themselves the Dazzlings showed up in his village, the lad realized our world would need champions to defend it! So he sought us out one by one, helped us with our problems, and in return we came back to save his village."

Flash Magnus spoke up next. "Stygian never got involved in any of our battles, we always worked best when civilians and bystanders were out of the way. If Stygian ever joined the fray and got hurt on my watch, I'd never be able to forgive myself. Stygian seemed to know this too or so we thought," His tone of voice started to turn to anger as he continued. "But it seemed he grew jealous of our abilities. Jealous of the fact that we were the big heroes and not him. And then... well you wouldn't believe what he did next."

"W-why? W-what did he do?" Starlight asked with a gulp, slightly terrified of the prospect.

"He stole from us!" Mistmane commented. "Took away items from each of us that were important to us, or outright necessary for our line of work! The intent was use to them in some kind of enchantment. Ironically or whatever, it required Ponhenge to be effective. We caught him red hoofed with the stolen artifacts."

"And for that we had no choice but to cast him out," Mage Meadowbrook somberly added. "It wasn't anythin' personal but it was a betrayal that done stung somethin' fierce. We figured he just needed some time to cool off and think about what he'd done. It always worked for me whenever I acted up around Mother. Should've realized that wasn't gonna work."

Somnambula was the last of the pillars to speak, and her voice sounded the most mournful of all. "We always thought that he'd return and seek forgiveness. Even Starswirl was ready to welcome him back with open hooves. But days went by and then weeks yet Stygian didn't show. We assumed the worst, we feared someone or something had gotten to him in a moment of weakness. Then one day, all of a sudden, he returned. But he wasn't the same anymore, his heart was blackened and filled only with a desire for revenge. He became The Pony of Shadows, and dashed even my hope of saving him."

"So now you know the whole sad tale," Rockhoof finished. "It's tragic really when you think about it. I always considered Stygian to be like a little brother and even if I'd known then that taking him in would lead to all of this, I wouldn't have had the heart to turn him away."

"But why did he steal from all of you? You were all friends for years, he would've had to know those items were important to you. Why would he suddenly do something so short sighted and obvious?" Starlight asked as new questions came to the forefront of her mind. "And what he was even trying to do at Ponhenge?"

"That's the thing, we have no idea," Mage Meadowbrook answered. "We tried to give him a chance to speak up, plead his case. But he said nothin' the whole time, just stood there like a gator with its mouth wired shut. Mistmane and Starswirl suspected it was a spell intended to take away our powers and give them to him. I didn't wanna believe it, but Stygian never left any clues hintin' at an alternative. It was like he decided out of the blue to betray us."

"Perhaps that is partially our fault," Somnambula spoke up. "We should not have turned him loose so soon after he'd tried to go behind our backs. Perhaps if we had asked him, he would've spoken up and we would know the truth."

But Starswirl (who had overheard the entire conversation) shook his head as he coldly remarked. "It does us no good to dwell on what we could've done differently in the past. The fact is that we welcomed Stygian into our lives, and he repaid us by trying to take away our powers. Nothing will change that. So instead of moping around and hoping to change the past, let's instead focus on what we can do to protect the future! We know the location of our foe, and every moment we stand around here is a moment he spends growing stronger. If we don't act soon he'll be too powerful for anyone to defeat! Now we must retrieve the Elements of Harmony, and be on our way!"

* * *

Starswirl led the other pillars as well as the six stallions (alongside Twilight, Sunburst, Starlight, and Spike) to the Tree of Harmony. With a flick of his horn he effortlessly pried the elements from their resting place, assigning them each one by one to their respective bearers. And each in turned donned the respective necklace (or in Shining's case crown) that belonged to their elements.

"So eh... how do we use them?" Rockhoof questioned.

"Oh it's really quite simple," Fancy Pants spoke up. "All we have to do is..." But then he paused, realizing that he actually had no idea how to activate the Elements of Harmony on command. "You know, I never stopped to consider that. They just seem to work for us whenever we need them to. Just point at the problem and they take care of the rest."

Starswirl simply replied. "The Elements of Harmony activate in response to any threat to the realm. They are attuned to each of you as they were once attuned to the princesses. But because they're also connected to our virtues, we must use them in pairs. I assume you know what I mean," Everyone nodded. "Good. Now if there are no further questions, let's make haste to The Hollow Shades!"

As the rather large group set out, Shining noticed that Starlight didn't seem to be following them. Having already been made aware of his former student's concerns a while ago, he decided it best not to leave anything to chance. "What's the matter, Starlight? Aren't you gonna come with us?" He asked her.

Starlight hung her head and remarked in a defeated tone. "The map didn't call me and it's clear that I'm outvoted on how to approach this situation. No sense in me tagging along, I'll just get in the way."

"Oh come now, are you really going to tell me you trust the map's judgement on everything?" Shining inquired. "Because I certainly don't. You didn't need the map to tell you to go back to your old village, or to go to the changeling hive and overthrow Queen Chrysalis now did you?"

"No, I didn't." Starlight replied.

"And you didn't need it to reconnect with Sunburst in the Crystal Empire, or do just about everything else you've done since becoming my student," Shining went on to explain. "Besides, the map didn't call the pillars or even Twilight or Sunburst. But they're all going too. This is a situation that clearly calls for all the help we can get, and that includes you."

"But what about Stygian?" Starlight asked with concern. "You heard what the pillars said a while back. Stygian was once their friend. Something _must_ be wrong. You're not really going to banish a pony back to limbo without knowing the whole story behind his actions, are you?"

"Starlight, I already told you that I must put aside my personal feelings on this matter and do what's best for all of Equestria," Shining somberly declared with a frown. "I don't like the idea of banishment, but I see no other way to save Equestria from a terrible fate! If another option presents itself and has a good chance of working, I might try it. But this whole mess was caused because I let my personal feelings cloud my judgement."

"Well... I just hope you make the right decision when the time comes." Starlight somberly declared. But it seemed that she was willing to accompany the rest of the group in spite of those concerns.


	168. Chapter 168: Darkness, My Friend?

The Hollow Shades was indeed abandoned as the group discovered all too soon upon arrival. The entire place was shrouded in darkness and the only indication that anyone had once lived there, were the remnants of a few small houses that had been forgotten to the ages long ago.

"You weren't kidding about this place being abandoned, Sunburst," Starlight remarked as the air seemed to grow cold and heavy. "This is creepy."

"Where better for a creature of pure darkness to hide?" Starswirl bitterly commented with narrowed eyes. "Stay focused. There's no telling how strong The Pony of Shadows has become since arriving here."

" _I just hope he's not too powerful for even the pillars to handle. Because if he is, what hope is there for the Elements of Harmony to work? Will they even work in a situation like this?_ " Shining thought to himself. He was still feeling conflicted to a great deal about what Starswirl claimed needed to be done. Even Mistmane had remarked how it seemed a shame to sacrifice the Tree of Harmony.

Starswirl had defended it by saying. "If The Pony of Shadows isn't stopped, all of Equestria will suffer for all eternity. For the sake of the greater good, it is better to temporarily have half of Equestria rather than none of it." But a few of the pillars and even some of the others had questioned Starswirl's judgement. The only thing that stopped them from ignoring his orders was the fact that none of them could think of a better solution.

But did that mean one didn't exist?

Shining didn't have time to dwell on these thoughts, however, for at that moment there came an ominous and familiar laugh. "Ah, so you've come at last." It spoke above the wind even as its owner refused to appear before them.

Starswirl immediately lost patience. "Enough games, Stygian! We know you're here! You shall not hide from us! Come out and face us if you're not afraid, and let us end this conflict once and for all!" He demanded as the group began to huddle close together.

The Pony of Shadows cackled with glee. "Such bold words, Starswirl. And soon you shan't live to regret them. Prepare to meet your end!" All of a sudden, from a well emerged a huge blob of darkness that swallowed up the pillars, Sunburst, Starlight, Spike, Twilight, and even Shining and his friends!

Fortunately they did not descend far before Starswirl was able to encase them in a protective barrier. But they found themselves looking at some kind of underground passage lined with columns.

"What is this place? I've never seen or heard of anything like it." Sunburst nervously inquired.

With a laugh The Pony of Shadows stepped forward, revealing itself in all its dark glory. "Allow me to welcome you all to the Well of Shade!" He began to prattle on at length. "Few ponies even know such a place exists. After you six cast me out though, I came here. I wanted to be alone with my thoughts, to wonder how the ponies I thought I could trust with my life would ever turn their back on me. Then it happened, the darkness spoke to me. We came to an understanding and became one, The Pony of Shadows was born."

"That's quite enough, fiend!" Starswirl snapped! "Your words are as empty as your blackened heart! You are guilty of wanting more power than you had, power that wasn't yours to take. We did what was necessary and you have no one but yourself to blame for the fate that awaits you."

The Pony of Shadows roared back as cracks started to appear in Starswirl's barrier. "No! It was _you_ who were selfish! I looked up to you, wanted to be like you! But you only cared about yourselves, you saw me as a measly scholar who could never amount to anything! Well I'll prove you all wrong. For once I've robbed the world of light and hope, this realm shall embrace the darkness as I once did. And there is _nothing_ you can do to stop me!"

"We shall see." Was all Starswirl bothered to reply with.

Meanwhile, Starlight shot Shining a glance as she asked him. "Are you _sure_ this isn't a friendship problem? It sure looks like it to me."

"I..." Shining spoke up only to find that he was at a loss for words. Something about this scenario didn't feel right but he had no idea what it was.

"We shall indeed!" The Pony of Shadows declared, breaking down the barrier with a single blast from his horn! It was clear to all that he had already grown much stronger in the brief amount of time he'd been in the Hollow Shades.

"The Elements of Harmony, quickly!" Starswirl instructed.

One by one the Elements of Honesty, Laughter, Loyalty, Kindness, and Generosity were all activated (each with their respective pillar using their original item as a power booster). And Starswirl, lighting up his horn, created the portal to limbo!

The Pony of Shadows quickly felt the tug of the portal as it tried to pull him in! Soon he was submerged up to his neck, holding on with every bit of strength he had. "No!" He growled in defiance! "You will not trap me again! I won't allow it! The darkness is here to stay!"

"Shining, push him in!" Starswirl demanded of the prince! "Hurry, I can't keep the portal open for long!"

But Shining found himself inexplicably hesitating. He didn't know what to think or what was the right call anymore.

"Shining, come on! I don't have the strength to do it myself!" Starswirl demanded as he began to strain from the intense magical pressure. "Push him in before it's too late!"

Reluctantly, Shining began to light up his horn in anticipation of what he was about to do. It seemed like it was the right call to make.

But just as the prince was about to act, he saw what appeared to a scrawny looking unicorn stallion with a coat of moderate gray. In shock, the alicorn stumbled back with a gasp! "There's a pony inside!" He realized. And it was then that he knew what he had to do! He lowered his horn, instead opting to fly right into the chest of The Pony of Shadows!

"Shining, what do you think you're doing?!" Starswirl angrily demanded.

"Saving a life... I hope!" The prince replied and that was the last thing said aloud before he disappeared inside The Pony of Shadows (who was still trying to avoid being sucked into the portal).

* * *

As expected, the inside of The Pony of Shadows was nothing but darkness. Yet Shining found that his magic wasn't blocked, so he was able to light up his horn and illuminate his surroundings. Soon he found the gray coated stallion from before, who now had a brown cloak on his chest and a moderate cerulean and arctic blue mane and tail that looked to be very loosely styled. Said stallion had his back turned to the alicorn and did not seem to be aware of his presence just yet.

"Excuse me," Shining asked the unicorn. "Are you... Stygian?"

The unicorn spun around, revealing a set of brilliant azure eyes that looked depressed and forlorn. "I was, once. But now I'm not so sure. I'm not sure of anything anymore." Was all he bothered to respond with.

The prince pressed further. "Stygian, you're aware of what's happening right now, aren't you? You're about to be banished back to limbo, probably forever."

"And why do you care?" Stygian remarked in sudden anger. "I'm not a hero, and it's clear that those pillars don't care about me anymore. They all think I'm an evil that must be contained or destroyed."

"But it's not true, is it?" Shining inquired out of desperate hope. "You never wanted to usurp the pillars and take their place. You just wanted to be on their level. Please, tell me I'm right!"

"You're half right, I'll give you that," Stygian replied. "I never had any intention of overthrowing the pillars and taking away their power, though I don't blame them for thinking that lowly of me. I was always the sidekick of their group. I was the one who did all the research on the monsters we fought. I planned strategy and learned all there was to learn, but I had neither magic nor might with which to fight alongside them. So I got an idea, an unconventional one but one that I told myself would work."

"So you stole the artifacts to use in that enchantment?! What were you thinking?!" Shining gasped!

Stygian only bitterly remarked. "You wouldn't know what it's like to be in the shadows of glory, to be so close that you can feel it! Only to be denied because of your own limitations! I wanted so desperately to aid my friends that I convinced myself any price was worth paying! But I only intended to 'borrow' the artifacts, it was going to be a simple duplication spell. I figured that if I used Ponhenge, I could make copies of the artifacts and obtain the power within them."

Shining questioned Stygian. "Why did you go behind their backs like that? Why didn't you tell them what you were going to do? That's what I would've done."

"It doesn't matter what some of the others might have thought, Starswirl would've said no!" Stygian growled in a cold tone! "He thinks he knows everything about magic! Just once I wanted to prove him wrong, to prove that I was as good as he was if not better! I was the one who brought all the pillars together, so where did he get off thinking that _he_ could call all the shots?! I was so blinded by my desire to show him up, I didn't stop to think about what would happen when he and the others found out. But instead of trying to help, my so called 'friends' cast me out. Treated me like I was yesterday's news."

The prince struggled to think of what to say next. But somehow he was able to come up with the words. "This is all just a big misunderstanding. This must be what the map called my friends and I here to solve! If the other pillars really knew how you'd felt, they wouldn't have tossed you aside and left you to your own devices. They all thought you'd come back one day and seek forgiveness, they never held it against you until you became The Pony of Shadows."

"It is too late, prince," Stygian remarked as a dark mist started to form around him and his eyes began to glow bright white. "The darkness welcomed me when nopony would, and I will do what I must to protect it. What makes you think _you_ can help _me_?"

"Because it's what he does. He's not the Prince of Friendship for nothing," Starlight Glimmer replied as she too stepped into the dark interior. "I've heard everything, Stygian, and so have the other pillars. Even Starswirl's starting to realize that he was wrong. It's not too late to save yourself."

"And just who might you be?" Stygian demanded.

Shining extended a hoof to Starlight, introducing her. "Her name is Starlight Glimmer, and until a few months ago she was my student. Like you she was on a dark path of self-destruction, consumed by revenge. And you know what happened? She saw the monster she was becoming and decided that wasn't what she wanted to become. The same can be true of you. You don't have be to known as The Pony of Shadows anymore, Stygian. I can help you become the pony you once were before all of this."

"It certainly beats an eternity in limbo," Starlight added. "So what do you say?" In her mind, however, she was thinking. " _Please don't let this backfire like it did with Chrysalis!_ "

* * *

Stygian paused, the dark mist surrounding him seemed to vanish and his eyes returned to normal. In a quiet voice he responded. "I... I want to believe you," But then he seemed to wince and strain quite visibly. The dark mist returned, encircling him like a coil as a curved horn began to appear on his forehead! "But I won't fall for your lies! Stygian is gone, The Pony of Shadows is all that remains! And the darkness will not be stopped!"

"Guess you leave us no choice then, Stygian," Shining sighed. "We're doing this the hard way! Come on!" He and Starlight grabbed hold him of with magical coils and began to pull him out of The Pony of Shadows' chest!

Stygian seemed to emerge all of a sudden from The Pony of Shadows, though only his front hooves and at times the tip of his forehead could be seen.

"Yes, that's it!" Shining encouraged even as he was straining quite visibly to maintain the link. "Fight it, Stygian! Fight the darkness! I know you can do it! Revenge isn't what you want, friendship is! Friendship and forgiveness!"

But just as it looked like Stygian would be pulled free, several dark tentacles appeared and surrounded him! They began to drag him back into The Pony of Shadows' chest! "You fool! Think about what we could accomplish together!" The Pony of Shadows roared! "We can eclipse not just the pillars but all great rulers! We will be unstoppable! You don't want to throw it all away on 'friendship'!"

A softer voice retorted! "I... don't... want... to be... part of you... anymore! I... want... to be free!" And then it pleaded. "H-help... me!"

"No! We're losing him!" Shining exclaimed with worry! "He wants to break free, but he can't do it on his own! My magic's not strong enough!"

"Well then, we must help our friend at once!" Starswirl encouraged! "Everyone, turn your attention to The Pony of Shadows' chest! We'll all pull together!"

And they did, several magical coils of different colored light surrounded The Pony of Shadows in the same area as Shining and Starlight's. It took a great deal of effort but slowly but surely Stygian began to emerge from The Pony of Shadows, while the dark creature seemed to slowly stumble back and lose more of itself to the portal.

"NO! I do not concede!" The Pony of Shadows roared in defiance even as it could feel itself losing control! "You can't stop the darkness! I shall reign triumphant!" And then he devolved into a continued fit of raspy cackles, until Stygian was fully free and The Pony of Shadows fell into the portal! The portal slammed shut with a tremendous burst of rainbow colored energy that shot up into the sky!

The Pony of Shadows was no more.


	169. Chapter 169: Apologies

It took awhile for the ponies to emerge from the Well of Shade. Fancy Pants was the first one to speak up. "Whoa! That was some lights show just there."

"Is everyone alright?" Shining asked as he looked around.

"Yeah, I think so," Starlight nodded. "And look!"

The pillars were emerging from the Well of Shade as well, and Starswirl was pulling Stygian up by himself. For a moment there was silence as the two unicorns stared at each other, as if daring the other to speak first. At last, Starswirl broke the silence as he somberly began. "Long ago you needed our help, Stygian. And instead of offering it we betrayed you, cast you out, and basically rewrote your history to make _you_ the bad guy. Pride especially clouded my judgement. Maybe if I had not been so vain, I might have been able to help you perfect that duplication spell and allowed you to join us in battle as a worthy ally. You deserve all the credit for your excellent strategies, without you we'd be lost. And for that, I owe you an apology."

"For what it's worth, Starswirl, I owe all of you an apology as well," Stygian responded. "I never should've tried to take away that which you held dear, and I most certainly should've known better than to trust a voice that promised me great power and a chance to get even. I should've made my case from the start, rather than leave you all to figure it out. I very nearly cost you all everything."

Starswirl shook his head. "Your mistakes were our mistakes as well. I had no idea you resented me so for appearing to take over, it was never my intention to be a leader. But it always came so naturally, and I was delighted by all the knowledge I could obtain. Because you came to me last, I knew you the least and it became all too easy to tune you out."

"Yet I allowed myself to believe I was a scholar and not a hero. I see now that I could've been both had I so chosen," Stygian declared. "In fact, I might say the most heroic thing I ever did was leave my village to find you and the other pillars."

"We both made mistakes, Stygian," Starswirl concluded as he reached out a hoof. "But thankfully for the both of us, it's not too late to wipe the slate clean and start anew. Clearly I was wrong to have ever assumed good and evil were so black and white. I'd be honored to have you as my newest student."

"Thank you for the offer, Starswirl, and perhaps I'll take you up on it someday," Stygian replied as he shook the wizard's hoof. "But for right now I'd like to get out of this creepy place if you don't mind. I have a lot to think about now that I'm free to be my own pony again."

Starswirl nodded. "Well if ever you should consider my offer, just notify me," Then he turned to Shining and the others. "Thank you all for helping me and my fellow pillars to see the error of our ways. It seems that I never accounted for the greatest magic of all, the magic of friendship."

"It was my pleasure Swirlstar, er I mean Starswirl." Shining corrected. Just then, the cutie marks of him and his friends began to glow. That meant the mission for which the map had called them was complete.

Meanwhile, Braeburn noticed something. "Hey, not that I mean to interrupt the mood but, y'all notice that the Elements of Harmony are still with us? I thought they were supposed to disappear with the banishin' spell."

The stallions all looked at themselves. Sure enough, the Elements of Harmony remained on them.

"Well what do you know about that?" Spike commented.

"Do you suppose there's a reason they're still here?" Sunburst pondered.

"Maybe because we used them for healing instead of banishing," Thunderlane concluded. "The Elements were used for a selfless and not a selfish purpose."

Somnambula smiled. "A most excellent conclusion, Thunderlane. One that I am quite happy with. This worked out even better than I could have hoped for, and certainly better than when I was stuck babysitting that sphinx. It's an experience I would not wish on my worst enemies."

"Oh, that's nothing, Somnambula!" Meadowbrook teased. "You wouldn't believe the kind of crazy stuff that happens in the bayou! Did I ever tell you about the time all the cute and cuddly animals went on a rampage?"

"Stories for another time and place, I'm sure," Sunburst declared. "But for now I think we need to get out of here, just in case there's any lingering darkness hanging around."

But before the group did so, Starlight arched an eyebrow in Starswirl's direction and said to the wizard. "So, I guess maybe a conversation _can_ make a difference after all? Right, Starswirl?"

Starswirl tried his hardest not to blush. "Well, let it be said that you're never too old to make mistakes. And it seems I will be making a _lot_ of apologies over the next few weeks."

"Before you do that, Starswirl," Shining spoke up. "I know two ponies who would very much like to see you again. I kind of promised I'd help reunite you with them if possible."

* * *

A short time later, Starswirl and the other pillars were brought before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna in the throne room of Canterlot Castle. The two alicorn sisters were quite thrilled to see their old teacher again.

"My my, I simply cannot believe how tall you've gotten. Seems like only yesterday you barely came up to my ankles." Starswirl commented in amazement, as he beheld the sisters' noticeably taller bodies (he'd left when they were only teenagers).

"Well, it _has_ been over a thousand years, Starswirl," Celestia told the old wizard. "It's quite a treat to see you again after all this time," Then she asked. "Would you be willing to come back and teach here in Canterlot again? Luna and I have fond memories of your lessons and it'd be great to have you teaching once more."

"As long as you don't ask for those essays we owed you before your disappearance," Luna admitted with a blush. "It's not that we forgot about them, they just sort of... got pushed back indefinitely. You know how it is."

Starswirl chuckled. "Oh there's no need for those essays, I already had a feeling I wouldn't be getting them back anyway," Then he put a hoof to his chin. "But to be honest, I'm not sure if I'm quite ready to settle down just yet. The realm has changed considerably in my absence, so much to see and to document. I reckon I'll probably have a look around and try to make amends with those I wronged, before I decide where to make my home. Perhaps I'll even consider starting a family to carry on my legacy."

"And I for one long to see what has become of my home," Meadowbrook declared. "I know Mother ain't gonna be around anymore, but I know her spirit won't be able to rest 'til she knows what became of her only daughter."

"I too think I want to see what has happened to my village," Somnambula added. "I can only hope Prince Hisan's descendants or whoever is currently in charge don't hold it against me for not being able to properly say farewell to Hisan. If not for the whole limbo business, perhaps we could've had something together."

"I believe we all will want to see how the world has changed since we left it," Mistmane commented. "And for that we shall be away for quite a while."

"But if ever you be needing our help, just give a holler and we'll come a running!" Rockhoof vowed.

"Of that you can be sure!" Flash Magnus boasted! "I've still got a lot left in the tank!"

Celestia smiled. "And what of you, Stygian? What will you be doing?"

Stygian simply replied. "I shall return to my first interest, knowledge. But my experiences have given me new insight, insight with which I shall write a book. My history must be known, the good alongside the bad, so that I may be judged accordingly. Besides, someone needs to have a way to contact all the pillars on short notice, so it might as well be me."

"Excellent!" Luna declared! "And Stygian, I have a feeling you and I will have _much_ to talk about over the next few nights."

Celestia then warmly declared. "You're all free to go. And thank you for your services. Equestria owes you a great debt of thanks. And Starswirl, you were an excellent teacher. Luna and I just wanted to say that while we had the chance."

Starswirl smiled back. "Oh how I've longed to hear you say that. But if anything, you should be directing your thanks to a former pupil of yours and _his_ student. For it is they who not only freed me and the other pillars, but also taught me a valuable lesson. That friendship is a great force indeed, and in turning away from it you harm both yourself and others."

* * *

From afar, Shining watched the reunion as he commented to Starlight. "Starlight, this was very much your victory too. You were the one who had the courage and sense to ask the tough questions."

Starlight simply replied. "Yeah, but at the same time I _was_ kind of pushy. It's who I am, I guess."

"Well in this case, it was a push for the better," The prince acknowledged his former student. "You've certainly come a long way since I first took you under my wing. I daresay _you_ might be ready for alicornhood."

Starlight laughed, and her former teacher shared in the laugh. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves!" She chuckled. "I happen to quite like being a unicorn, thank you very much. Besides, what would I even be princess of?"


	170. Chapter 170: The Map Expands

It had all started when Twilight came rushing into her brother's bedroom at the castle in Ponyville with a broad smile on his face! "Oh B.B.B.F.F, you won't believe what's just happened!" She excitedly declared.

Shining looked up from the book he'd been reading. "What is it, Twily? What's got you all excited like an eager school filly?"

"No time to explain! Just call up all your friends and tell them to meet me in the throne room as soon as possible!" Twilight declared. "It's something that you have to see to believe! Even I can barely believe it myself."

Deciding to play along with his sister's request, Shining did as instructed. It wasn't long before he had told all his friends about the big news his sister. And moments later they had all gathered in the throne room.

It was there that the stallions behold a most unusual and unexpected sight.

The table map that had previously only covered Equestria and a few of the countries it bordered, had now expanded to cover locations that lay far beyond the boundaries of Equestria. This included Klugetown, the badlands, and even Mount Aris (and probably Seaquestria too).

"Looks like the map's grown. It's like some kind of update or something." Soarin commented.

"But why would it choose to do so now? It certainly didn't look like this the moment we came back from visiting all those places for the first time," Fancy Pants pondered. "Heck, when we showed it to Starswirl and the Pillars it was the same as it had always been."

Twilight beamed. "Of course! It all makes sense now! The map couldn't update without Starswirl's magic because Starswirl and the pillars planted the seed that created the Tree of Harmony. Since the castle and the tree are tied to each other, when one got a power boost so did the other."

Braeburn began to chuckle. "So you mean all we gotta do to get the map to expand, is go on a few adventures and then call up Starswirl? Think maybe it's time to consider expandin' the throne room?"

"Braeburn, don't be ridiculous. We can't do that." Shining protested.

"Why not? All we'd have to do is knock down a wall or two, get some paint..." Braeburn began.

Shining threw up a hoof to stop his friend. "First of all, this castle is my house. At least when I'm in Ponyville. Second of all, we can't just knock down random walls and expect everything to hold up. But most of all, I'm sure that if the map did expand more the Tree of Harmony would find a way to fit in here."

Meanwhile, Thunderlane was commenting. "Gosh, just think of all the friendship quests we might be called for from now on."

"Well I don't know about the rest of ya, but I think I could use a break from all these big adventures we keep goin' on," Big Macintosh protested. "Seems like things are happenin' way too fast these days."

"But if we can't go to the friendship problems, what are we supposed to do when the map calls us?" Soarin questioned. "It's not like we can bring the friendship problems to us."

But Twilight flashed a smile at the stallion. "It's funny you should mention that, Soarin. Because I think there's way you actually _can_."

Shining glanced at his sister. "I know that look, Twilight. What are you planning this time?"

Twilight grinned. "It's been a dream project of mine for quite some time, but I never got around to considering it until now," She pointed a hoof to a spot on the map near the castle. "There's lots of land here that nopony's using. So I was thinking we put it to good use and build a school. Not just any school though, a school of friendship! We could bring in creatures from all over Equestria and even outside Equestria. And there'd be plenty of ponies we could include as well. We could help teach them all about friendship, and they could in turn share what they've learned with their countries."

"I don't know about that, Twily," Shining pondered as he scratched his head. "It sounds like a good idea on paper. But then again, so did it messing with an unfinished spell and freeing the pillars from limbo. How would we even make this school work? It would surely take a lot of time and effort to build, not to mention money. And even if we got it up and running, how would we manage it? Who would we hire to teach? Can we even teach friendship in a classroom setting?"

"Well, it wouldn't be a traditional school. More like a boarding school," Twilight explained. "There'd still be some basic curriculum. You know, things like gym, history, writing, algebra, that kind of stuff. But classes would be specialized to teach about the different virtues tied to the Elements of Harmony, which form the very core of friendship. Students would develop bonds with each other, and through those bonds they could learn what it means to trust in one another and to stick up for each other."

"That all sounds lovely, but are you really sure that's the best thing for everyone?" Shining questioned his sister. "I may be the Prince of Friendship, but that doesn't mean I'm automatically qualified to tell others what friendship is or isn't. Friendship isn't something you can learn in a semester or two, it's a constant lesson. Are you sure you aren't doing this for the sake of having your own legacy?"

Twilight tried not to blush. "Okay, so maybe I want to leave _my_ mark on Equestria. A contribution that will last the ages," Then she sighed. "It's just, after all the big adventures you and your friends have gone on. After all the changes that have happened in my life. Just once I want to do something that'll make a difference, something _I_ can be proud of. And I've always dreamed of being a teacher. I even filled in for Cheerilee once and I had a blast doing so," Looking at her brother she asked him. "Haven't you ever had a dream like that? A dream you believed in so badly that you'd give anything to make it happen?"

"I suppose I have once or twice." Shining admitted.

"So, this is my dream and I want so badly to make it happen!" Twilight declared. "Don't you think it's at least worth a shot? If we could help even just one griffon, one changeling, one dragon, one yak, one hippogriff, one pony, at least I could tell myself we made a difference. Plus, when Flurry Heart's a little older and is ready to start school, you can enroll her here and keep an eye on her or get me to do it."

* * *

"You know, Shining," Fancy Pants spoke up. "I have to say that your sister makes this school idea sound quite promising. I say we go for it."

"Yeah!" Soarin encouraged. "After all, what've we got to lose?! Even Spitfire understands the importance of leaving an impact on the next generation."

"And we already have a teacher here in Ponyville we could call on for advice. I'm sure Cheerilee will have some expert tips she'd be willin' to share with us." Big Macintosh nodded in confirmation.

Braeburn and Thunderlane said nothing but nodded just the same.

"Well," Shining spoke up after a moment of silence. "I guess my decision's been made for me," Turning to Twilight he declared. "Let's see if we can't turn this school of yours into a reality!"

Twilight beamed with joy! "Excellent!" She cheered as she started bouncing up and down! "Ooh, but first thing's first! We'll have to talk to Princess Celestia! I'm sure she'll want to hear about this."

Shining nodded his head. "I was thinking the same thing. Besides, if we're going to open the school to other creatures we're probably going to need to get her onboard. Especially since some of our allies will need a fair deal of convincing."


	171. Chapter 171: Shining's Assignment

The very next day, Twilight and Shining Armor (alongside Spike) traveled to Canterlot for an audience with Princess Celestia. Twilight was all too eager to present her plan for a school of friendship in Ponyville.

Princess Celestia smiled. "A school of friendship sounds like a splendid idea!" She proudly proclaimed. "It would be a wonderful way to repay all the nations we've befriended in recent years, and a chance to build on the ties that bind us."

Twilight looked across to Shining and nudged him with a hoof. "And you had your doubts. Told you Princess Celestia would say yes."

"Never said she wouldn't, Twily." Shining playfully ribbed back.

Celestia couldn't help but chuckle. "That's enough of that, you two," And she quickly changed the subject. "However if you're going to be building and running a school of any sort, there is a name you need to know about. It's a body that governs all schools within Equestria."

"Even yours?" Twilight asked.

Celestia nodded. "Not even a princess can do whatever she wants. Like with all great societies there are limits placed on the leaders, so that no one may wield absolute power," She then flashed a symbol. "This is the mark of the EEA: The Equestria Education Association. They hold the final say on all schools, including matters such as curriculum and staffing. Before your school can open its doors, the EEA must grant approval."

Twilight gulped. "Is there some kind of test I'll need to pass to gain their trust?"

"Should I start making flash cards?" Spike questioned.

Celestia shook her head. "No no no. There are no tests or anything of the sort. The EEA approval comes in two stages. First you have to present your preliminary plan to the board members here in Canterlot. And if they sign off on it you'll have to allow an inspection by the head of the EEA. Otherwise your school is unaccredited and will not be allowed to operate."

"Sounds not unlike the school board in Ponyville," Shining commented as he recalled his own experiences. "I still can't believe they allowed Spoiled Rich of all ponies to be their president, at least until numerous ponies including myself blew the whistle on her. Boy did she blow a fuse when the decision was made."

"I sure hope there aren't any ponies as cruel and heartless as Spoiled Rich at the EEA," Spike remarked. "But it always seems like there's somepony who doesn't understand the importance of being nice."

"Well the EEA head constantly changes. They just recently elected a new chancellor," Celestia informed her guests. "His name is Neighsay, Chancellor Neighsay to be precise."

Upon hearing the words "Chancellor Neighsay" Shining Armor gulped. "I've heard of that guy. He's as menacing as he is mysterious."

Celestia let out an unhappy sigh. "It's most unfortunate that his reputation for controversy precedes him. He really does mean well, I assure you. But be warned, pitching a school like this to him will not be easy. He has a very 'narrow' way in which he views the world."

"No problem!" Shining firmly declared. "Give me five minutes alone with the guy and I'll make him see sense. Blowhards like that always talk a big game, mostly because they just don't know any better."

But Celestia shook her head. "No, Shining, I'm afraid I must ask you to stand aside on this. Even if your discussion with the chancellor would be civil it would still be easy for other board members to suspect you were trying to influence him. And considering this school is your sister's dream project, I'm sure you realize how quickly ponies would suspect a conflict of interest," She somberly added. "Twilight and Spike will have to make the pitch on their own, you are to take no part in it."

Reluctantly, Shining nodded his head as he bowed to the princess. "I understand, your majesty. I may disagree, but I understand why," But then he sighed and kicked the ground. "It's just not fair! All this time my sister's been waiting to make this dream a reality, and after she saved my hide at my wedding and the whole limbo fiasco occurred, I was hoping to finally have a chance to do something nice for her."

"Oh chin up, Shining. There is still a part you can play in helping your sister realize her vision," Princess Celestia declared with a bright smile. "I have a very special and very important job for you. One that I think your talents are well suited for."

"What would that be, exactly?" The prince pondered.

The sun princess explained. "If the EEA grants approval for your sister to build the school as I'm sure they will, there will be a need for students. But it will take a lot of convincing for our allies to send any of their young to our lands, placing them in our care. So we need to show them that we're not only up to the task, but are taking the responsibility _very_ seriously!"

"Well that's all fine and dandy, but why do you need me for that, exactly?" Shining questioned Celestia. "Cadence is more of a diplomat than I am. Why not send her and have me watch over the Crystal Empire in her absence?"

Celestia's chipper mood faded, replaced by one of seriousnesses as she added. "Because your assignment has an added responsibility. A top secret one to boot. And when I tell it to you, it is not to leave this room. Only you, your sister, Spike, and I can know about it," After quickly looking around to make sure there was no one else besides her three guests, she whispered to Shining. "We're going to forge an official alliance with all the nations in order to enlist their help in tracking down Chrysalis."

Shining nearly gasped in surprise! "Chrysalis has been spotted?!"

"No, there's been no official sightings. But there are many cracks within our security that the ex-queen will try to exploit," Princess Celestia reluctantly admitted. "The alliance was Thorax's idea and it was originally just meant to be between Equestria and the changeling hive. But when Queen Novo, Dragon Lady Ember, Prince Rutherford, and acting head of Griffonstone Grandpa Gruff all heard about it they each insisted that their nation be added. And in the former two cases, they made it clear they wouldn't join unless you were there to iron out the details."

"Well why didn't you just say so?!" Shining perked up! "I'd be honored to take up the assignment! I won't let you down, Princess Celestia!"

Celestia nodded. "I know you won't. You and Twilight will both be successful in your objectives, this I have foreseen in my visions. But..."

"But what, Celestia?" Shining asked her. "Is something troubling you?"

"I'm afraid my visions have also indicted trouble," Celestia declared. "Though of what nature I can't determine. I sense there is little I can do to stop you though. Especially you, Twilight. For ever since you graduated from your studies with me I sensed you would sometime strive to become a teacher in your own right. Just please promise me that you'll be careful, both of you. Need I remind you that Equestria is still recovering from the Storm King's invasion?"

"Hard to believe it's been almost half a year already. Feels like it was just yesterday." Shining commented.

"And we are still not back to full strength just yet. I estimate it will not be for at least another two months before our standing army will be on the same level as it was before the invasion," Celestia somberly cautioned. "The last thing Equestria needs now is an international incident or anything that would undermine the peace."


	172. Chapter 172: The Art of Diplomacy

As Twilight prepared for her meeting with the EEA (specifically Chancellor Neighsay who she hoped to convince to support her school), Shining Armor set off on his special assignment. He had two objectives to tackle for the prince had to both: Convince all of the nations to enter into the alliance with Equestria (accepting all the terms and conditions that came with it), and encourage them to send students to Twilight's school. While it was probably a given that some of the nations would agree to one or the other, even Thorax was questionable on whether or not he'd allow any of his subjects to leave the hive without him.

Still, the alicorn prince tried to steady his nerves. " _Deep breaths, Shining. You can do this!_ " He told himself as he was soon carried out of Canterlot and then out of Equestria itself via chariot. " _Twily's gonna handle the bureaucrats. You just take care of the nation leaders. No pressure, right? Right?_ "

Despite his efforts the prince found himself growing steadily more nervous as the distance between him and his home land of Equestria only grew. It didn't help matters that the first stop on his multi-nation "tour" was Mount Aris, the newly restored home of the hippogriffs (though there was a considerable number of them that still lived in Seaquestria as seaponies).

While the prince's ban on setting hoof in the country had now been lifted, he still didn't feel at all at ease as he climbed out of his chariot at the base of the massive stairs. "Have they still not heard of escalators?" He grumbled as he made his way slowly up the steps.

When he reached the top at last, Shining could hardly believe the sight that greeted his eyes! The abandoned, hollowed out husk of a kingdom that he had glimpsed at during his last visit here was gone. In its place were new, colorful dwellings that were home to hippogriffs of every size and color imaginable. In particular, he couldn't help but notice a male hippogriff with a pale, light grayish sapphire blue coat, eyes a beautiful sparkling orange in color, and a mane and tail of white and gray feathers. Around his neck was what appeared to be a fragment of the Pearl of Transformation, and a quick look around revealed that all the hippogriffs had similar necklaces.

But the one he was most anxious about was still nowhere to be seen. Or at least she was until she suddenly called out. "No need to be shy, Prince Shining Armor. Please step forward."

Reluctantly, Shining trotted past the many houses and up a few more steps. All that really served to indicate a palace or throne room were two marble pillars and a few hanging banners.

Queen Novo sat atop one of the two red-velvet thrones, in her hippogriff form her bluish gray flippers were replaced with sharp talons, her fins were replaced by a beak and wings, and her two tone purple mane and tail now flowed outward in all their majesty. Of course, she still had her strong magenta eyes. And seated beside her was a familiar yellowish gray coated hippogriff, Princess Skystar.

The prince approached the queen and bowed before her. "Queen Novo, your majesty. I... assume Princess Celestia informed you of the reason for my visit?"

Novo responded in a tone of voice the prince hadn't expected. It sounded warm and cordial, almost inviting from the sound of it. "Oh yes, yes. Celestia was kind enough to keep me in the loop. And if I'm being honest, I was already gonna say yes to the treaty anyway. I just wanted a chance to see how my favorite prince is doing."

Shining stepped back, his lip trembling ever so slightly. "Did I hear that right? You sound _happy_ to see me, but that can't be true."

"And whyever not, Shining?" Novo replied with a hearty laugh. "My subjects owe you a great debt of thanks for allowing us to live on the land again, free from the Storm King's clutches."

"But it wasn't me who defeated him," Shining admitted. "That was Tem... er, somepony else," He corrected himself before he accidentally mentioned Tempest's name to the hippogriffs. He wasn't sure what they knew about her or what they might think of her. "I was the one who tried to steal the Pearl of Transformation. And not because I had some kind of selfless end goal, I just wanted to use its powers for my own benefit."

Novo chuckled. "Oh come now, Shining. That was in the past. If anything it proved how wise I was to install that anemone security system," On a more serious note the queen explained. "Even if I wanted to I lack the authority to punish you more than I already have. And if there's one thing that incident taught me it's that dwelling on the past does no one any good. When I let the fears of the past control me, I never allowed my subjects a chance to cope or learn how to defend themselves. But that's a mistake I won't make ever again!"

"So I see," Shining commented with a gulp. "Well then, I assume I can count on you to lend Equestria a helping paw or fin if the case calls for it, correct?"

Novo nodded, signing the scroll without hesitation. "Henceforth, the dual strengths of my subjects and kingdoms lies with Equestria! I just hope you don't think Equestria is the only nation with a strong army. My brother-in-law is head of the Hippogriff Army, and while he can be a hard taskmaster at times there is no one more qualified than him for the post."

Shining tucked the scroll away. "Thanks for your support, Novo. It'll go a long way towards bettering both our nations," Then he cleared his throat. "But there's something else I wanted to discuss with you. My sister's starting up a school of friendship, and it would be wonderful if we could get a couple of transfer students. Think of them as junior ambassadors if you will. They'll enroll in the school with other creatures, learn about the values of friendship and the various traits attached to it, and then share what they've learned with their fellow nations during breaks. It's a chance for us to spread the magic of friendship all over the world!"

Princess Skystar's arctic blue eyes lit up upon hearing the words "school of friendship"! "Ooh, sounds exciting!" And she turned to her mother, pleading! "Can I go, Mother?! Please?! Please, please, please?! Pretty please?! I promise I'll be good! I'll be on my super extra best behavior!"

Queen Novo lightly shook her head. "Sorry, Skystar, but my answer is no. Don't forget, you're still grounded young missy."

Skystar whined. "It's not fair, Mother! I said I was sorry for leaving Seaquestria without telling you where I was going. I'm not a little kid anymore, I can make my own decisions."

"As long as you live under my roof, you'll abide by my rules," Novo responded. "Besides, anygriff would could take on a monster like the Storm King to help some creatures she'd just met hardly seems like the kind of creature who needs to learn about friendship."

"But there's so much I wanna learn about ponies!" Skystar protested to her mom.

Novo shook her head again. "I said no, Skystar. And that's final. Like you said, you're not a little kid anymore. You're much too old for the kind of school Shining's sister is proposing. Besides, if anything happened to you while you were over there, I'd never be able to forgive myself! Ever since your father died you're all I have left," Then she turned to Shining Armor. "But if it's students you're looking for, might I suggest my niece Silverstream and her brother Terramar? Silverstream in particular is always eager to learn things and make new friends. Terramar might take more convincing, he tends to personalize things even when he doesn't need to."

"And where might I find them?" Shining asked Novo.

"Try Skybeak first. If they're not with him they're probably in Seaquestria with Ocean Flow," Novo instructed. "Just tell them what you've told me, and I'm sure they'll agree in a heartbeat."

Shining nodded. "I'll do that, Novo. It'd probably be better to start with lower profile students anyways. A princess among the classmates might attract unwanted attention."

* * *

As it turned out, Silverstream was with her father and Terramar his mother. But both Skybeak and Ocean Flow agreed to let their children attend the school without any sort of fuss. "My children will be model students for sure! They're born achievers!" Skybeak proclaimed.

Ocean Flow had parroted similar sentiments. "My children are super smart. But they could both use some friends their own age, and they need to see the world. I'd do it myself, but someone needs to keep Seaquestria running smoothly when Queen Novo's not around."

With that matter taken care of, it was on to the dragon lands to talk to Dragon Lady Ember. The young dragon lord (lady was the unofficial title she gave herself but most still referred to her by the lord title) accepted Shining's proposal for the alliance very easily. "If anyone's giving you trouble, just say the word and we dragons will be glad to kick some butt!" She proclaimed with a belch of fire. "No one messes with dragons and lives to tell the tale!"

Shining gulped a bit, quickly changing the subject. "So, Ember, would you be willing to let some of your younger subjects enroll in my sister's school of friendship?"

"Another pony school? Why do you need another one? Don't you already have enough?" Ember snorted.

"This is going to be a special school, a school for creatures of all walks and all life to interact and make friends," Shining explained. "And friends mean new traditions and new alliances. And the more alliances you have, the less likely anyone is to make trouble for you. I doubt even Garble and his buddies would mess with you if they knew how many other nations would come to your aid."

At that, Ember smiled. "I knew there was something I liked about you, prince. You know just how to speak to us dragons."

Shining grinned. "I did my research. It's not too difficult when my nephew is the official friendship ambassador to the dragons to boot," Then he asked. "So, any students I should plan for?"

"There is one," Ember commented as she put a claw to her chin. "I've been keeping an eye on her ever since she got her wings. Her name's Smolder and she's a little bit feisty at first. It might take time for her gentler side to come out."

"Just as long as she knows there's no fire breathing allowed in school, I think we'll manage just fine," Shining said with a smile. "Creatures like that are among the ones this school is going to hopefully help."

* * *

The yaks took even less convincing than the dragons. Prince Rutherford eagerly signed the treaty as soon as it was presented to him. "Ponies and yaks already have trade agreement, now yaks help ponies when ponies need it. Apologies for not helping with Storm King, but for being so small compared to yaks him much bigger problem for ponies. If not for Frozen North and no communications, yaks would've fought."

"Yeah, we should probably work on improving communication networks here. Perhaps the railroad might be interested in building a branch out here to Yakyakistan," Shining commented as he put the scroll away. "But, your majesty, there is something else I think you'd be interested in."

"Pony prince talk of pony school of friendship," Prince Rutherford nodded his head. "Yak get letter from pink pony telling him all about it. Pink pony very excited about school, invited yak to grand opening whenever that may be."

"So you'll be there, and you'll bring a student or two?" Shining hopefully asked.

Prince Rutherford gave a firm nod. "Yak prince have just the yak for job. She just have hair braided last Snilldar Fest, perfect time for yak to grow up and see the world. Her name is Yona, Yona Yak."

"A fitting name for a yak." Shining agreed with a smile even as he thought. " _Note to self: Tell Twilight to install bigger doors and stronger desks._ "

* * *

After Yakyakistan came Griffonstone. But Grandpa Gruff proved to be a tough griffon to convince.

"I barely even have any authority to deal with this matter!" Grandpa Gruff complained. "I should've been king, I'm the only one old enough to even remember when we had one! But a bunch of griffons say I'm too old for the job. So I'm just a placeholder office holder until we elect a leader. And that's gonna take a while, maybe half a year or more."

"So I take it this is a bad time?" Shining asked the griffon.

"Of course it's a bad time, what do you think?!" Grandpa Gruff retorted in a raspy cough. "Great, my condition's been aggravated again! I'm getting too old for this."

Shining moved to put the scroll away. "I suppose it was a long shot to get Griffonstone on board now. What you need most is stability within your boundaries, not outside them. At the least though, would you be willing to consider allowing a student or two to enroll at my sister's school of friendship?"

Grandpa Gruff growled. "Don't try to change the subject on me, sonny! I may not have a lot of authority, but I know you ponies well enough to know you won't leave until you get what you want. Two of your kind came here a few years back on some kind of 'friendship mission' and didn't leave until they got our mail carrier talking about friendship," Pulling out one of his feathers he declared. "If it'll get you off my back, I'll sign it. If the griffons have a problem with it, well they'll be rid of me soon enough so what do I care?!"

"I don't want you to feel forced or anything, Grandpa Gruff. If it would be better to wait for the next king or president or whatever kind of leader Griffonstone wants, that's fine," Shining protested. "Your compliance is appreciated, but the treaty is only binding if you sign it. Once your signature gets on there, it's never coming off. You'll be committing Griffonstone to aiding Equestria whenever necessary."

"And if I don't do this now you'll just come back again and again till you get somegriffon who says yes," Grandpa Gruff growled. "Besides, if Gabby and Gilda were here now they'd be nagging my head off about how this treaty could be a boon to Griffonstone. Bring about a change in the way we think. Considering griffons like them are gaining more influence, I might as well give 'em what they want," He signed the treaty seconds later. "I know what I've gotten myself into. I just hope I don't live to regret it, but I probably will."

The prince tucked the scroll away. "For what it's worth, Grandpa Gruff, I think you made a good call. I promise you, Equestria will not ignore Griffonstone. But we're not looking to impose our ways on you either. We'll only get involved in other nations affairs if they specifically request our aid. Just as we would request your help if needed."

Grandpa Gruff snorted. "Whatever. It's done now so what do I care?" And then he added. "And on the subject of that school you mentioned: Gabby's the only mail carrier we have around these parts. Without her we'd have no way to get our news. So I'm afraid she's not gonna be able to attend your school. Besides, she may act like a child but she's seen things no one her age should have to see. You want a student? I'll give you a student! Just took in this chick by the name of Gallus, don't have a clue what happened to his folks but they ain't around anymore. Couldn't find any relatives who'd take him, so as village elder it fell to me to take him under my wing. He seems to be quite fond of that Gilda though, looks up to her like a big sister."

"I don't suppose she'd be willing to accompany Gallus to the school when it opens?" Shining asked the elder griffon. "Might make him feel less nervous."

"Be my guest." Grandpa Gruff replied and turned his head.

* * *

Thorax was the last leader who Shining visited, and the changeling king signed the expanded treaty without hesitation. "I figured Ember was a given and from what you told me about Queen Novo I figured she would say yes too. But I wasn't sure if you'd manage with the yaks and the griffons, they seem pretty set in their ways."

"Just takes the right amount of know how to convince them," Shining explained with a smile. "If a threat like the Storm King ever rears its ugly head again we won't be taken by surprise! And there's so much we can all learn from each other. This alliance feels like it's going to be grand! The start of something truly special."

Thorax smiled too. "It's amazing how much can change for a nation in just a few years. The changelings used to be among the most despised creatures in the world. Now we're in alliances with several other nations! This is almost too good to be true!"

The prince nodded. "I've felt the same way about many of the changes I've experienced in my life. If you'd told me all of this would lie in store for me when I joined the royal guard, I'd have thought you were crazy," Then after sharing a hearty laugh with Thorax, he asked the king. "By the way, Thorax. How would you like to give some changelings a chance to learn more about friendship? My sister's going to be starting up a school of friendship for all creatures, and we're hoping that creatures from all over Equestria will come. They'll be able to learn about friendship and take the lessons back to their nations during break, spreading the values far and wide."

"Sounds great! I'll be sure to be there for the opening!" Thorax proudly declared. "I'm sure I can convince Ocellus to enroll, she's a born leader."

"Who's Ocellus?" Shining wondered.

"She was the oldest in a group of seven siblings hatched just before the invasion of Canterlot during your wedding," Thorax explained. "Like me she didn't like the idea of feeding on love by taking it from others, so Chrysalis did... things to her. Terrible things. Things that no child should ever have to endure. But you gotta give her credit, Ocellus proved to be a tough nut to crack," He sighed. "Even after all the changes that have been made to the hive though, she still has nightmares about Chrysalis. I'm hoping that her making friends will get her mind off those worries."

"And if that doesn't work, Princess Luna could perhaps pay a visit to her dreams. She's really good with children." The prince suggested.

Thorax somberly replied. "I hope it never comes to that."

* * *

With Thorax having signed on, Shining brought the treaty back to Canterlot. And it was there that he got some shocking news from Princess Celestia herself. "The EEA has granted approval for the construction of your sister's school," She told the prince. "And we already have our first student. A young earth pony colt by the name of Sandbar who hails from Cutie Markless Village. Apparently, his cousin Feather Bangs things it'll be a great opportunity for Sandbar to come out of his shell and 'impress the ladies' as he puts it."

"Well I don't think he'll have much time for that. Especially not with all the students that'll be enrolling!" Shining declared. "Every one of the nations in this treaty is sending at least one student, some are even sending more."

Twilight beamed with pride. "Oh, that is the best news I've had all day! Even Chancellor Neighsay approving of my school as a way to protect Equestria doesn't top this."

"Wait? Neighsay believes your school is for defensive purposes? What does he even think we'll need protecting from?" Shining questioned. "You did tell him about your plans for the school, didn't you?"

Twilight blushed. "Well... given his reputation, I may have chosen to omit a few 'minor' details. Still, he seemed nice enough. I'm sure he'll understand when he sees the school up and running. He says he plans to visit sometime on Friends and Family Day, if we can get the school up and running by then."

" _Somehow, I don't think that crafty chancellor was pondering what Twilight was pondering._ " Shining thought, but he thought it to himself.

"Oh, there's so much that'll need to get done!" Twilight declared! "Getting EEA approval was the easy part. Now I've gotta get the school built, set up the lesson plans in accordance with EEA standards and guidelines, and find teachers!"

"Not to worry, Twily. I'll be there to help you, at least on the building," Shining declared as he trotted over to his worried sister. "And while I won't be able to hold a position any higher than overseer, I'm sure you already know of some very fine ponies to consider for the job: Our friends."

"Yes, of course! And there's also ponies like Cheerilee, and the Cakes, and maybe even Mayor Mare!" Twilight grinned. "Oh B.B.B.F.F, you're a lifesaver! What would I ever do without you?!"

Shining just modestly waved a hoof. "We both know you'd find a way to manage. You did it once before during my wedding, and I know you can do it again if you absolutely must."

"Well I just hope I don't have to," Twilight declared. "Once is enough for me!"


	173. Chapter 173: First Day of Class

Weeks and then months passed in the blink of an eye. The school was built a short ways away from the castle in Ponyville. In fact it was built into a mountain side with a beautiful waterfall cascading down it. And the path to the school was lined by small stones and tiles.

The school itself was a massive two story structure, complete with an observatory from which one could watch any approaching visitors if they so chose to do so.

"Isn't it wonderful, Shining?" Twilight smiled one morning. "At long last my dream is a reality! This school of friendship is going to help so many creatures from all walks of life."

"I'm sure it will, Twilight, I'm sure it will," Shining nodded before he let out a sigh. "I wish I could be here to help the first day run smoothly, especially with Chancellor Neighsay planning to visit. If I didn't know better I'd swear he knew the first day would fall on Friends and Family Day."

Twilight turned to her big brother. "Are you sure you can't stay? Even just for a little bit?"

"Sadly I can't. Just last night there was an anonymous tip brought to Princess Celestia's attention. Apparently Chrysalis has been sighted somewhere near the border between Southern Equestria and the bad lands. With all the other nations leaders arriving with their students, none of them can drop what they're doing to come help," The prince remarked. "And until a location has been determined they're not going to commit troops to what could be a wild goose chase," Shining cleared his throat. "So as usual it falls to me to determine if Chrysalis is indeed out there, and if so I have to make sure she doesn't hurt anyone until reinforcements can arrive to subdue her."

"Please promise you'll keep in touch," Twilight pleaded. "You came close to death once before at the paws of the Storm King. I don't think I could take another scare."

Shining just laughed. "Twily, relax. I'll be careful. And if all goes well, I should be back by the end of the week, hopefully with Chrysalis in tow. You can manage the school without me. After all, you've already got all the positions filled."

"Most of our friends needed no convincing, they were eager to help," Twilight replied with a nod. "Cheerilee sadly couldn't serve as a teacher here, she has her own students to take care of. But she agreed to be at the top of the substitutes list, same goes for Mayor Mare. The only real snag was the vice principal or vice headmare in this case. I was gonna offer it to Starlight but she refused, said she wasn't ready for that kind of responsibility. Spike didn't want it either but he agreed to be acting vice headmare until we get that position filled full time. I was thinking maybe Tempest but I haven't heard from her at all. Have you?"

Shining shook his head. "Not a word. I just hope that wherever she is, she's doing alright for herself," Then after sharing a hug with his sister he told her. "Well, I'd better get going. Best of luck on the first day of school, Twily!"

" _Am I going to need it. This school's about to be up to its neck in students._ " Twilight thought to herself and trotted inside.

* * *

In the main hallway of the school, all the teachers were gathered: Big Macintosh, Thunderlane, Fluttershy, Fancy Pants, Pinkie Pie, Granny Smith, Mrs. Cake, Cranky Doodle Donkey, and Trixie. Spike and Starlight were there too.

"Good, everyone's here!" Twilight beamed. "Before the students arrive, I just want to thank you all again for agreeing to be teachers here. I know some of you had your concerns, but I think for right now we should be able to handle everything. Just remember that if we want EEA accreditation, we need to ensure that this school is in compliance with EEA guidelines."

Pinkie raised a hoof. "Does this mean no party cannons in class?"

"And no magic fireworks? Not that Trixie would bring them to a school mind you. In fact, forget the magic fireworks part, you heard nothing." Trixie not so innocently insisted.

Mrs. Cake couldn't help but be alarmed a little. "Goodness, I certainly hope you two didn't even think of bringing those things here. You could cause an accident, and with all these students the last thing we need is to start a panic."

"Exactly," Twilight firmly declared. "So exny on the cannons and fireworks, at least within the classrooms. Save them for the celebration we'll throw once the school is EEA accredited."

"Hey, don't forget about us!" A chorus of familiar young voices cried out. And in the blink of an eye four easily recognizable young ponies with matching cutie marks came rushing up! Accompanying them was an equally familiar filly with a pink (magenta if you wanted to be precise) coat, not to mention a distinctive headgear. It was the Cutie Mark Crusaders: Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Rumble, and their new honorary member Diamond Tiara.

"Well well, what are you little ponies doing here?" Fancy Pants commented with a light chuckle. "Shouldn't you all be in school?"

"It's okay, Twilight specifically sent for us!" Apple Bloom eagerly explained.

Twilight nodded and turned to the others. "They came to me a while back asking if they could enroll here at this school. Unfortunately, I told them they're already pretty much masters of friendship and there's not much I can teach them here that they don't already know," She explained. "So after they begged and pleaded with me, I decided to hire them on as friendship counselors. I figured that as guidance counselor Starlight would appreciate the extra hooves."

"And when the Crusaders told me about their plans, they also revealed that they'd gotten me hired as well!" Diamond happily explained. "Finally I have an excuse... I mean reason to get out of the house and do something without Mother getting suspicious."

"We already made friends with one of the new students too!" Scootaloo eagerly replied as she buzzed her wings. "His name's Sandbar and we were just showing him around."

Sweetie Belle massaged the back of her neck with a hoof. "This school looked a lot smaller on the outside. So we _might_ have gotten him a teensy bit lost."

"What are you talking about, girls? I've been following you the whole time. I'm just not as fast a trotter." Came a reply. And then who should come trotting up to the group but an earth pony colt who seemed to be roughly the CMC's age (or maybe a bit younger)? He had a pale grayish-yellow coat that looked like sand on the beach, light sea green eyes, a shaggy mane and tail that was a two shaded blueish-green in color, and a cutie mark depicting three turtles.

Twilight smiled, extending a hoof. "You must be Sandbar, it's a pleasure to meet you. Glad to see you're already making friends."

"Making friends with ponies is easy, it's what we ponies do best," Sandbar admitted with a smile. "But is true what I'm hearing? Is this school really gonna have other creatures in it too? Because that's gonna be so awesome if it is! Though I'm not sure if I'll get along with them, I don't know the first thing about changelings or dragons or any creatures that aren't ponies."

"Well you needn't worry," Mrs. Cake reassured the colt. "A lot of these other creatures have never seen ponies before. That's what the whole purpose of this school is, for you to all get to know each other and become friends."

Sandbar simply replied. "Sounds cool I guess. It'll be nice to meet new friends. And uh... don't tell anyone but my cousin Feather Bangs is kind of hoping I'll hit it off with one of the ladies if you know what I mean."

"Easy, casanova. Don't get ahead of yourself," Big Macintosh cautioned. "There'll be plenty of time for romance once you're all settled in. But you shouldn't be in a rush to get into a relationship, you're only young once."

Twilight then clapped her hooves. "Alright, that's enough of that. Sandbar, you and the CMC can wait at the front door for the other students. Be on your best behavior. And remember, some of these creatures might be a little shy, so don't try to put them on the spot."

* * *

Soon, everyone in the school had gathered at the front door. When the bell rang, the doors swung open and a whole host of creatures came flooding in! The hallway was soon full of young ponies, changelings, yaks, dragons, griffons, and hippogriffs.

It wasn't long before some of the students began to make themselves known. The first of them was a female yak with moderate olive eyes and pink bows in her long, flowing hair. "Oh boy! Yak can't wait to meet ponies, and tell all about Yakyakistan! Come to yak, ponies!" She shouted as she ran about the place. Unfortunately, her long hair proved to be a hazard to her as it caused her to trip and tumble. She wasn't hurt though (and thanks to some quick reacting from Pinkie Pie, nothing had been broken or knocked over).

Pinkie Pie greeted the cheerful young yak. "Hello stranger! Are you Yona, the yak Prince Rutherford said he was bringing to the school?"

The yak nodded. "Yes, I am Yona Yak! Finest young yak of my kind! Prince Rutherford say so! Yona honored to represent Yakyakistan here in Ponyville."

"And we're honored to have you here, Yona," Pinkie Pie smiled. "I can't wait until you're in my class. We can share stories about Yakyakistan."

"Pony been to Yakyakistan before?" Yona questioned. "But Yona thought ponies never travel to Yakyakistan."

Pinkie giggled. "How else do you think yours truly became pen pals with Prince Rutherford? I'd love to tell you all about it but time is short. Lots of students to greet and barely any time to greet 'em! Gotta go!"

Yona (with a confused look on her face) walked away. Meanwhile, Ember was dragging a dragon only slightly smaller than herself into the school. Said dragon had orange scales and wings, moderate orchid spines, and moderate cyan eyes.

"For the last time, you _have_ to be here!" Ember groaned. "Quit being so stubborn!"

"But Ember, I don't wanna go to this lame pony school!" The other dragon protested. "I'm tired of you always making decisions for me. I don't need friends."

Ember snorted. "I don't care what you say. You're gonna go to this school, make some friends, learn about friendship, and you're going to like it. You were the only dragon available who could attend this school."

"'Cause all the other dragons backed out." The orange scaled dragon whined.

Spike walked up, eyeing the newcomer. "Hey, you look like Scootaloo if she was a dragon."

"I don't know who this Scootaloo is you speak of, but I doubt she's at all like me," The other dragon retorted. "And not that it's any of your business but I have a name. Just call me Smolder."

Spike offered a claw. "Well it's nice to meet you, Smolder. But take my advice, lose that attitude of yours. It's a lot easier to make friends when you're not acting all tough and distant."

Smolder just shrugged her claws. "Gotta be tough to be a dragon, especially once you get your wings and your parents tell you you're on your own," She yawned a bit. "Honestly, I'm only doing this because Dragon Lord Ember's been so nice to me. I don't see what a dragon like me needs friends for."

Spike just rolled his eyes. "I guess you haven't been told how Ember became dragon lord in the first place."

Meanwhile, Scootaloo came rushing by and happened to glance upon Smolder. "Whoa, so cool! You could practically pass for my twin sister! Well, you know, aside from being a dragon and all," She offered a hoof. "Name's Scootaloo. Hi."

Smolder responded simply by breathing fire.

"Smolder! That wasn't nice! You don't torch ponies!" Ember scolded.

But Scootaloo (who had ducked the blast) simply replied with her eyes widened. "That was so awesome! I wish I could breathe fire like that."

Smolder groaned. "I don't need you getting attached to me, kid. A dragon like me is too cool to be seen around a pony pipsqueak like you."

"Hey! I'm not a pipsqueak! I'm actually taller than most fillies my age." Scootaloo lied (in truth she was no taller than any of her classmates, except for Pipsqueak of course).

"Whatever. I'm out of here." Smolder retorted and walked away.

As Smolder walked off, a white feathered griffon with brown wings was escorting a blue feathered griffon with a light yellow underbelly, hints of green on the top of its head, moderate cerulean wings, and moderate azure eyes. "Now Gallus," The white feathered griffon told the blue feathered one. "I know you don't really want to be here. But take it from a griffon who used to think the same way you did, ponies are totally radical and worth your time. Same goes for other creatures. So you be nice and stay out of trouble. I ain't running a babysitting service you know."

Gallus just sighed. "I know, Gilda. You've told me like a dozen times already."

Diamond Tiara approached Gallus. "Hello there. Gallus, is it? I'm Diamond Tiara, and on behalf of Headmare Twilight I want to welcome you to the School of Friendship!"

"You ponies have weird names," Gallus retorted. "Why do they always seem to be two word names? All us griffons just have one word names and we're fine with it," Then he sighed. "But I'm here anyways, so what do you care?"

Diamond paused. "Hey, what's with the mood change all of a sudden? I don't like it. It reminds me of the way I used to be, and I don't _ever_ want to be reminded of that." She shivered and shuddered at the mental image she conjured up.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Gallus apologized. "I'm just not really sure a guy like me is capable of learning about friendship. Alongside Gabby, Gilda here's the only one who'll even notice me. But hey, I'm used to it."

Tiara offered a hoof. "You don't have to be like that all the time, Gallus. Seems like this school could be just the thing for you to snap out of your funk."

Gallus seemed to smile. "I guess it can't hurt to mingle a little. Beats being back home in Griffonstone, helping Gabby deliver mail or helping Gilda bake scones all day long."

Just then, a sharp cry of joy split the air! "Oh my gosh! Everything here is so cool! So this is what it's like to be on land all day long!" Everyone's attention turned to a light grayish-pink coated bird/pony hybrid creature with a light blue and light grayish-blue mane and tail, and moderate blue violet eyes. Accompanying the creature were two creatures of similar appearance. One was about the same size, but had an apple greenish white coat, a moderate cyan and pale turquoise mane and tail, and moderate cyan eyes. While the other was a taller creature with a pale, light grayish-indigo coat, a light and pale opal mane and tail, and light aquamarine eyes.

The first of the creatures was staring at a grayish-green coated changeling with moderate cyan eyes, a glossy light pink mane, and wings a beautiful two shaded red that were currently tucked to the sides. "Is that a changeling?! I always though they were just urban legends, and I thought they were black!"

"Sis, will you stop staring at the changeling?" The greenish white coated creature protested. "I think you're scaring it."

Twilight approached the small group, offering a greeting. "Ah, you must be Silverstream and Terramar, Queen Novo's niece and nephew. And I see you've already met Ocellus."

The remaining unidentified creature stepped forward, speaking in a posh tone. "Princess Twilight, I presume. I am General Seaspray of her majesty Queen Novo's royal navy. I have taken the liberty of escorting her niece and nephew here to your school today. Queen Novo sends her sincerest apologies at not being able to come herself, but she is currently stricken with flu and cannot attend."

"I'm Silverstream by the way!" The pink feathered hippogriff spoke up. "And the greenish-white hippogriff you see here is my brother, Terramar! He's loads of fun!"

Terramar waved a claw. "Um, hello. Sorry about my sister, she's pretty excited if you couldn't tell. Doesn't take much to get her wound up."

"Oh that's okay. Her enthusiasm is definitely welcome," Twilight smiled. "Though Ocellus probably isn't in the mood for making friends right now."

"She really isn't. It's her first time outside the hive," Thorax spoke up. "Just give her time though, she'll come round."

Ocellus nodded and briefly commented. "It's... nice to see you all, I think. Just so you know, any rumors you may have heard about me are totally exaggerated, or whatever."

* * *

Twilight then trotted to the front of the crowd, drawing everyone's attention. "Thank you all for coming, everyone. This really means a lot to me. But I've always said from the beginning that the goal is to make a difference in the lives of young creatures," Then with a smile she declared. "Now, if you'll all get in line, you'll receive your schedule. For the first day of class you'll have our very talented friendship counselors to help show you the way. Just remember, if you have any problems or questions, your professors are here to help. And so am I."

The students began to line up, Twilight smiling at how well everything was going. " _Now to deal with Chancellor Neighsay. Gonna have to break the news to him gently about the true nature of this school._ " She thought.

Fortunately, the chancellor hadn't arrived yet and it had said he would show up in a place with as few students as possible to ensure he wouldn't cause a scene. So Twilight rushed to the designated meeting spot, hoping to be there before him and greet him whenever he chose to arrive.

In the center of the school was a small courtyard that connected the classrooms to the dorms. And just after Twilight arrived there, a huge portal surrounded by a blue flame appeared. Emerging from it was a tall, lanky unicorn stallion clad in a dark red robe. He had a very light grayish-white coat, a dark gray mane and tail, and stern moderate turquoise eyes. In the light tangelo glow of his magic, he held a clipboard. "Ah, Twilight Sparkle. Princess Twilight Sparkle to be precise," He spoke in that almost unnerving tone of his. "As head of the EEA, it is my duty to observe any such schools that apply for EEA accreditation."

Twilight nodded. "Of course, Chancellor Neighsay. I am honored to have you here, and I hope everything will be to your expectations."

"Indeed let us hope so, for your sake," Neighsay commented as he wrote down some notes. "You may be the sister of a prince, and the sister-in-law of another, but even you are not above the EEA's jurisdiction or authority. If I find your school to be lacking in the proper ways, I will not hesitate to render my verdict and shudder this school. So far I can safely say that the school is visually pleasing, but in my line of work looks can and often are deceiving."

Twilight bowed her head. "Don't worry, Chancellor, I'm very certain you won't be disappointed. Please follow me."

The chancellor nodded even as he replied. "You'd better not waste my time, princess. I have little patience for those who think they can outsmart me. And in this line of work, I can be either your greatest ally or your worst enemy. And suffice it when I say, you don't want me as your enemy."

"Duly noted." Twilight gulped and started to think to herself. " _How am I gonna break the news to him that this school isn't for defense but for friendship? I just hope my friends can keep everything running smoothly, and that none of the students decide now would be a good time to play pranks._ "


	174. Chapter 174: The (Ex) Queen Strikes!

While Twilight was busy with Chancellor Neighsay, and everyone else was busy with the new students, a lone figure observed the school from afar. Said figure being none other than (Ex) Queen Chrysalis. Already, the gears in her brain were beginning to turn.

" _Everything's falling into place,_ " The former queen chuckled to herself as she rubbed her front legs together. " _In a matter of moments my revenge will be complete. I've sent Shining Armor on a wild goose chase so he can't stop me, and no one suspects a thing. So now all I need to do is put on the right disguise, kidnap some of the students, and leave something at the scene so they'll know it's me. Oh, I'm gonna enjoy watching Twilight, Shining, and especially Starlight squirm! They'll_ _ **finally**_ _know what it's like to be humiliated, as I've felt every day since my own hive betrayed me!_ " Then with a cackle, she assumed her disguise. That of famous photographer Photo Finish.

As the disguised changeling strolled up to the school and slipped in undetected, some of the students were beginning to converse with each other on the way to their classes.

Gallus in particular seemed to be interested in the life stories of the creatures he had never seen before. "So let me get this straight," He questioned Silverstream and Terramar. "You guys were seaponies, but you used to be hippogriffs. And now you're hippogriffs again, but you can also turn into seaponies?"

Silverstream nodded as she clutched her pearl necklace tightly. "Yup, and it's all thanks to this piece of the Pearl of Transformation! Now my brother and I can go back and forth at will, which is actually kind of necessary since our dad lives on Mount Aris and our mom in Seaquestria."

"Oh, I see how it is. Going through a rough patch in their relationship, aren't they?" Gallus commented.

Terramar shook his head. "What?! No! It's not like that at all, they love each other _very_ much! My mom especially is super sweet, never has a nasty bone in her body."

"Then how come she stays underwater all the time and never goes on land?" Gallus questioned. "Sounds like if your dad wants you to all stay together, it has to be as seaponies and not hippogriffs."

"My mom has an important job in Seaquestria, she's basically the queen whenever my aunt's on Mount Aris," Silverstream explained. "Dad serves in the hippogriff army. General Seapsray's actually his cousin. I have a pretty big extended family."

Smolder looked across to Gallus. "Why do you care about how other creatures live their lives? I don't, and you don't hear me complaining. I've spent my whole life as a dragon and I for one wouldn't want to be any other creature."

"Can you blame a griffon for being curious? Aren't you ever the least bit so about what lies beyond the world as you've known it?" Gallus wondered.

"Nope," Smolder quickly replied. "I'm only doing this because Dragon Lord Ember says so, and you never disobey an order from the dragon lord. Or Dragon Lady as she calls herself."

Meanwhile, Yona proclaimed. "Yona glad to come to pony school, even if yak no see need for it. Yona love to see new sights, like time Yona's family take yak ice fishing."

"Well we do that too sometimes, at least in the parts of Equestria where it snows," Sandbar replied to Yona. "Me personally, I prefer ice skating or sledding."

"Yaks do sledding too, except yaks use traditional yak sleds," Yona proudly proclaimed. "Part of what they teach at yak school."

"And what do they teach at 'yak school'? I've never been to any kind of school before." Gallus commented.

Yona smiled. "Yak school teach lots of things, like how to braid yak hair! Braiding yak hair is best!" But then she tripped over her hair and rolled forward, accidentally knocking into Smolder.

Smolder picked herself up and growled ever so slightly at Yona. "So, Yona, is there anything in Yakyakistan that _isn't_ the best?"

"Yes!" Yona answered before she realized her mistake and tried to correct it. "Wait, Yona mean no! I mean... yaks are best!"

"Oh really? You've got no wings, no claws, and no fire. So tell me, what exactly is it you're proud of again?" Smolder teased. "I bet you don't even have indoor plumbing."

"Dragons don't have that either, at least that's what I've heard," Sandbar commented. "And you really shouldn't be harshing her flow, Smolder."

Smolder turned her gaze to Sandbar. "Aw, what's the matter, pony? Am I not 'friendly' enough for you? Sorry to disappoint you, but maybe not all creatures have a need for friendship the way you ponies do."

"Uh, maybe we should stop before someone says something they'll regret?" Ocellus nervously suggested. Her plea fell on deaf ears.

Yona snorted. "Dragon take back what she say about yaks! You no insult yaks to Yona's face!"

"Oh where's your sense of humor?" Smolder taunted in a cheeky tone of voice. "I've been giving you the kid gloves treatment. You should see the kind of insult contests fully grown dragons get up to. The things they say would make even Dragon Lord Ember blush."

"Oh please, my Grandpa Gruff could swear a sailor under the table, whatever that means," Gallus replied. "I'm starting to think maybe you and I have something in common, Smolder."

Smolder grinned. "I'm not looking for a friend, but if you wanna be my pal for this I won't mind. I mean, I could probably take a yak by myself, but they always say two heads are better than one."

Terramar gulped. "Can't we all just get along here? Who says we have to fight?"

But Silverstream giggled. "Ooh! I've never been in a fight before! Are we having one now? Can I join in? Can I, can I?!"

Fortunately, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were nearby and they quickly rushed to break up the tensions before any physical blows could be exchanged. "Hey, hey, hey!" Rumble protested as he threw up his hooves. "No fighting in the hallways, students! At the least if you're gonna fight, have the decency to take it outside so no one else gets hurt."

"Not helping, Rumble," Sweetie Belle lightly glared at him. "School's supposed to be a place of learning, not a place for fighting. Save that kind of aggression for gym class, where it belongs."

"Or recess!" Scootaloo chimed in. "There's no playground equipment at this school, but sometimes all you really need is your imagination to have a good time. Trust me, recess is like the best part of the whole school day. Especially lunch recess."

"What's a recess? I have so many questions." Silverstream commented.

Diamond Tiara grinned. "You'll find out soon enough. But for now you need to get into a learning state of mind."

"And don't forget about school pictures," Apple Bloom added. "Photo Finish should be arrivin' here sometime later today. At least, that's what Headmare Twilight says."

The other creatures shot off confused looks, but Sandbar just smiled. "You mean _the_ Photo Finish?! That is so beyond cool!" He turned to the other creatures. "Come on, follow me. I got to go on a personal tour of this place earlier, I know my way around." He led the rest of the group away, giving a small wink to the Crusaders.

Apple Bloom wiped the sweat from her brow a moment later. "Whew. Bein' friendship counselors is harder than I thought. But I think we just solved our first friendship problem at this school."

"We should tell somepony what we saw though, just to be safe. Don't think they'll actually fight but you never know." Diamond suggested, and the five little ponies trotted away.

* * *

Having overheard the conversation, the disguised Chrysalis sensed an opportunity and was delighted. Now she just needed to wait and let her prey come to her.

As the group reached the end of a hallway, Terramar broke off. "Sorry," He apologized to the others. "I drank a little too much kelp juice on the way here 'cause I was so nervous, and I kind of have to go, you know."

"Then go! You don't have to announce it!" Smolder protested. "Just don't take too long or we'll be late for our first class on our first day."

Terramar nodded and flew off, separating from the group.

A moment later, an earth pony mare instantly recognizable came up to the creatures. "Ach, zere you are. Vhere have you all been?"

"Photo Finish?!" Sandbar exclaimed as his eyes filled with wonder. "Oh Celestia, if this is a dream do **NOT** wake me up!"

The rest of the creatures eyed the newcomer doubtfully. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" Gallus asked the mare.

"I, Photo Finish, have arrived to make 'de magics' as we say in ze fashion world!" The mare answered. "It is time for school pictures. Ze time she is nie, ve shoot now!" And she not so politely ushered them all into another room before anyone could utter a single syllable of protest.

Once inside said room, Photo Finish quickly shut the door and turned off the lights.

"Uh... I may be new to photo taking and all, but is all this _really_ necessary?" Smolder questioned.

"Yona starting to get freaked out. Is this surprise party? Yak not have birthday for weeks still." Yona commented as her teeth started to chatter a little.

Photo Finish just turned around, a rather sinister grin plastered on her face. "I have you now, my pretties." She cackled as her accent seemed to vanish.

"Is this all part of the photo taking process? Because I don't think I like it!" Silverstream nervously declared. "Maybe we should get out of here?"

Photo Finish just cackled again as an ominous, sickly green aura surrounded her and she appeared to burst into flames! All the while an eerie echo split the air.

Ocellus gasped! "It can't be! You're Chrysalis!"

"Who?!" The other creatures all questioned.

"Chrysalis!" Came the reply, as the flames faded and a creature that looked like a mix between a bug and a pony stepped forward. "The once proud queen of the changelings. And you are now my prisoners!"

"Fat chance fat head!" Gallus protested. "I don't know who you are or what you think you're doing, but I've had enough! If this is what pony school is all about then I want no part of it."

Chrysalis just grinned, lighting up her horn. "You assume I'm giving you all a say in the matter. But in fact, I'm not. You're all coming with me! And if you come quietly, I won't have to hurt you."

The six students all gasped, as they felt themselves being sucked down through the floor while being surrounded by green flames! "Help!" They all screamed in vain, hoping someone would hear them. Alas, no one did.

Meanwhile, Chrysalis was laughing with glee. " _Come and get me, Shining! I'll be waiting for you!_ " She thought with fiendish delight.

* * *

While Chrysalis was putting her daring and devilish plan into action, Twilight was having her own difficulties with Chancellor Neighsay.

"I must admit, your choice of teachers seems... questionable, princess," The chancellor remarked. "Even if some of them have worked with children or have had children of their own, not one of them is to EEA standards. In fact, not a single one of them has even a year's worth of training in education."

"Because a school like this doesn't operate on traditional educational standards," Twilight explained. "Besides, I consulted with Cheerilee, the greatest example of teaching I've ever seen."

Neighsay raised an eyebrow. "And how come she isn't here now?"

"She's a substitute," Twilight answered. "I tried to recruit her as a part time teacher for one of the classes, but she had her own obligations to the schoolhouse and couldn't leave it."

Neighsay wrote down the information on his clipboard. "So, does that explain why I've seen five school aged foals running around here? Shouldn't they be at this other school you've mentioned?"

Twilight explained with a straight face. "I picked them to be friendship counselors. They begged and pleaded with me to have some kind of position and I couldn't say no. I assure you, they're quite skilled for foals their age."

"So I've heard. That still doesn't change the fact that you seem 'understaffed' so to speak," Neighsay remarked. "I'm sensing more and more that you wanted this to be a local job. You probably never even thought to consult the experts or even hire them. Or did you not know that there are EEA certified instructors available in all major cities, including Canterlot which I understand is but a train ride from here?"

"Look, I'm sorry if things are a bit messy right now. There are things I meant to consider but never got around to, honest," Twilight apologized to the chancellor. "Just give the EEA accreditation and I promise you I'll hire more staff, streamline the lesson plans, and get everything up to full speed."

The chancellor paused, looking up from his clipboard. "I get the feeling there's something you're trying to conceal from me, princess. Something you don't want me to see. If you're trying to lie to me, you're not doing a very good job."

"Why would I be lying to you?" Twilight innocently replied. "So maybe the students aren't all ponies, who says that has to be a bad thing?" Then she put her hooves over her mouth, realizing what she'd accidentally just blurted out.

"What was that about non ponies?" Neighsay questioned, just as he rounded a corner. To his great shock, he saw quite clearly a greenish-white coated bird/pony hybrid creature flying around, and a brown winged and white feathered creature talking with him. He could also see a few other creatures: Including a yak, a weird looking bug/pony hybrid, and a dragon. Anger boiling up inside him, the chancellor bellowed at the top of his lungs. "What is going on here?! What is the meaning of this?!"

All of a sudden, everyone stopped to look at the now clearly peeved chancellor in their midst. Steam was billowing out of his nostrils, his posture was slouched, and his eyes were slanted and narrowed.

Afraid of a disaster, Twilight immediately came rushing up to the scene! "Chancellor, please, I assure you there's a perfectly good explanation for all of this."

Neighsay turned around and snapped. "I might have known you were lying to me! This isn't a pony school at all, it has nothing to do with defense!"

Twilight shook her head. "Chancellor, I didn't lie to you when I said the school was for defensive purposes. Friendship is actually, more often than not, more effective for defense than sheer brute force. If the changelings, dragons, yaks, hippogriffs and griffons are all firmly allied with us then it would be excellent for defense for all involved."

Neighsay wasn't convinced. "Why would you choose to omit such important details? Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

"No. Princess Celestia told me about the way you see the world. I knew that if I told you upfront what the school would involve, you'd reject it out of hoof," Twilight explained. "I had to appeal to you the only way I knew how."

The chancellor only shook his head. "Then clearly you don't understand me at all. I do what I do for the sake of the greater good. Even you must admit these other creatures are a danger, both to us and to themselves."

"A danger? You don't really believe that, do you?" Twilight questioned. "The hippogriffs aided us against the Storm King, and my son happens to be a dragon."

Neighsay snorted. "Yet did those hippogriffs bother to lift a helping claw or fin when we were first attacked? I don't think so. Have other dragons ever treated us with kindness and compassion? No. The yaks only agreed to a trade deal with us _after_ they threatened to go to war with us. The griffons' home country is a mess, yet only a select few of them have ever successfully mingled with us ponies and settled in. And let us not forget that the changelings twice invaded us, and both times they were successful in taking civilians and high ranking officials hostage. Yet now you expect me to believe we can trust them with the knowledge of our greatest strengths and weaknesses? Even you can't be this dense!"

"Chancellor, please, not so loudly. You're making a scene," Twilight pleaded. "Just because you don't see the benefit in this, doesn't mean I'm wrong and you're right. You haven't even met any of the students yet."

"And just where are these so called students now? Shouldn't classes have started by now?" Neighsay demanded. "If you want me to believe they harbor no ill intentions, then you'll not object to letting me observe them in a learning environment."

But at that very moment, Terramar came fluttering up to Twilight. "Headmare Twilight, you've gotta help me! My sister's missing and I don't know where she is!"

"What?!" Twilight exclaimed with horror!

"I swear, I only left for one minute to use the bathroom and when I came back she and five other students she was hanging out with were nowhere to be seen," Terramar explained. "I searched everywhere. Every classroom, every hallway, even outside in case they were maybe playing hooky. They're gone!"

"It's true, I'm afraid," Gilda glumly added. "Gallus is missing too, and last I saw him he was with Terramar, his sister, and those other creatures. Oh, Grandpa Gruff is gonna kill me when he hears about this! The one time I try to prove myself to him, and it all goes horribly wrong."

Gulping, Twilight turned to face a rather grumpy looking Chancellor Neighsay. The chancellor simply replied by saying. "Well, princess, it would seem you don't keep a good eye on your students. If they can disappear so easily, how you can hope to convince me that anyone will be safe here? Especially ponies. I'm afraid that not only will EEA accreditation _not_ be granted, but by the power invested in me as head of the EEA I shall be shuddering this school!"

"Neighsay, no!" Twilight pleaded.

"Neighsay, yes!" Neighsay firmly declared. "Don't bother trying to stop me. Not even you can defy the EEA!"

"Please, you have to give me a chance! A chance to find the students and make things right," Twilight went on pleading. "You don't understand, this school meant a lot to me! It was my dream! My chance to leave a lasting legacy."

Neighsay turned his head. "Seems like it has become more of a nightmare to me. But I suppose that I... could give you one last chance. You have twenty-four hours to find the missing students and ensure they will be safe. Then perhaps I 'might' look the other way on some of the lesser problems. Though perhaps if you'd had higher standards for who would be admitted and who would be allowed to teach, all of this could've been avoided. Until then, however, and in case you should fail to locate the students in time..." He walked outside, placing huge blue magical chains around the school. "This school is now closed! Good day, princess!" And then he conjured up a portal from the amulet around his neck and departed.

"Chancellor, wait!" Twilight pleaded in vain. " _Great! Now I've got to deal with the fallout from his offensive comments_ _ **and**_ _find the missing students. Oh, I could really use Shining's help on this one._ " She thought to herself.


	175. Chapter 175: Searching for a Lead

Shining was patrolling in the badlands, searching for any trace of Chrysalis. He didn't yet know what was unfolding back in Ponyville. " _Come on, Chrysalis! I'm in your mind! What's your game plan?! Where are you hiding?!_ "

But he was not out of the loop for long. All of a sudden a scroll materialized in front of him! Always a curious one, the prince took it into the grasp of his hooves and read over it carefully. When he had finished reading it, his heart became filled with dread. " _I've got a very bad feeling about this,_ " He thought. " _But what could've happened to those students? They couldn't have just vanished without a trace. And they wouldn't go off with some stranger, it would've had to be someone they thought they could trust,_ " Then he almost gasped as a realization struck him! " _Wait! Oh no! I'll bet Chrysalis is behind this somehow! She could've easily disguised herself, slipped in undetected, and kidnapped the students! That tip must've been a ruse of some sort, and I fell for it!_ "

Throwing down the scroll, Shining lit up his horn. "Hold on, Twily, I'm coming!" He declared, teleporting away with the light rose glow of his magic.

When Shining arrived in Ponyville, he immediately rushed for the school. When he arrived he found the entire building surrounded by magical chains, an hourglass outside the front door, and worst of all the leaders of the different nations (as well as General Seaspray who he had met during his trip to Mount Aris) arguing quite loudly.

"You told us the students would be safe here! You told us we could trust you to look after them!" General Seaspray snarled. "Yet you've allowed them to drop off the face of the world without a trace! Do not forget that one of them is Queen Novo's niece! If she is not found, there will be dire consequences!"

Ember roared. "Oh yeah?! You think you're the only one who's got an important individual as their student?! Smolder's like the little sister I never had! And if I find out who did this, I'll make them sorry they ever crossed me!"

Grandpa Gruff just gave a humph. "This place seemed lame anyway, and that pony made it clear we're not welcome. I knew something like this would happen. But would anygriffon listen to me, no. They all thought I was a senile old coot who didn't know what he was talking about."

"Yaks demand whereabouts of Yona, or yaks rip up land inch by inch until they find her!" Prince Rutherford bellowed. "Ponies allow yaks to be insulted and let Yona be captured! Maybe ponies not take yaks seriously after all!"

Thorax threw up his hooves. "C-can't we all just calm down and think about this? Do we even know who'd want to capture them in the first place?"

"Come to think of it," Ember commented. "This all happened after we signed on a treaty that was originally just between you and the ponies. And didn't you mention that your past ruler was still at large after twice trying to invade Equestria?"

"I assure you, we didn't know where Chrysalis was! We'd never do something as evil as set up other creatures to be taken prisoner," Thorax protested. "Please, you've gotta believe me."

Grandpa Gruff shook his head. "How can we trust someone who can transform into anyone or anything at will? What if you've secretly been someone else this whole time? Luring us all into a false sense of security so you could learn our weaknesses?"

"J-just wait a minute here, guys!" Thorax pleaded. "We can be civil about this. There's no need to risk an international incident over this, right?"

Shining stepped forward to de-escalate the tensions. "Thorax is right. All of you need to stop this before someone gets hurt or says something they can't take back. I know you're all upset about your missing students, but none of this is going to bring them back."

"Neither is standing here, telling us what to do!" General Seaspray remarked. "So if you have a better solution, by all means enlighten us."

"There might be a clue somewhere within the school, somewhere that was overlooked during the search," Shining explained. "My sister, my friends, and I will all comb through the place once again from top to bottom and then from bottom to top. If we find any leads at all, we'll be sure to let you know. In the meantime though, I suggest you all go back home and wait. Maybe take some time to cool off. I promise you, we _will_ find the missing students. And whoever took them _will_ be held accountable!"

Ember eyed the prince with a glare. "Bold words, prince. But actions speak much louder. If you don't find Smolder and the others, or some trace of their whereabouts by sundown, you're gonna learn the hard way what peeved off dragons can really do!"

"Yaks will fight if yaks must! Pony be wise not to tempt yaks." Prince Rutherford cautioned.

"Personally, I don't have much attachment to Gallus. But even so I'm still his guardian on these matters, so you can bet I'll be rightfully mad if he's not found," Grandpa Gruff declared. "Once he's found though he comes back to Griffonstone. Bringing him here was a mistake. And as his guardian, my decision is final."

Thorax left without saying much, he only pleaded. "Please find Ocellus, she's bound to be scared and alone right now."

General Seaspray was the last to depart. His message was brief and blunt. "Queen Novo will hear about this."

* * *

The search began in earnest once the leaders had left the school grounds. Sure enough, in one of the classrooms on the first floor was a note. It read:

 _Dear Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle, and Starlight Glimmer,_

 _I have now taken something precious to you, something guaranteed to bring you shame and damage or destroy your reputation amongst Equestria's allies._

 _That's right, I've got those six missing students of yours. But I'm not telling you where I took them, that wouldn't be any fun. You'll have to figure that out for yourself._

 _Come and get me, I'm waiting for you! I don't really care what becomes of the students, but I'm sure you do._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Queen Chrysalis_

 _P.S.: Only one of you need come. It obviously won't be a fair fight if it's two or three to one._

"I knew it! My hunch was correct!" Shining declared. "That's three times now that Chrysalis has slipped in right under my nose! She sure is a slippery one."

"But what are we going to do now? We still don't know where the students are and we've got less than a day to find them," Twilight commented, before she sighed. "It's really my fault. This school was supposed to help Equestria, but all it's done is jeopardize relations with the allies we've worked so hard to befriend. Maybe Chancellor Neighsay was right. Maybe this school _is_ a disaster."

Starlight shook her head. "Who cares what that hothead thinks?! We've got more important things to worry about than some puffed up head at the EEA breathing down our necks," And she growled. "Chrysalis is doing this to get under our fur. If only I could figure out where she is, I'd go down and give her a piece of my mind. It's me she probably wants, if not for me Thorax never would've deposed her."

"They're my students, this school was my dream, I should be the one to go!" Twilight insisted.

"We can worry about that later," Shining protested. "The most important thing right now is that we keep those leaders from making decisions they'll regret. We're talking about the possibility of war here! Innocent lives are at stake!"

"Well, I believe _I_ can help with that," A familiar voice called out. "After all, you don't get to be second in command of the Storm King's army without learning how to talk your way out of a tight spot."

* * *

Everyone turned to look, and there stood a rather tall and slender looking unicorn mare. Her coat was a noticeable dark orchid in color, and her mane and tail were moderate rose in stiff curls. She had moderate opal eyes, but where her horn should be there was only a small stub and a scar across her right eye. Her cutie mark was also not visible, for she wore a set of dark blue armor with white crescent moons stitched onto it.

Shining smiled, he recognized this mare at once. "Tempest!" He fondly exclaimed, embracing her in a hug. "It's been so long since I've seen you! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Tempest modestly smiled. "I figured I was finally ready to come to Ponyville. I had hoped for it to be under better circumstances though, but it seems that just when I thought I was done with my military past it pulls me right back into the thick of it."

Meanwhile, Starlight eyed the newcomer with concern. "What's with the armor? I've only seen it on Princess Luna's personal guard."

"And yours truly is a member of them!" Tempest proudly declared. "It's a long story. Basically, I helped Princess Luna take down some great evil one night, and as a reward she sent my teammates and I these suits of armor to wear. I wear it proudly now, to show that I've put the past behind me. I don't work for the Storm King anymore, so there's no point in wearing the armor he commissioned for his forces. Besides, this one feels more colorful and full of life. Like me."

"We could certainly use your help, Tempest," Twilight commented. "This time we're really in over our heads. We've got to find six missing students kidnapped by Queen Chrysalis, stop said former queen's desire for revenge and maybe capture her for good, convince a bunch of angry leaders not to go to war, _and_ do it all within twenty four hours so Chancellor Neighsay doesn't shudder this school for good."

"Wow!" Was all Tempest could bring herself to say.

Shining nodded with a nervous laugh. "Yup, we've certainly got our hooves full. But with you, Tempest, at the least I think we can convince the leaders to swear off war over this. For now at least."

Tempest smiled. "Hey, I still owe you a great debt of thanks for helping me see the error of my ways. I'll do anything to help you out."

"Excellent," The prince declared. "You can go to two of the leaders most in need of convincing, and I'll handle the other three. I was thinking I could handle Grandpa Gruff in Griffonstone, Dragon Lord Ember in the dragon lands, and Prince Rutherford in Yakyakistan. And you could visit Thorax in the changeling hive, as well as go to Mount Aris to talk to Queen Novo. Thorax probably doesn't need convincing but at this point I'll leave nothing to chance."

"Uh, I'm sorry, Prince," Tempest nervously replied. "I must've misheard. You said you want me to go to Mount Aris, but that can't be right."

Shining shook his head. "You didn't mishear, that's exactly what I want. You haven't dealt with Rutherford or Ember before, and Grandpa Gruff is going to be difficult even for me. How could I possibly tell Queen Novo that I failed to protect her niece after I already betrayed her trust once before?"

Tempest gulped. "But you don't understand! I led the invading force that drove the hippogriffs underwater! Novo knows that! If I go back to Mount Aris, she'll kill me!"

"Not if you explain yourself and show that you've truly changed. Besides, Novo is many things but a killer isn't one of them," Shining commented. "And if she lays even one claw on you, she'll answer to me. If you've truly put your past behind you, then confronting your legacy and showing how much you've changed shouldn't be a problem."

Tempest reluctantly sighed. "Well... I'll do my best... but no promises!"


	176. Chapter 176: Tempest's Plea

Tempest found herself feeling incredibly nervous as she approached Mount Aris. Despite the fact that it seemed to have rebounded from the invasion stronger than ever, being so close to the source of her past as a merciless, heartless commander did nothing to lift the unicorn's spirits. " _I'd rather be dead!_ " She thought to herself. " _How can I even begin to look Queen Novo in the eye after all I did? Tell her that she can trust me? This has to be the dumbest thing I've ever agreed to! Even dumber than siding with the Storm King just because I wanted my horn back!_ "

Tempest was about to do just that, when several hippogriffs descended and surrounded her at spear point. "Don't move," Captain Sky Beak coldly hissed. "You're coming with us. And you'd best hope Queen Novo has mercy on you, for your sake."

"But isn't she sick with the flu?" Tempest questioned. "Wouldn't I just contract it too?"

Captain Sky Beak shook his head. "Nice try. The flu for hippogriffs isn't the same as the flu for ponies. She couldn't make you sick even if she wanted to. Now come on, we mustn't keep Queen Novo waiting."

With armed hippogriffs surrounding her and silently judging her, Tempest didn't dare to make a move on her own. She reluctantly cooperated as she was led through Mount Aris and up to the summit where Queen Novo's throne resided. The queen's face appeared drained of color and an ice pack rested atop her head, but aside from those details you never would've guessed that she was sick.

Novo immediately locked eyes on her visitor and was anything but pleased. "I recognize you. The Storm King's second in command. Come to finish what you started all those years ago?"

"Even you must know the Storm King is nomore," Tempest shook her head and let out a sigh. "Look, Novo, I know you don't trust me..."

"-You're right, I don't," Novo immediately retorted. "After everything you've done, give me one good reason why I shouldn't imprison you and place you on trial for your crimes? And don't say it's because Prince Shining Armor sent you. I respect him but he has a tendency to be a little too idealistic in wanting to see the good in others. Not everyone can be saved."

The unicorn struggled not to let the harshness of the queen's remarks get to her. If she lost her temper, Tempest knew that there was no hope for her. "I'm not the same cold, cruel pony I was when I served the Storm King. The armor I now wear is proof enough that I'm a different pony. One who wants simply to wipe the slate clean and start anew," She pleaded. "I've had a lot of time to think since the Storm King was defeated and his remains deposed of. I've come to realize that the past can't be changed. Nothing can bring back what's already been lost."

Novo nodded. "Very true. You all of ponies should know what I lost because of the Storm King. The sacrifices made and the price paid simply to ensure the survival of my kind," Her tone of voice became bitter and tinged with regret. "Not a day goes by where I don't wish the invasion had never happened, that we would've continued to live in peace here on Mount Aris. Of course, I know that's wishful thinking."

"For the longest time I felt the same way about my horn," Tempest explained. "I told myself I'd be willing to pay any price and bear any burden if it meant I could have it back. I allowed myself to do terrible things because of that. But you know what I've learned now?"

"What?" Novo questioned.

Tempest let out a sigh. "It wasn't worth it. My horn would've never been worth all the pain and suffering I dealt out to others. It took everything I had to look deep into that abyss and realize what I'd become. And now, you're about to cross the same threshold."

"So the prince has sent you here to discourage me from searching for my niece, has he?" Novo retorted as her eyes narrowed. "Well you can tell him to forget it! I won't rest until my niece is safe and sound, and I don't care what I have to do to get her back."

"Even war?" Tempest questioned. "Do you honestly think your niece would be okay with that just because you wanted to find her? Is all that pain and suffering going to be justified if your niece is the only one safe and sound? I would hope not."

"And what would you have me do, Tempest?! If I have the power to save my niece, why shouldn't I use it?!" Novo demanded as she pounded a claw. "If I just sit around and wait for others to save me, I'll have learned nothing from the Storm King's invasion!"

"But don't you see? You're becoming just as bad as the Storm King!" Tempest protested with a shake of her head. "War is not the answer, no matter what you might think! What if you go after the wrong guy or fail to find your niece despite ripping up the entire world?! What happens then? You've already made everyone either fear you or despise you, when you could've had a chance to show restraint," She then added. "Please. I know you're upset. I know your niece means a lot to you. But getting Silverstream back isn't going to be worth the pain and suffering you'll cause if you go to war over her. Think of this as your chance to be better than your enemies, to show that you don't answer one act of aggression with another. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

Novo was silent for several minutes, seemingly deep in thought. Tempest spoke not a word, in fact she began to slowly step back.

But before Tempest could even think of fleeing, Novo threw up a claw and answered. "You make a valid point, Tempest. Silverstream wouldn't want this, no matter who might have taken her. The world may be cruel and unforgiving, but that's no reason for me to be the same. Maybe I can't completely change how the world works, but at the least I can try to lead by example. Show how things should be, not how things are."

Tempest bowed her head, breathing a sigh of relief. "Oh thank you, your majesty!"

"But," Novo added with caution. "I will not negotiate with a hostage taker unless all other options are exhausted. While I may rule out war, I can't rule out the threat of violence as a tool to strengthen my position. If any demands are made and I feel I have a chance to rescue my niece before something bad happens to her, I won't hesitate to take it. So you and the prince had better hope you can find my niece and the other students before it's too late. You were entrusted with their well being, so it's time to show you take that responsibility seriously."

Tempest gulped but still nodded. "I understand, your majesty."

* * *

When Tempest returned to Ponyville a short time later, she got some good news and some bad.

"With some help from Cadence I was able to discourage the yaks from attacking, at least for now," Shining reported. "Unfortunately, the griffons and the dragons are still quite insistent that unless we can find the missing students and rescue them safely within the next couple of hours, they'll take action on their own regardless of who gets in their way. And Thorax fears that when they learn Chrysalis is behind all of this, they'll blame him and attack the changeling hive which has no way to defend itself against such an invading force."

"It's all my fault!" Terramar complained. "If I hadn't drank all that kelp juice, I would've been with them and I could've prevented them from being abducted. Now my own sister's a prisoner."

But Gilda nudged Terramar with a claw. "Hey, you can't be thinking like that, kid. There was nothing you could've done. Had you been there with them, you would've been taken as well."

Terramar looked back at the griffon. "How can you sound so calm about all of this? I thought you and Gallus were close!"

Gilda nodded. "We are, kid. But I've learned that it doesn't help to get all emotional at times like this. The old me would've already lashed out at others, and that wouldn't have helped at all. In situations like this the key is to remain calm, then you're not as likely to make mistakes or rash decisions."

"But my sister is out there, somewhere, and I have no idea where she is." Terramar glumly remarked.

"Don't worry, kid. I know these ponies well enough to know that they'll find a solution soon enough!" Gilda firmly declared.

And sure enough, Twilight arrived a moment later with a smile on her face. "Good thing I saved the blueprints for the school," She showed them off to everyone. "Apparently, there are crystal catacombs inside the mountain this school was built into. Catacombs that are vast and magical, or so they say."

"Sounds like the perfect place for an ex-queen like Chrysalis to hide," Shining realized. "But how do we gain access to said catacombs?"

"That... I don't know. There must be a secret passage or something somewhere in the school though," Twilight commented. "So we'd better start looking for it! We've only a short time left before it's too late!"


	177. Chapter 177: Rescued!

The six students were indeed in the crystal catacombs, currently being held prisoner by a very angry Queen Chrysalis (ex-queen according to Ocellus).

They were all bound up inside of cocoons, unable to move or do much of anything except talk. All the while, Chrysalis was smirking with triumphant as she strolled happily back and forth in front of them. "All of the pieces are falling into place," She grinned. "Soon all will learn how dangerous a former queen can be. And what once was lost to me shall be returned! I'll enjoy watching them squirm and suffer."

"How can you do this to other creatures, Chrysalis?" Ocellus pleaded. "Your feud is with Thorax and Shining Armor, not with us."

Sandbar added. "You think you're so tough?! Just you wait, Prince Shining Armor and his friends will come! They'll stop you!"

Chrysalis cackled with fiendish glee. "I wouldn't be so sure of that. I've been planning this, and you are merely pawns in my little game. It doesn't matter whether Shining Armor sends his sister, his student, or himself to face me, none of them will figure out what I'm _really_ up until it's too late."

"That supposed to scare us?" Smolder rolled her eyes. "Whatever you're planning won't work. We dragons don't take kindly to scum like you."

At that, Chrysalis hissed. "Don't you dare talk back to me like that!" She rattled Smolder's cocoon. "You'd be wise to remember that so long as I'm down here with you, you are at my mercy! I could make an example out of you, I could drain your love and turn you against the others."

"That'd be better than listening to one of your speeches," Smolder taunted. "You're all like 'Oh, poor me. I got my sorry butt kicked by my subjects because I was starving them on purpose. Now I'm mad and want revenge, so I'll just kidnap a bunch of random creatures and go from there.' If I weren't in here, I could totally take you!"

"Really? Well then, why don't I let you out of that cocoon and you'll see just how dangerous I can _really_ be!" Chrysalis vowed. But just before she opened Smolder's cocoon she stopped herself. "Nice try, little dragon. I won't fall for that trick. You and your friends aren't getting out of here! Not until I get what I want!"

Gallus rolled his eyes. "We're not friends, we don't even know each other. The only reason any of us even came to this school is because our leaders said we had to. Or in Sandbar's case, because his uncle thought it'd be a way for him to impress the ladies."

"Well it doesn't really matter to me what you are or where you came from," Chrysalis grinned. "All that matters is that you're valuable enough for those pesky do gooders to come and rescue you. And when they do, I'll make them pay! Pay for ever _daring_ to make a fool of me! And then I'll crush Thorax for dessert!"

"You mean King Thorax. Haven't you heard, he's our leader now. And we would sooner starve than submit to the likes of you!" Ocellus roared in defiance. "You give changelings a bad name! It's because of you that ponies still look down on us!"

"Better to be feared than to be loved! To be loved is to be weak!" Chrysalis coldly hissed. "Fear is the only thing anyone ever understands."

Sandbar piped up. "That's what _you_ understand! And that's why you're not queen anymore! You've already been defeated twice, what makes you think you'll come out on top this time?!"

Chrysalis simply grinned. "If I told you what my plan is, you'd try to figure out a way to stop me. You'd blab to your rescuers as soon as they got close. This time, I'll have the element of surprise and the battle will be on _my_ terms!"

"I would not count on it, Chrysalis, former queen of the changelings!" A powerful, echoing voice declared.

Chrysalis spun around in time to see the familiar face of Shining Armor standing before her. She thought nothing of the fact that he was glowing and sparkling. "Ah, so you've come for your new students, prince? How very foolish of you to come here alone. These catacombs shall become your prison!"

But Shining Armor simply replied. "I do not come here to fight you, Chrysalis. I have simply come for the students you have wrongfully imprisoned. Release them at once!"

"You're in no position to make demands to me, prince!" Chrysalis bellowed in fury, her horn lighting up. "The only way to rescue the students is to go through me! I _will_ have my revenge!"

"A poor decision on your part, you have forced my hoof." Shining Armor declared as a powerful gust of wind suddenly enveloped the catacombs.

Chrysalis suddenly found herself struggling just to stand upright in the raging tempest! "What is the meaning of this?! You're supposed to fight me!"

"I told you that I will not fight you, Chrysalis," Shining Armor explained, his tone of voice not changing in the slightest. "You are the one who insists on getting in the way. So I am simply removing you from this situation the only way I know how."

There was a blinding flash, and Chrysalis was thrown against one of the catacomb walls! She fell to the ground and collapsed into unconsciousness. At the same time the cocoons opened up, the six students were freed!

* * *

"You must come with me at once," Shining Armor instructed to the students. "I will lead you all to safety."

"You mean take us back to the school!" Gallus corrected. "Look, no offense, prince, but some of us don't really care for friendship. It's just not in our nature, so what's the point? How's a griffon like me, or a dragon like Smolder ever supposed to learn about friendship?"

Shining Armor commented with concern. "It is as I feared, you are not yet one. You do not believe friendship is in your nature. Why?"

Smolder snorted, blowing smoke from her nostrils. "Because some of us don't understand the first thing about friendship. We've spent our entire lives up to this point not needing friendship, so who are you to tell us otherwise?"

"That is not acceptable!" Shining declared as the powerful wind gust from before returned, the prince's voice echoing through the catacombs.

Silverstream became concerned as she noticed something. "You guys... I don't think that's Prince Shining Armor! He's glowing!"

"How would you know what he looks like?" Ocellus questioned. "All of us have never seen him before."

"Not all of us! I was on Mount Aris when he came to visit us a few months back," Silverstream explained. "He wasn't glowing back then. Do ponies glow, Sandbar? Is this a pony thing?"

Sandbar gulped and nervously shook his head. "I'm... I'm not sure but I don't think so! E-even so, isn't it better to go with whoever _this_ is rather than stay and let Chrysalis keep us prisoner?"

"Maybe, but why can't we take a third option?" Gallus suggested. "Let's just stay down here until everyone gives up looking for us. We can all go our separate ways and pretend that none of this ever happened."

"Yona not like that option! Yona want out of creepy catacombs!" Yona protested. "Yak have other yaks back home, Yona want to see them again!"

Smolder arched an eyebrow upward at the prince (or whatever it was that looked like him). "If this is some kind of test to make us get along, it's not working."

"A test? Yes, of course," The projection of the prince declared. "You shall each be tested to see if you are worthy. There is but one way out of here, a vent not far from here that leads back to the school. By morning it shall be closed up for good. Finish your test before then and you are free to go. Fail the test, however, and here you shall all stay. Let us begin." And before any of the students could say anything protest, there was a blinding flash of light and one by one they were all whisked away somewhere.


	178. Chapter 178: A Test?

One by one each of the students found their bearings, realizing they'd been cut off from the others. So they quickly set to work on exploring their surroundings in hopes of finding any sort of way out.

In the distance, Silverstream could've sworn she saw something staring back at her through the waterfall. Without a second thought she rushed through it, only to find that what awaited her on the other side was very familiar to her. "Mount Aris? Wait, did the prince send me home? Hello? Anygriff here? Mom? Dad? Terramar? Aunt Novo?" There was no reply but the hippogriff wasn't too worried. "They must all be topside or something."

She ducked into a nearby cave, only to hear a distant but growing growl. The growl filled the young hippogriff with worry. By chance she happened to turn around and saw an ominous looking shadow appear. Silverstream let out a scream as she transformed into her seapony state and dove for cover behind a rock. The shadow grew larger, surrounding itself with several smaller shadows. But what really clued Silverstream in on the identity of the shadow, was a pair of brilliant opal eyes. "The Storm King?! He's back?! But that can't be! You were destroyed!"

The shadow of the Storm King only laughed. "Did you really think I'd be done in so easily, by one of my one inventions no less? Foolish child."

Silverstream gulped. "I'm... I'm not scared of you."

"Now now, one mustn't lie," The Storm King scolded. "Your eyes betray you, I see much fear in them. And this time, your queen isn't here to save you. And neither is anyone else. Now, kneel before your new king."

"Never! I'd sooner die than call you my king!" Silverstream vowed even as her voice cracked.

The Storm King simply growled again. "Insolent child! You shall soon learn what happens to those who dare defy me."

* * *

Gallus was the next one to regain his bearings. He found himself trapped in what looked like a pretty big room full of crystals, but there was no sign of an exit. Also, there seemed to be several colored rays of light, but the griffon thought nothing of them.

"Okay. So I'm in some random big room and there's no exit," Gallus told himself. "Big deal. I'll find my way out of here in no time at all."

But as he spoke the griffon's paw swiped one of the purple rays of light. With an audible rumble the crystals began to contract and close in on him.

Gallus backed up in horror as sweat started to pour down his face! "Okay, not cool! I don't wanna be a griffon pancake!"

* * *

Unlike Silverstream and Gallus, Yona had ended up in a dark cave with only the occasional flickering light to guide her. And it seemed like there were traces of webs of some kind.

The yak slowly made her way through the caves, trying not to show how scared she really was. "Nothing for yak to be afraid of. Just empty cave. Nothing in here can ever hurt—"

But just then a faint skittering sound reached the yak's ears. Yona spun around and her worst fears were confirmed, several spiders were dangling from the ceiling and staring right back at her! "S-s-spiders!" She screamed in horror as the spiders chittered.

* * *

Smolder had already come to her senses and was flying through the narrow passageways to try and find her way out, all the while she was grumbling to herself. "Ugh. Things like this just don't happen in the Dragon Lands. This has to be the worst school I've ever been in! Ponies being nice to me, crazy former queens kidnapping me, and glowing princes telling me friendship's in my nature. I mean, friendship isn't bad but I don't see why I should care about it. No one's ever really cared about me," Then, up ahead she saw what appeared to be an opening. She flew through it only to find two bubbly pink coated ponies in fancy dresses, talking in the most annoyingly cute voices possible. "What the-" Smolder began, a little too loudly.

"Ohhh! Aren't you just the most adorable little thing I ever did see?" One of the ponies asked. "Come join us. You must be thirsty, so how does tea sound?"

Smolder shook her head. "No. On so many levels. No. I'm out of here!" And she flew away, hoping to forget all about it. But a short time later she found herself somehow ending up back in the same room with the same ponies. "Huh? How did I end up back here?! Are you ghosts or something?"

The other pony just giggled. "No, we're not ghosts, silly. Come sit by me, and let's compliment each other! Don't you wanna be nice and pretty, like us?"

Smolder groaned. " _It's like my worst nightmare come to life! How am I supposed to get out of this?_ " She thought.

* * *

Ocellus had already come to her senses and was trying to find a way out. She found it odd though that the catacombs seemed to resemble the interior of the changeling hive as it used to look.

But suddenly, two changelings in black instead of the usual colors appeared before her. Ocellus gasped! "W-why do you look like that? You're not supposed to look like that!"

The first changeling simply answered. "What do you mean? We've always looked this way. We're all the same."

Ocellus whimpered. "Not me."

The other changeling then replied. "Duh, of course not you... your majesty!"

"What?!" Ocellus gasped in horror!

The changelings simply bowed their heads. "It's okay. We'll go drain the love from all those pathetic ponies in Ponyville just as you ordered. That'll make you feel like your old queeny self again."

Ocellus looked down at her hooves, seeing that they were black and full of holes! Horrified, she turned around and saw her reflection staring back at her in a mirror! She had transformed into Queen Chrysalis! "Noooo! This can't be happening!" She shrieked.

* * *

While all of this was going on, Sandbar found himself facing not some horrifying or embarrassing event but two very familiar ponies: Big Macintosh and Thunderlane.

"Sandbar, thank heavens! Been lookin' all over for ya!" Big Macintosh exclaimed with relief!

"You have? But what about the others?" Sandbar questioned.

Thunderlane shook his head. "Haven't seen them and there's no time for that! There's an emergency brewing in Ponyville, and we need your help!"

Sandbar let out a gasp! "You mean, it's my first friendship adventure?! Oh, if only my Uncle Feather Bangs could see me now!"

"Well you want to make him proud, don't ya?" Big Macintosh asked the colt. "Come on, let's get a move on! Time's runnin' out!"

Sandbar was about to take a step forward, but then he hesitated. "Hey, I can't just leave the other students down here. We were all together, then this glowing version of Prince Shining Armor showed up and we all got separated. It said something about a test."

Big Macintosh and Thunderlane exchanged glances of confusion, and Thunderlane replied. "You must be imagining things, Sandbar. I assure you, we'll find the other students in due time. But for right now your help is needed. All of Equestria may be depending on you."

Reluctantly, Sandbar followed the two stallions. " _I'm sure the others will be fine. The prince and his friends wouldn't abandon them down here. They're not like that, right?_ " He thought to himself.

* * *

Gallus wasn't having much luck back where he was. It seemed like the walls were growing smaller and smaller with each passing second, and the young griffon found himself hyper ventilating as a result. "I'm too young to die!" He protested. "Why did this have to happen to me?!"

But then he hit himself with one of his paws. "Aah! Come on, Gallus. You gotta keep it together!" He gave himself a mental pep talk. "You can do this! Griffons never show weakness." He took some deep breaths, only to suddenly sneeze and fly backward, causing the walls to contract even more!

"Gah! Not good, not good!" Gallus whimpered. "Come on, think! What would the others do if they were in this situation?" The only one whose mentality the griffon thought would be helpful in this situation turned out to be Sandbar. "Sandbar never lets anything phase him, he's always so cool and collected. If he were here, he'd probably stay calm and look for a way out. This is just like a puzzle... that will squash you if you don't figure it out."

Then the griffon noticed something. So far he hadn't touched any of the white colored rays of lights. Maybe they held the key? Curiously, he reached out a paw to touch one of them. Touching it caused the walls to expand. "Aha! Here we go!" Gallus declared. "Alright, no pressure. Just open it up and climb out, easy as pie."

It was actually a lot harder than Gallus would've imagined, even though he went out of his way to touch only the white colored rays he still occasionally hit the purple colored ones with his tail. He just barely climbed out before the only exit slammed shut behind him. Once free of his crystal prison he flew away.

* * *

Meanwhile, Smolder had come to a realization about the ponies she was stuck with. "Look, ponies. I have to get out of here and find the others. So just tell me what I have to do to pass this test. I'm not afraid of anything. I'm a dragon, after all! I'm as tough can be!"

"Oh, I don't know about that!" One of the ponies chuckled. "Sounds like she's afraid to ever be cute and adorable, doesn't it?"

"Or maybe she's just afraid to admit that she _likes_ being cute and adorable." The other pony suggested.

The first pony nodded. "Sounds that way to me. She's such a huge tomcolt, so afraid to let her girly side shine."

"Well that's okay, we won't judge her. And neither will those who truly want to get to know her." The other pony said with a giggle.

Sensing that the ponies wouldn't take no for an answer, Smolder reluctantly sighed. "Alright, just this once," She cleared her throat and in the cutest voice she could muster up she asked. " May I have some tea, please, ladies?"

"Aw, how cute. But you can't have tea if you aren't dressed for it. You know that means." The first pony said with an aw.

Smolder sighed. "Okay, fine. But let's keep this between us." A short time later she was dressed up in a fancy blue gown, a matching tiara, and eyeliner, sipping tea from a cup. She let out a giggle.

* * *

Yona wasn't afraid of much, but spiders absolutely terrified her! She tried her best not to let it show as she nervously tried to back away. "A-alright s-spiders. You making Yona angry, you not like Yona when Yona get angry. So you'd best get out of here." She whimpered, her tone of voice betraying any level of threatening she might have otherwise had.

As the spiders descended, Yona ran away as fast as her legs would let her! When at last she was certain she had escaped the spiders she stopped to catch her breath. "Why it have to be spiders?" She asked herself. "Yak no like spiders!"

But then Yona turned around and saw an army of spiders surrounding her. She screamed as she tried to run, only to hit the ground with a thud and the spiders closed in on her location. At the top of her lungs she screamed! "Yona need help! Where other creatures when Yona need them?! Yona not want to be alone!"

Yet all of a sudden the spiders stopped in their tracks, unwilling (or perhaps unable) to move. Suddenly, one of the spiders began to chitter. And to Yona's surprise she could understand what it was trying to say, something about how Yona's screaming and thudding scared them just as much as they scared her. "Yona... no mean to scream," She apologized as she reluctantly held out a hoof. "Yona love making friends. Spiders friends?"

One of the spiders crawled closer to Yona and right up her hoof that she held out. It whispered something to her, much to the yak's surprise. "Wait. What little spider say? Spider want to go home with Yona?"

The spider seemed to chitter happily in response. Yona smiled. "Yona love to bring spider home! Yona make spider pet! Yona shall call spider Spindle."

The spider chittered some more and Yona translated. "Spindle say he and friends know the way? Then Yona follow spiders."

* * *

Having finished their tests, Smolder and Gallus ended up bumping into each other when they both noticed a distant and fading source of light. Above them was a vent that appeared to lead back to the school and safety. But several crystal branches blocked it off, preventing anyone from getting in or out.

Smolder immediately noticed how shaken up Gallus seemed to be. "Are you okay? What happened to you?"

"Uh, what happened to _you_?" Gallus asked. "What's with the get up?"

Smolder blushed as she looked at herself, before throwing off the dress. "You never saw any of that. Got it? Tell a single soul and you're dead!"

Gallus nodded. "Right, I won't tell," Then he turned to the vent. "I think we could get out of here if we really wanted to, those crystals don't look all that tough. The other students probably finished their tests already."

Smolder rolled her yes. "Yeah, that seems likely," She sarcastically rolled her eyes. "They wouldn't abandon us, so we're not gonna abandon them."

"Right, fair point. We're not just any griffon and dragon," Gallus nodded. "We'll have to be quick though, so let's split up! You go that way. I'll check over there." And the two split off to do their own searches.

* * *

Smolder hadn't been on her own for long when she suddenly heard what sounded like sobbing. "Ocellus?" She asked as she recognized the voice.

"Go away! I don't want you to see me like this!" Ocellus protested but refused to step forward.

"Ocellus, come on! Whatever it is, it can't be _that_ bad," Smolder protested. "We've gotta get out of here and back to the school! I didn't come all this way to be told no," But as she rounded a corner, she saw not Ocellus but actually Queen Chrysalis! "No way?! Chrysalis?! Where's Ocellus?! What have you done to her?!"

But through Chrysalis' body Ocellus whimpered and sobbed. "It's me! I'm hideous!"

"What are you talking about? How come you still sound like yourself, Ocellus?" Smolder questioned. "When Chrysalis disguised herself as that photographer we couldn't tell the difference. I thought when you changelings changed, even your voice became whoever you were pretending to be."

"In most cases that's true," Ocellus admitted as she sat down on the ground. "But in cases where we're emotionally distraught or afraid of being caught, our real voice can slip through. Such is how you've found me."

Smolder protested. "Well, just change back to your normal self. What are you waiting for?"

"I can't," Ocellus weakly admitted as she tried to transform but to no avail. "Maybe ponies are right about us after all. Maybe my past was so horrible that it's still inside me just waiting to come out again."

"Come on now, that's nonsense!" Smolder remarked. "That's not who you are anymore. You've changed. You're nothing like that nasty former queen we just escaped from."

Ocellus only weakly shook her head. "But maybe we really can't change that much. Maybe our past always haunts us no matter what we do."

"W-well," Smolder blushed. "I... I sort of..." She muffled her voice before she could say anything else.

"What was that?" Ocellus asked.

The blush grew only brighter on Smolder's face as she blurted out for all to hear! " I like cute, silly stuff! There, I said it! I've realized that sometimes I kinda don't mind cute stuff. Know what I'm saying?" Ocellus just giggled as Smolder explained. "So you see? If a dragon like me can admit she likes tea parties, then that's proof that we _can_ change," Grinning, she added. "I was gonna invite you to a top-secret tea party with me, but if you want to stay down here..."

Ocellus gasped! "Oh! No! I want to come! Just a sec!" And she finally managed to transform back to her normal state.

Smolder smiled. "See? I thought that might work. Come on, let's go!"

* * *

Gallus turned a corner and found himself in a cave with a small pond. "Hello?! Anyone here?!" He called.

Suddenly, Silverstream popped up from beneath the surface and pulled Gallus close, shushing him with a fin as she hid with him behind a rock. "Shhhh! The Storm King will hear you! You can't let him hear you!"

"The Storm King? Silverstream, he was defeated long ago. He's not around anymore," Gallus protested. "We're in some caves beneath the school. I've come to get you out of here."

Silverstream whimpered with fright. "Gallus, this is serious! This isn't time for your jokes! I can't find any hippogriffs or seaponies. They must all be captured!" Then she gasped as she saw Gallus fly up from behind the rock. "Gallus! Get back down here! He'll see you!"

But all Gallus could see was a bunch of rocks. "It's not real, Silverstream. It's just your imagination."

The seapony wasn't convinced. "Of course he's real! He's back, and I'm never gonna see another sunset or fly through a cloud bank or study plumbing or do anything of those things! He's gonna take away everything that I love! I'm gonna be trapped down here forever!"

With a sigh, Gallus confessed. "I'm afraid of being trapped too. Being trapped in small spaces scares me like nothing else."

"Really? You? Afraid? I always thought you griffons were fearless." Silverstream pondered.

"It's all just an act," Gallus admitted. "I was stuck in a room that kept shrinking. But I realized I had to face my fear, and I found the way out. This is _your_ test, Silverstream. The Storm King isn't really here, he can't hurt you."

Silverstream gulped. "But what if he is real? What if he _can_ hurt me?"

"He won't on my watch! I'll see to that!" Gallus vowed. "Think of this as your chance, your chance to let him know what you _really_ think of him."

"A-alright, wish me luck," Silverstream gulped again as she turned into her hippogriff form. "Uh, hey! Storm King! That's right, I'm talking to you!"

The Storm King turned around. "Ah, so you've finally stopped hiding."

"That's right, because I'm not afraid of a bully like you!" Silverstream protested as she fought back the tears. "You're nothing but a big old bully with a silly name and a... and a goofy crown! You thought you could scare us into doing whatever you wanted! That you could make us live in fear! But we learned that together, we're stronger than you! So now that you're gone, we're not going to let you control our lives anymore! The hippogriffs will never again be prisoners or slaves! We won't even give you another thought for as long as we live!"

"What?! How dare you talk to me like that! No one talks back to me!" The Storm King growled in protest. "Perhaps I need to teach a naughty child like you a lesson!"

Silverstream just roared back. "The lesson is over, Storm King! You're dead and you can't threaten me anymore! I have friends now, friends who care about me! And that's something you'll never have!"

Just like that, the shadow of the Storm King faded. Except it turned out to be a pile of rocks.

Silverstream could hardly contain her excitement as she flew down and hugged Gallus tightly! "Oh! Thank you so much for that, Gallus! That felt so good! I sure told him, didn't I?!"

Gallus nervously laughed. "Okay. Heh. Hug time later. W-We still have to get back to the school. I know the way, follow me!"

* * *

Ocellus and Silverstream arrived back at the entrance to the catacombs with Smolder and Gallus, but two of the group were still unaccounted for. "Where are Yona and Sandbar?" Silverstream asked.

Ocellus became alarmed! "The way out is closing! Time's almost up!"

But Smolder protested. "We're not leaving without them! We all got into this mess together, and we're all gonna get out of it together! Guess we'll have to split up again."

But just then, Yona came in with a huge army of spiders following her. "Yona find friends!" She happily exclaimed! "Other creatures friends!"

Everyone else screamed and Silverstream questioned. "Hey, Yona. Who's your... spider army?"

Yona smiled. "Yona always scared of spiders. But then Yona meet Spindle and take him home as pet. Yona realize there no reason to be afraid. Spiders and yak friends! So Yona ask new friends to help with finding other friends!"

"G-great," Gallus nervously replied. "Do you think your new friends can help us find Sandbar? We can't leave without him."

One of the spiders chittered, Yona translated. "Spindle says he knows where pony can be found. He'll lead the way!"

* * *

While all of that was going on, Sandbar was beginning to have his doubts about the whole "friendship adventure" he was on. It seemed like he'd been going in circles. "Please, stop!" He protested. "I'm not going anywhere until I find the others! They're probably looking for me right now."

"Sandbar, the other creatures can take care of themselves! Think about your own well being for a change!" Thunderlane protested. "We didn't come all the way down here only to be told you didn't want to be rescued."

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh responded. "Are you really that selfish? Don't try to be a hero, kid. Leave everythin' to the grown-ups. Honestly, if you're gonna be like this then you're such a disappointment."

At that Sandbar stopped, digging in his heels as he protested with tears in his eyes! "How could you say such things?! I've looked up to you guys, idolized you, wanted to be just like you! You would never turn your backs on each other, and that's what makes you strong. Now I have a group of creatures I consider my friends. Friends that I think are every bit as amazing as yours. So if I have to give up on them to make you proud, then I guess you aren't the ponies I thought you were. And if that's the case I don't care if I disappoint you. _You_ disappoint _me_!"

As soon as he spoke those words, Big Macintosh and Thunderlane vanished in a flash of light, as if they had never been there to begin with. It took Sandbar but a moment to realize what had happened. " _They weren't real! They were part of my test! That glowing version of the prince wanted to see if I'd abandon the others for my own desires!_ "

The other creatures had arrived in time to see Sandbar tell off the illusions. Unaware of the fact that they were illusions, Silverstream asked Sandbar. "Did you actually just tell our professors you were disappointed in them?"

Sandbar shook his head. "Those weren't actually our professors. Besides, they tried to get between me and my friends. I'd never let that happen!"

"Well that's very sweet of you. Now, can we please get out of here?!" Smolder demanded.

* * *

The six creatures that now considered themselves friends returned to the catacomb entrance only to find the vent still blocked.

Just then the shimmering, glowing version of Shining Armor appeared before them. "Ah, so you have all passed your tests. I hoped you would, and I am pleased to see that my hope was not misplaced."

"You're not really Prince Shining Armor, are you?!" Sandbar realized and when the projection shook its head the colt demanded. "So who or what are you?!"

"You know the answer to that, do you not?" The projection answered.

Ocellus gasped! "Of course, you're the Tree of Harmony!"

"Wait a minute, let me get this straight," Silverstream pondered. "The Tree of Harmony turned into a sparkly version of the prince in order to talk to us? Did I miss something?"

The projection simply replied. "Like all living things, I change as I grow. And as I have changed, so too have my abilities."

"But why did you trap us in these catacombs with our worst fears?!" Gallus demanded.

"Like I said, it was a test," The projection explained. "You chose what you saw in my roots, not me."

"And our friendship is what got us through your challenges!" Sandbar realized, before he nervously answered. "But, what if any of us had failed? Would you have actually kept us down here?"

The projection shook its head. "Of course not. I would never intentionally harm another creature, no matter what. Had you failed I would have stepped in to save you as I did with Chrysalis. I would have returned you to the school and you would never remember any of this. But if you had known all of this from the start you would never have had the courage to face your fears," Then it declared. "Now, however, you know that friendship _is_ in your nature. So do not ever doubt that. As promised, I will let you all pass safely through this vent." The crystal branches parted, allowing the students to climb up.

Just before leaving the catacombs, Gallus turned to Sandbar and asked. "We just got tested on friendship by a sentient, sparkling tree, didn't we?"

Sandbar grinned. "You _could_ say that."


	179. Chapter 179: A Chancellor Too Far

The vent didn't just lead back to the school, it led to the school's library. When the students were safely on friendly ground again, the vent closed up behind them.

"So, I guess we're all friends now?" Gallus commented to the others who all nodded in approval.

Silverstream could barely contain her excitement! "Oh, this is so awesome! Best first day of school ever! I get to make new friends, get rescued by a glowing projection from a tree, and tell off the Storm King for being such a jerk! If there's an afterlife, I hope he suffers like he made us suffer!" Then the hippogriff blushed. "Sorry, don't know how that slipped out. I'm just so happy to be alive now!"

Ocellus breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm just glad we're as far away from Chrysalis as possible and that she's not a threat anymore."

Yona, meanwhile, held out the spider she had befriended down in the caves. "Yona can't wait to show professors new pet! Yona never have pet before."

Sandbar simply smiled. "Guess it goes to show that friendship truly _is_ magic. If it's possible for the six of us to become friends despite never meeting each other before today, it's no wonder it's done so many wonderful things for Equestria and beyond! Looking forward to a terrific school year with all of you."

"Whatever, just don't act surprised if I end up needing to borrow your notes, Sandbar," Smolder replied. "Friendship might be in my nature, but that doesn't mean it comes naturally. There's still so much we don't know about it."

Just then, Shining Armor happened to stumble upon the group of six and when he did he breathed an immediate sigh of relief. "Oh, there you all are. Thank goodness you're all okay!"

"All thanks to the Tree of Harmony! Did you know it could make a projection of you?" Silverstream asked the prince.

"What are you talking about?" Shining questioned.

"It's a long story, prince," Sandbar responded with a giggle. "Basically, the Tree of Harmony turned into a sparkling version of you to save us all from Chrysalis. And then it tested us so that we'd see friendship was indeed in our nature."

"Well, I'm glad you've all managed to befriend one another," The alicorn firmly replied. "You couldn't have come at a better time! Chancellor Neighsay was just about to shut down this school for good and the leaders of the other nations were about to go to war to find you all. No time to explain, we've got to get out front before something horrible happens!"

* * *

The students followed Shining to the front of the school where they saw a tall, slender unicorn stallion with a very light gray coat. He wore a dark red robe with a gold medallion around his neck, his mane and tail were dark gray in color and styled short, and his moderate turquoise eyes reflected a look of strong disapproval. Disapproval currently directed at the leaders of the other nations, and at Twilight Sparkle.

"Chancellor Neighsay, esteemed leaders," Shining Armor spoke up. "The missing students have been found safe. As you can clearly see, no harm has come to them," Then he turned to Neighsay. "You know what that means, right? My sister and I have proven that the well being of our students comes first. Finding them was our only priority. You'd be hard pressed to justify shuddering the school for good after that."

Twilight smiled and added. "Chancellor, if you please, I need you to step aside. If you don't classes will start late."

But Neighsay hissed. "The EEA has spoken and none shall pass! This changes nothing! Though you may have found your missing students, they still disappeared under your watch and I cannot overlook that! Besides, it doesn't change my point about the teachers and the level of understaffing going on. For the greater good of Equestria, this school shall never be allowed to open. Allowing dangerous and unpredictable creatures to share in that which is extremely vital to the well being of Equestria? I can't even _begin_ to count the number of ways _that_ could go wrong."

Ember growled, her eyes narrowing. "Unpredictable?! I'll show _you_ unpredictable, Neighsay! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't burn you to a crisp right this instant?!"

Prince Rutherford stomped his hooves down in protest. "Yaks will not be insulted by puny pony! If pony thinks he can take yak, let pony try!"

Even Thorax seemed to have lost patience for he remarked rather coldly. "You've got a lot of nerve calling _me_ unpredictable, Neighsay! I've worked hard to change the reputation of the changelings, but I guess it will never be good enough for the likes of you!"

Fortunately, Princess Celestia was on hoof to quell the leaders. "Everyone, please. Let's be civil about this," She advised and turned to Neighsay. "Chancellor, don't you think you should learn not to make a public spectacle of yourself like this? Your actions could provoke an international incident, which is the last thing any of us needs. I don't think you need to be reminded of the fact that Equestria has still not fully recovered from the Storm King's invasion."

Neighsay stubbornly protested. "Princess, I respect your authority greatly, but on this I'm afraid even you seem to be mistaken. A school like this? It could never work! How could friendship ever be taught to these other creatures?"

Celestia couldn't help but adopt a rather smug expression as she replied. "Funny, I seem to remember similar arguments among our kind when it was decided that all three pony tribes should be united, and ruled by a single leader. Heck, I seem to remember quite a few heads at the EEA who were convinced a school in my name to teach students in advanced magical feats would never work. But would you say they were right now?"

"That's different, Princess Celestia!" Neighsay declared. "None of those ran the risk of endangering the well being of Equestria. This one does, and so long as I'm head of the EEA, I will _never_ grant accreditation to it."

Twilight sighed. "It's really a shame you had to say that, Neighsay. You've forced me to play my trump card," She proceeded to slam down a massive book that Neighsay didn't recognize. "My school won't be an EEA school, it won't abide by the standards of the EEA that _you_ think all schools should have. Friendship can't be taught in a traditional school setting, and if this is the only way I can ensure you won't sabotage it then you leave me little choice. I assure you, though, my school _will_ help to protect Equestria. I'll hire more teachers, streamline the courses, and ensure there are guidelines and a code of conduct in place for the students."

Then Shining Armor added. "Looks like it's checkmate for you, Chancellor. And know that I take no pleasure in telling you this," In a serious tone of voice he added. "Now you've already made quite a scene out here today, including comments that could've provoked conflict with Equestria's allies. I'm sure Princess Celestia is already planning to discuss with the EEA how best to control the damage you will cause to its reputation. I would hope even you wouldn't want to risk forever losing your title and reputation for the sake of a personal agenda. Like you told my sister, you could be a great ally. And I didn't become the Prince of Friendship without making an honest effort to make an ally out of what could've been an enemy."

* * *

There was a long pause, no one spoke a word for quite a while. At last Neighsay broke the silence as he reluctantly spoke. "I suppose you have me on that, prince. You win this round. Perhaps my judgement was 'clouded' by personal beliefs. But I still stand by my assertion that this school was a disaster, and I won't rest until it's shut down for good!"

"Yeah? And I won't rest until you lose that 'no holds barred' attitude of yours, so I guess we're even," Shining grinned. "Make no mistake though, I better not catch you within even ten feet of this school without a good reason. If I do, I'll see to it that you are made an example of. I think stripping you of your title and forcing you to enroll here would be a suitable punishment in those circumstances. And you wouldn't want that, would you?"

Neighsay shook his head. "No I wouldn't. But don't celebrate yet, prince. You haven't seen or heard the last of me. I'll be back. Might be tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that. But you can be assured that I _will_ have my way."

"And just what are you going to do tomorrow, Chancellor, might I ask?" Shining innocently questioned.

"What I'll be doing every day from now on, trying to find a way to get your sister's school shut down!" Neighsay vowed. "So watch your step! And don't think your threats scare me either, if you punish me without going through the proper channels it'll be _you_ who oversteps his boundaries." Then he lit up his horn, vanishing through a portal he had conjured up.

Princess Celestia sighed. "You let me worry about the soon to be ex-chancellor, Shining," She advised. "It's a shame that it has come to this. I had hoped Neighsay would see sense and learn to moderate his views. Alas, it seems there are some who are too stubborn to change no matter what."

"You don't really think he'll try to sabotage the school, do you?" Shining nervously asked the princess. "Neighsay struck me as many things, but an idiot wasn't one of them."

Celestia shook her head. "I know Neighsay. He talks a big game, but in reality he wields little in the way of actual power. Once he loses his title and word gets out as to why that is, I doubt he'll have much support from anyone. I just hope that when he gets that long overdue dose of humility, he takes it to heart. I've seen many leaders and department heads in my time fall from the light, and I'd hate for Neighsay to be one of them," Then she adopted a more cheerful tone of voice. "But you can't worry about that. Focus on the here and now, you've got a school with several new students to help run. And I'm thoroughly convinced it'll be fantastic!"

"Assuming the other leaders allow their students to stay," The prince replied with noticeable concern in his tone of voice. "After what happened with Chrysalis, and after Neighsay's remarks, I wouldn't blame them if they decided not to trust us."

However, to the prince's surprise Ember declared. "Smolder can stay, so long as you promise she doesn't get kidnapped again. Just because she's a fire breathing, thick scaled dragon doesn't mean she's invincible."

Smolder jumped into the air and cheered. "Woohoo! This is gonna be so sweet!"

"If dragons stay, yaks stay too," Prince Rutherford declared. "Besides, someone need to make sure Yona's new pet is taken care of. Spiders not capable of surviving in Frozen North."

Yona smiled. "Spindel loves making new friends, just like yak! Yona promise to take good care of Spindel if ponies help her!"

Thorax smiled too. "I can't take Ocellus away from her new friends. They've finally gotten her to come out of her shell so to speak. And I know she'll make the changelings proud."

Ocellus said nothing, she just blushed.

"Queen Novo has given her permission for her niece and nephew to stay if they so choose," Seaspray spoke next. "If the school does well enough, Queen Novo says she might see about enrolling her daughter at a future date."

"Awesome!" Silverstream happily proclaimed! "Oh, there's so much to learn! So much to see and do!"

Terramar more softly added. "It's gonna be interesting to be around so many new faces. I just hope they're all as friendly as Gilda is."

* * *

But while all the other leaders were gladly willing to give their students permission to stay, Grandpa Gruff wasn't so convinced. And Gallus was doing a poor job of hiding from the elder griffon.

"What? Don't give me that look, sonny!" Grandpa Gruff snapped. "You belong at home with me, Gallus! I'm your guardian, and what I say goes!"

"But Grandpa Gruff, I just made some new friends!" Gallus pleaded in protest. "I wanna stay with them."

Grandpa Gruff snorted. "You think I care if you made new friends, Gallus? This school is still lame. You can make all the friends you want back in Griffonstone. It's what your parents would want."

"Wrong, it's what _you_ want!" Gilda declared as she stepped forward. "And if it were up to you, Gallus wouldn't even have Gabby and I around to be surrogate parents for him. He's much happier here than he ever was in Griffonstone, can't you see that?"

Grandpa Gruff shook his head. "I remember you saying the same thing when you were his age, Gilda. But all it took was one incident where you lost your temper and you wanted nothing to do with ponies anymore. I'm simply saving him the pain of having to go through that."

"Please, Grandpa Gruff?" Gallus pleaded as he adopted a pouty face. "This way I can be out of your hair."

Grandpa Gruff couldn't say no to the face Gallus made. "Alright, alright! Stop doing that!" Then he turned to Gilda. "You're gonna be responsible for him for long as he stays here, Gilda. You want it so badly, so it's time you took responsibility for it."

"If it'll get you to stop squawking, that's a price I'm willing to pay." Gilda replied, and so it was settled.

* * *

The school was soon re-opened and the real Photo Finish arrived to take pictures, both for the papers and for the inevitable yearbook.

As classes resumed and the students started to settle into a routine, however, Tempest happened to notice Shining Armor on the second floor balcony looking out towards Ponyville. Since the broken horned unicorn had a little time before she would need to leave, she opted to approach the prince. "Hey, what are you doing out here?" She asked. "Something on your mind?"

Shining reluctantly nodded. "I can't stop thinking about Chrysalis. Once again she was able to pull something off and I was powerless to stop her. If not for the Tree of Harmony, she would've succeeded."

"Yet whenever she _does_ rear her ugly head you've always been able to stop her and undo the damage she's caused." Tempest reassured him.

"True, but she's still out there. And somehow, I get the feeling that she's not quite done trying to stir up trouble," Shining admitted. "She's holding onto that grudge. And next time, who knows what she might try?"

Tempest spoke softly. "You can't allow yourself to worry too much. Be alert but not super, hyper on alert if you know what I mean. Besides, you've got me you can call on for help if you really need it. And there's also your friends, your sister, your nephew, and your wife. With so many ponies and non-ponies by your side, anything Chrysalis might try would have a hard time succeeding. And you've faced down so many threats already."

Shining nodded. "Fair point, Tempest. Still, I'm gonna be keeping a sharp look out for that ex-queen. And I swear, the next time she shows her face in my presence, it'll be the last. One way or another, I'll make sure she doesn't get away."


	180. Chapter 180: Chrysalis' Last Stand

It had been a few weeks since Twilight's School of Friendship had opened up. Princess Celestia had been content when the leaders of the other kingdoms backed off, and Neighsay was promptly dismissed as head of the EEA for his actions. It seemed that a new period of peace was at least going to come to Equestria, for the first time in what seemed like forever there were no new threats on the horizon and no long forgotten enemies that seemed poised to resurface.

But even in an age of peace life still goes on, Celestia was to receive an unusual invitation. And it all began when Shining Armor arrived at the castle in Canterlot to speak with her. He soon informed her of the reason for his visit.

"A play? About me?" Princess Celestia commented as she listened to every word spoken. "I'm flattered."

Shining smiled. "Thank Twilight, it was her idea. All to commemorate your onceversary, the anniversary of your first sun rise to be exact. I must say I'm surprised, I thought you'd been around for much longer than a little over a thousand years or so," Then he added. "If it's any consolation, you don't look a day over six hundred, maybe even younger."

Celestia couldn't resist a teasing smirk and a wink. "Watch it, Shining. I may be old but I _am_ a princess. I could have you thrown in the dungeon for such an insensitive remark, but I'm not that kind of mare," Then she decided to change the subject. "But why exactly have you come to me?"

"To invite you to the play, of course," Shining nodded his head. "In fact, our students would be most honored if you would be willing to be a part of our play. Sandbar in particular is really looking forward to meeting with you."

The sun princess smiled and rose from her throne, happily prancing. "Oh, I think that's a fantastic idea! I'd love to join your play!" After a moment of prancing she composed herself and blushed a bit. "Forgive me for getting so excited, prince. It's just, I always felt I could've made a great actress had I not become a princess and ruler of this land. Sadly, I never found the time to take up lessons," Then she grinned. "Perhaps it would be best if I played myself? I know my own character inside and out, after all."

Shining shook his head. "I wouldn't recommend it, princess. Even for a low key play like this, you have no formal acting experience. And as much as Twiy would never admit it, you're not really an actress. We were thinking of something a little bit lower key, maybe managing special effects and directing the performers. That seems right up your alley."

Celestia smiled and nodded her head. "A fine compromise, Shining. I always do work best at managing others. Though I wouldn't sell my acting experiences so short. I _do_ have to put on a mask for the nobility, so I know a thing or two about 'getting into character' as it were," But then she added. "Still, if you think my talents are best suited behind the curtain, I'll trust your judgement. The focus should be on the school and its students after all, not who the lead actress is. I'll come. I'll just need to clear things with Kibitz first, I'm sure he'll say yes but you never know."

* * *

While Shining Armor waited for Princess Celestia, back in Ponyville final preparations were unfolding for the play even as they waited for news about whether Celestia would be coming or not.

The students were being helped into costumes, most of them dressed up to resemble unicorns. There was, however, one detail that still needed to be sorted out. Who should play Starswirl the Bearded.

Starlight was handing out the scripts with her magic, and eventually she came to Ocellus. "Ocellus, since you're a changeling, we were thinking you could turn into Starswirl the Bearded for us," She explained to the young changeling. "Since we couldn't get the real Starswirl here to play himself, you're the next best thing."

But Ocellus blushed and nervously stepped back. "A-actually, I was kind of hoping for a smaller part. I'm... not so sure it's a good idea to have a changeling imitate somepony so important, even for a school play."

"Whyever not, Ocellus?" Sandbar questioned the changeling. "Don't you know how lucky you are? Any creature would give their hind leg to be someone so important. And you could impersonate Starswirl so well that nopony would ever know it wasn't actually him."

Ocellus gave a nervous gulp. "I'm... just not sure I'm cut out for it. If I mess up, ponies are gonna notice and they're gonna take offense."

Sandbar shook his head. "And they'd answer to me! Besides, I've seen you impersonate ponies so many times before, it's like second nature to you."

Starlight quickly deduced what the problem was. "You have stage fright, Ocellus. Don't you?"

Ocellus reluctantly nodded. "Is it really that obvious? I thought I'd done a good job of masking it."

"I _am_ a guidance counselor," Starlight declared with a faint trace of pride in her tone of voice. "I didn't get the job without learning how to pick up on things. Besides, when you've hung around Fluttershy long ago you start to recognize the subtle things that others don't always even know they have or do when they're trying to cover something up," Then she added in a sincere tone of voice. "That's why you don't want to play Starswirl the Bearded, you're afraid of being in the spotlight."

Ocellus reluctantly confessed with a sigh. "Yeah, it's true. I know Smolder told me to be brave and more outgoing, and I wish I could be as energetic as Silverstream, or as easy going as Sandbar, or even as brave as Yona, but I'm not any of those things. I much prefer to hang back, let others take the lead."

Sandbar then offered. "Well if you're really that scared, Ocellus, you can take my place. I'll fill in for you as Starswirl the Bearded. It's only one play, I'm sure nopony will mind."

"Really? You'd take the lead role and let me be just a regular unicorn?" Ocellus commented. "That's so sweet of you to offer, Sandbar. You don't have to do this."

"Hey, I dressed up as Starswirl the Bearded for Nightmare Night just last year and read all about him in class," Sandbar replied to the changeling. "Besides, I'd do anything for a friend."

Starlight simply smiled. "Well then, I'll have to Twilight to bring out the Starswirl costume and put the last unicorn costume away."

But Ocellus blushed. "Actually, if everyone else is gonna be in costume, why can't I? It's only fair, they can't transform like I can."

"If you're sure that's what you really want, Ocellus," Starlight replied as she levitated over the costume and a script. "Get dressed and start working on your lines. You'd better start rehearsing too, Sandbar. Dress rehearsal will start soon, and something tells me Twilight will want to get it right in one take."

* * *

Not long after Starlight had left, the students were alone on the stage. They were still in the midst of rehearsing their lines, while Twilight was fussing about and grumbling. "Why isn't Shining back yet? And how come Princess Celestia's not with him? It isn't like them to be late."

"I'm sure they have a good reason," Spike reassured Twilight. "They probably had some important royal business to sort out or something. Or maybe the train's running late."

Twilight sighed and shook her head. "I told him to take the chariot, but he was so insistent on just flying in by himself."

However, at that very moment what appeared to be Shining Armor himself came trotting up onto the stage. But his coat seemed duller, and he appeared to be scowling for some reason.

Shining's friends all stopped to look at him, and Braeburn was the first to notice something off. "Hey, Shinin', what's with the new look?"

"Just where the hay have you been all day?!" Fancy Pants demanded of the prince. "Don't you know it's terribly impolite to keep others waiting?!"

Then Soarin noticed something. "Hey, how come Princess Celestia isn't with you? Didn't you tell her about our play?"

"Play?" Shining commented in a low tone, sounding almost devious. "Oh, yes... the play. Well... Princess Celestia will be along in good time. Now, where are the students? I wish to... speak to them."

"They're right over," Starlight gestured a hoof in blissful unawareness. "There's been a slight change of plans though. Sandbar will be playing Starswirl the Bearded instead of Ocellus, she has stage fright."

"I'll give her something to be afraid of," Shining remarked under his breath. "I'll give them _all_ something to be afraid of," He approached the students, smiling in a rather unsettling way. "Hello, students."

Silverstream immediately took notice of the prince's noticeably different appearance. "Hey, now you're all grey and dreary. Is this another projection, like the Tree of Harmony? Are we being tested again?"

"The Tree of Harmony? You know about it?" The alicorn inquired of the young hippogriff.

"Duh, of course we know about it!" Smolder retorted with a snort, blowing a bit of smoke. "We learned about it in class, it was one of the first things Headmare Twilight taught us. Why do you care so much?"

Yona, meanwhile, spotted something on the prince's flank. "Pony's cutie mark is all wrong, shield is upside down. Do cutie marks change over time?"

Sandbar gulped. "They... they don't!"

Ocellus gasped! "Then that means he's an imposter, a changeling!"

The imposter laughed. "Should've known Thorax's protege would see through my ruse," And then he grinned. "Now then, Captain Obvious, here's what you and your friends have won for my little 'pop quiz'." He pulled on a lever as everypony came rushing towards him, preparing to engage him!

A trap door beneath the stage opened up, causing the students to fall! Fortunately, Ocellus, Silverstream, Gallus, and Smolder all quickly flapped their wings to escape. Ocellus then swooped down to snatch up Sandbar, and Gallus retrieved Yona. It took the griffon a lot of effort to carry Yona to safety. "Boy, Yona, you're really heavy! You need to go on a diet!"

"Yona not heavy! Yona perfect size and weight for yak!" Yona remarked with narrowed eyes as she was helped to safety.

Just then, the real Shining Armor came upon the stage alongside Princess Celestia. "What is going on here?!" He exclaimed with fright!

The imposter Shining Armor laughed, lighting up his horn and appearing before the prince. "I'm you! Or I should say, the better you! Your goody-goody two horseshoes garbage makes you weak, it holds you back!" But he was effortlessly subdued by a blast from Princess Celestia's horn.

"Sorry," The sun princess apologized. "I came here expecting a play, not to hear some two bit villain ramble on about how he evil is."

Shining then trotted up to his evil lookalike, quickly encasing him in his signature shield spell. "You've already caused enough damage! I won't let you harm my students anymore," He fiercely declared. "Now then, just who or what are you, imposter?! Who or what sent you here to no doubt try and make me look bad?!"

From within the bubble the fake Shining laughed rather wickedly and flashed a toothy smile. "Come now, do you have to ask that question? Who do you think could have the means to do such a thing? Who do you think would benefit from all of this?"

"What are you talking abou-" Shining began, only to gasp in horror as a realization struck him! "No, it can't be!"

But sure enough, as he turned to look the familiar form of Queen Chrysalis was walking up on the scene, humming a little tune to herself:

 _This day's going to be perfect,_

 _The kind of day of which I've dreamed since I was small._

 _Everypony was gathering 'round, said I looked lovely in my gown,_

 _What they don't know is that I had fooled them all!_

"Hello, prince, it's been a long time," Chrysalis purred in that sickeningly sweet tone of hers. "I see you've been busy. Now you've got an entire school of students, including a traitor to the changeling cause, an ally of that no good Thorax!"

Shining lit up his horn, as did Princess Celestia, Twilight, and even Starlight. Several others stared down at the queen, as if waiting for her to make a move. "You dare to show your face in my presence yet again, especially after the stunt you just pulled. Are you stupid or just really arrogant?" Shining demanded. "If your goal was to make me angry, you've done an excellent job of it so far!"

Chrysalis only snickered. "Come now, Shining Armor. Are you going to insist that clone was _my_ doing? I'll have you know, he has no loyalty to me even though I created him. He was supposed to take your place and infiltrate the group, but instead he ran off on me and attacked your students all of his own free will. I'm very much a victim here too, you can't pin a thing on me."

"Then why seek me out? Why come after me at all?" Shining demanded again as he stomped a hoof down. "You've got five seconds, Chrysalis. Then I'm blasting your sorry hide to kingdom come and back!"

The former changeling queen grinned rather maliciously. "I simply wish to propose one final showdown, oh prince. If you manage to defeat me, I promise I'll be out of your mane for good."

The prince shook his head. "And you think I'll agree to such terms? I know you, Chrysalis. And I know you are anything but a changeling of your word," He then growled. "I'm only gonna say this once. Give up, or get beaten. I've no intention of letting you slip away again. One way or another, you _will_ be brought to justice and put away. Even if I have to drag you to Tartarus by myself."

"A poor choice, prince. I offered you a peaceful and sensible solution. But if that's really the way you want to play, then fine by me," Chrysalis taunted as she lit up her horn and surrounded herself with the sickly green glow of her magic. "Catch me if you can, because I'm sure as heck not gonna simply _let_ you arrest me. I'm not stupid!"

Shining dove for Chrysalis, but he was too late to stop her from vanishing! He roared as his eyes narrowed! "Coward! You're not getting away, Chrysalis! Not this time!" And before anyone could stop him he had flapped his wings and taken to the skies.

"Shining, wait, don't run off by yourself!" Soarin shouted only for his pleas to fall on deaf ears. "That idiot, he's walking right into a trap. We've got to go after him, pronto!"

But Princess Celestia shook her head. "No, this is Shining's fight and Shining's fight alone. We must tend to his imposter and see to it that the clone does not escape," Then she added. "Besides, we still have a play to practice and perform. And isn't there an old saying 'The show must go on'?"

"Does this mean you're going to be the lead actress?" Twilight hopefully asked.

Celestia laughed as she shook her head. "Not quite. I'm not much of an actress, Twilight, much as I'm flattered by your offer. But for right now, I think I know just the place for this evil clone of your brother," She gave a knowing wink. "I think Discord would appreciate a new playmate."

The imposter Shining's eyes went wide with horror! "No, you can't do this to me! This can't be! This CAN'T BE!" He dug in his hooves, hoping to avoid being pulled away, but to no avail.

Thunderlane chuckled. "Boy, that duplicate's lucky. Discord is gonna have so much with his new friend. And I hear his chaos magic is finally back to full power from what Fluttershy tells me."

* * *

From high in the sky, Shining observed a trail of prints that did not look pony like. He flew lower for a closer inspection, they looked like changeling prints.

Suspecting nothing he followed the trail as it led away from the stage and out of Ponyville, deep into the heart of the Everfree Forest.

It wasn't until the trail grew closer to the Castle of the Two Sisters (and thus the Tree of Harmony) that the prince became at all concerned. " _I don't know if she can do anything to the Tree of Harmony, but I can't risk that chance! That tree is what gives the Elements of Harmony their power!_ " He thought to himself, rushing towards his destination without a second's hesitation.

The Tree of Harmony was indeed still intact and unaffected, there didn't seem to be any signs of Chrysalis anywhere. Just a trail of sickly green slime, and what appeared to be a bunch of logs with colors that loosely resembled the coats of his friends. Wait a minute!

Chrysalis grinned as she emerged from hiding. "I originally planned to use my clones of you and your friends to seize the Elements of Harmony and take over," She declared, striking the prince with her magic and bringing him to his knees. "But it seems the Tree of Harmony caught on to my plan. My clones went out of control, and the Tree of Harmony destroyed them! So I thought I'd use my remaining clone for a more subtle plan. But now that I have you, you're all that I need! You can wield the Element of Magic, but without the others it's powerless! And once I defeat you, I'll drain every ounce of love from you, severing your connection to your element and allowing me to take over!"

"All this because Starlight led a rescue mission that deposed you, you're pathetic." Shining snarled.

The former changeling queen only taunted. "Mock me at your peril, prince. You won't have anything to be laughing about once my plan is complete! You were a fool to come here alone, and an even bigger fool to think you could win! You're about to learn your lesson the hard way, the last lesson you'll ever remember!"

But then suddenly, there came a gust of wind and a blinding flash! All of a sudden, a glowing projection of Shining Armor emerged from the Tree of Harmony! "That is enough, Queen Chrysalis! Those who threaten the light and harmony of this world will be punished." The projection plainly spoke.

Chrysalis blinked and stumbled back a bit. "No, not you again! I won't let you foil my plans!"

But the projection kept walking forward, not a single blast from Chrysalis could phase it. "Sheer force alone will not help you, Chrysalis," It spoke as it joined up with the still stumbling Shining. It offered a hoof to the prince. "Allow me to assist you, Shining. And together, we will defeat Chrysalis once and for all."

Shining accepted the hoof and his eyes began to glow not unlike the way they did when he was using the Elements of Harmony! "Chrysalis!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs! "You have tried to control that which is beyond your understanding. You have rejected the hoof of friendship multiple times. You starved your subjects to make them obedient to you. For that, you shall pay the price!"

Chrysalis lit up her horn in a vain attempt to stop what happened. She was easily overwhelmed, pushed back, and defeated. "No, this can't be! How could I lose to the likes of you again?! I didn't make a single mistake!"

"Because, Chrysalis, you do not comprehend the power of friendship and its place in the world," Shining explained to Chrysalis in his booming, echoing voice. "And now, your fate awaits you!" But suddenly the prince raised up a hoof, appearing to struggle. "No, I won't end it like this! If I end you here and now, you'd become a martyr for others. You don't deserve that! You deserve to suffer in a place where you will do no harm, Tartarus!"

Chrysalis became stricken with fright, shuddering and shivering all over as the prince approached her. "W-wait a minute!" She threw up her hooves. "I know I've messed up, but... but... you need me! I don't deserve to be in Tartarus, I can help you!"

Shining scoffed. "As if! I know your game, Chrysalis. You're hoping I'll lower my guard so you can stab me in the back."

The former queen began to beg. "Please, spare me and... I'll make it up to you! I can become a spy! An undercover agent!"

The prince only shook his head. "And you'd just keep all the information for yourself. I need you like I need fur rash! This time it really is 'Goodbye, Chrysalis'! I'm going to close the door on our history, once and for all!"

* * *

A short time later, a helpless and weakened Chrysalis was tossed into a cell within the confines of Tartarus, locked away alongside many other one time threats to Equestria that included a vicious bugbear and a currently powerless Tirek.

Shining returned to Ponyville afterward, just in time to see the play draw to a close as Celestia (from behind the curtains) used her magic to raise the sun in place of the damaged fake sun.

"Is it finished, B.B.B.F.F?" Twilight inquired when the play was over. "Did you manage to stop Chrysalis for good?"

Shining nodded. "She's in Tartarus now, and she can do no harm to anyone ever again."

Big Macintosh commented. "Ya don't think there's any chance of her and Tirek teamin' up, do you?"

The prince shook his head. "I made sure to keep them in separate cells on opposite ends of the complex. And even if they could meet, I've got ways of keeping an eye on them. In the wake of Tirek's escape it became necessary to up security at Tartarus," And he explained. "Guards change shifts regularly and even check up on each other. Nothing gets in or out without their say so, and all inmates visits are heavily supervised."

Twilight smiled and hugged Shining close. "Great! Now that means you can help me run the school without worry," And she added. "You should've seen how well Princess Celestia managed while you were gone, for somepony who's never been an actress she sure knows her way around a theater."

Princess Celestia smiled. "It was nothing, managing others is what I do best. Although, I do have this ever so faint urge to act," She grinned. "Perhaps the next time the Method Mares are in town, I'll see about clearing my schedule and taking a few lessons with them. After all, even as royalty you never truly stop learning."


	181. Chapter 181: Fires of Fatherhood

With Chrysalis defeated and imprisoned, Shining Armor felt comfortable enough that his sister's school could operate just fine without him needing to be there. So he returned to the Crystal Empire to be with his family, though he still kept in constant contact with Twilight and Starlight back in Ponyville as necessary, and they in turn kept him up to date on all the developments that went on at the school.

But one fateful day as Starlight just so happened to be in the Crystal Empire (she was taking some of the students on a field trip to see the Crystal Heart), Shining had an unexpected visitor come to see him. It was a unicorn stallion with a grayish-purple coat considerably darker than Starlight's, a two tone sea green mane and tail that looked like toothpaste, brown eyes, and a cutie mark depicting a flickering flame. He wore a red buttoned jacket with a yellow necktie. The fact that his coat color was similarly to Starlight's did not go unnoticed by the prince, but as there were no other features that were even remotely shared between Starlight and the stranger he didn't dwell on it for long. He instead greeted his visitor with the usual warmth reserved for all guests. "Hello, stranger," He politely greeted. "What brings you to my castle to see me?"

The stallion cleared his throat. "I was hoping you could help me with something. My name is Firelight."

Shining shook the stallion's hoof. "Well, nice to meet you. So, what can I do for you, Mr. Firelight, Sir?"

Firelight explained. "Just Firelight will do, thank you. I was told that my daughter is a student of yours."

"Who's your daughter?" Shining wondered.

"Does the name 'Starlight Glimmer' ring any bells for you?" Firelight answered. "My full name is Firelight Glimmer, I'm her father."

The prince was taken aback a bit at this statement. Starlight had told him very little about her family when he'd taken her under his wing almost two years ago, and he most certainly hadn't seen this stallion was that now before him in the dream he'd been allowed to bare witness to. There had to be a reason why Starlight hadn't told him about her father and why he hadn't been a part of her dream.

But Shining didn't feel like it was his place to pry. After all, he seldom brought up his family around others and it had been years before Big Macintosh had been willing to trust him enough to open up about his own parents (though when Big Mac had learned about his mom being a Pear he had seen fit to share it with as many ponies as possible, especially since it meant he was closer to his maternal grandfather). So the prince just replied to Firelight's comment. "You heard right, Starlight is or I should say _was_ my student."

At that Firelight appeared to frown and sigh. "Oh, so she's not with you anymore?"

Shining shook his head. "No no no, it's nothing like that at all. She still technically lives in Ponyville with my sister, she's just not really my student anymore. It's kind of a long story, but I came to realize that there was only so much I could still teach her that she didn't already know. So I decided to let her spread her wings. Now we're more like friends, and our teacher-student relationship is more informal than formal."

"I see," Firelight commented. "A pity she's in Ponyville. Guess I'll have to book a train ticket down to there and go to see her."

"Actually," Shining pointed out. "She should be here in the Crystal Empire right now. She works as a guidance counselor at my sister's own School of Friendship, and today she just so happens to be taking a few of the students on a field trip. Why don't I see if I can find her for you?"

But Firelight rose to his hooves and insisted. "Oh, there's no need for that, prince. I'll track her down myself," With a smile on his face he departed the room as he said to himself. "Oh, I can't wait to see how big my precious Pumpky-Wumpkin's gotten!"

"Wait, Firelight!" Shining pleaded to the stallion. "There's something I should probably tell you about your daughter-" But alas his words came too late to be heard, Firelight had already left. All he could do now was wait, something told him that Starlight wasn't exactly going to be thrilled to see her father again after all this time. Still, what he was thinking right now was simple. " _Starlight owes me a heck of an explanation for this._ " He thought to himself.

* * *

Starlight was currently leading just a trio of students through the Crystal Empire. Most of the students at least knew about the Crystal Heart or had seen it for themselves. Of those who hadn't, only three were truly interested in going to see it: Gallus, Silverstream, and Smolder.

"Wow! An entire kingdom made up of crystals!" Smolder exclaimed as her eyes took in all the sights and sounds of the empire. "It looks almost good enough to eat. Almost."

Silverstream, meanwhile, was ecstatic! "Ooh! So many things to see, and hear, and smell, and feel! This whole empire is so... so... well, I don't know what it is... but it's definitely something!"

"You don't get out much, do you?" Gallus only slightly teased Silverstream (by now it wasn't exactly a secret that he was fond of her, not that he'd ever admit it).

"Hey, I grew up underwater in a coral reef with only whales and eels as friends," Silverstream ribbed back at the griffon. "We weren't ever allowed to go up to the surface, Aunt Novo forbade it. The one time I disobeyed her orders and did so, well let's just say you do _not_ wanna see Queen Novo's when she's angry, because you won't like her when she's angry."

Smolder chuckled. "Big deal. I've been outside the dragon lands multiple times and Ember never cares. There's nothing out there, anyway. Just rocks and smoke," Then she asked Starlight. "Is is true what they say, Counselor Starlight? Does the Crystal Heart really protect the whole empire from the Frozen North?"

Starlight nodded in response as she gestured a hoof towards the aforementioned object. "Yup, it sure does. I found that out first hoof, because the first time I came here it got destroyed and the empire almost froze over completely," She paused for a moment, recalling her first experience in the empire. Then she added. "It can still get a bit nippy up here from time to time, especially in the winter time. That's probably why Sunburst always wears that wizard's cloak of his."

At that very moment an all too familiar voice to Starlight called out from afar. "Sunburst is here too?! Oh, I remember how you two were practically attached at the hip as foals."

Starlight spun around in time to see Firelight approach her and pull her close to him as he pinched her cheeks. "Dad," She groaned as a raging blush started breaking out on her cheeks. "What are you doing here?"

Firelight chuckled. "Nice to see you too, Pumpky Wumpkin. My goodness, despite how big you've gotten you're still just as cutesy wootsy as ever!"

Starlight swatted Firelight away with a hoof. "Dad, please, stop it! You promised not to call me things like 'Pumpky Wumpkin' or 'Chipmunk Cheeks' in public. I'm not a foal anymore!"

"True, but you'll always still be Daddy's little girl," Firelight cooed. He seemed to be oblivious to the embarrassment he was subjecting his daughter to, or the laughs that were breaking out among the students she had been chaperoning. "I'm here for you, now. Ready to be a part of your life again. And your former teacher was kind enough to point me to you. Now come on. Don't tell me you don't wanna spend more time with me, honey bun. I could even take you back to Sire's Hollow with me and you could stay in your old room, Punky Wunk. I made sure to leave it just like you left it, skulls, bat-pony plushies, and everything."

Starlight shuddered and cringed at the thought. " _Please don't tell me he's held onto_ _ **everything**_ _from when I was a foal. I swear, if he offers me a blanket and tries to feed me milk and cookies, I'm not gonna be held responsible for the things I'll do!_ " Still, her father had come all this way just to see him and the mare knew it would be rude to just turn him away. He hadn't done anything wrong. Maybe if she just played along a little bit he'd be satisfied, and then she could politely tell him that she was just fine without him. Hopefully, before it would mean having to delve into her troubled past.

However, that still left the detail of the three students she was supposed to be watching over. She knew it wouldn't look good if she just abandoned them to their own devices, especially when one of them looked ready to try and eat the empire and the other was an unpredictable wild card. Fortunately, she didn't have to look far for a suitable pony to use as a substitute. Princess Cadence just so happened to out and about, enjoying the fine day. And it seemed she had brought her daughter out as well, stored safely in a foal pouch.

" _This is perfect. Flurry Heart loves making new friends._ " Starlight thought to herself and gave a whistle. "Students, I'm going to be... er, detained due to a... er... family matter. So I want you all to go over to Princess Cadence and stay with her until I... return. Okay?"

Gallus, Silverstream, and Smolder all obeyed without question. "Okay, Counselor Starlight." And they all flew over to Princess Cadence's location. The princess of love was a tad bit surprised to have all three creatures suddenly swarm over her, but a quick glance towards Starlight's location told her all she needed to know. " _I suppose I'll take up this debt, just this once. I do owe her for bringing Sunburst to help fix the Crystal Heart during Flurry Heart's crystalling._ " She thought to herself.

Starlight breathed a small sigh of relief. "Okay, now that I've got _that_ taken care of, Dad, why don't we go for a walk and have a little talk?"

Firelight nodded his head. "Sounds good to me, honey bun," And he smiled. "Oh, just look at you. All grown up and working as a guidance counselor at a school run by a princess. Sounds like you've been busy."

" _You don't know the half of it, and I intend to keep it that way._ " Starlight thought to herself as she trotted off, her father following not too far behind.

* * *

Sometime later, a rather distraught and frustrated looking Starlight was strolling into the throne room. She immediately cast her angry gaze at the one who had tipped her father off about her current whereabouts, Shining Armor. "How could you do this sort of thing to me?!" She accused. "After everything I've done, after all the lessons we've taught each other, _this_ is how you repay me?!"

Shining sighed as he rose from his throne. "Starlight, I didn't mean to cause you any trouble. I didn't even know you still had a father. All I remember about your family was that you told me you were a latch key kid."

Starlight groaned for a moment, then sighed. "Yes, that's true. And that's because my dad was always so busy with work, he barely ever had time for me. Even as a foal I remember Sunburst's parents being there for me far more than he ever was, especially his mom, Stellar Flare," She gulped. "I think it's safe to say that some of her... mannerisms kind of rubbed off on me."

"What do you mean?" The prince asked his former student. "Didn't you have a mom too?"

Starlight shook her head. "If I did I don't remember. And the few times I tried to ask my dad he'd refuse to say anything about it," She then explained. "But the way he's acting now, well... I think you can see why it is that I wasn't exactly keen on telling you about him, let alone staying in touch with him."

"I see, he's the embarrassing, smothering type of parent," Shining commented. "Even so, why didn't you tell me sooner about him? It's not right to keep such big secrets like this."

"Because you wouldn't understand what it's like," Starlight retorted to Shining. "From what I've seen of your parents, they clearly love you. But they also respect the fact that you're all grown up and can manage your own life. I can't say the same about my dad, it's like he's intent on treating me like I'm some helpless little filly again. And I'm sick of it!"

Shining paused and stood in silent contemplation. He wasn't sure what exactly he had been expecting when Starlight's dad had shown up and announced his intent to see his daughter, but now it was clear that Shining had unknowingly set off a powder keg. And so it was his job to at least try to help put out the fire he had started. But what could he say? Starlight's words rang true, he didn't know Starlight's parental situation was like. How he was supposed to offer advice in a situation he was unfamiliar with?

However, after several silent moments of thinking it over, a solution came to him. And the alicorn spoke up. "You're right, Starlight. I don't know what it's like to have had a parenting dilemma like the one you have. It seems your father was a single father for whatever reason, and it seems that like a lot of single parents he was away due to work."

"Exactly! Yet now it seems he wants to just turn back the clock, completely ignoring everything that's happened to me since I left Sire's Hollow so long ago," Starlight complained. But then she added. "And the worst part is, there's a part of me that wants that. Deep down, a part of me wants to have that warm, welcoming place I can go back to. To feel like nothing's changed and that it doesn't matter what I did outside Sire's Hollow, it doesn't have to apply. But I know that's wrong, that it's selfish of me to desire such a thing. I can't just turn my back on my past."

"Well, I hope you don't think you're the only one who's ever grown up hating their parents or just finding them annoying," Shining commented in reply. "Everypony has days growing up where they can't stand their parents and wish more than anything they'd just go away. But as time passes and you become an adult, you start to realize that your parents were in a way the first friends you ever had. Plus, now I'm a daddy, so in a way I kind of understand all that my parents had to go through raising Twily and I."

Starlight turned. "You're not making any sense. How could you possibly know what I went through? You weren't there!"

"I never said that, Starlight," Shining explained to his former student. "But my family situation was far from perfect. I got into my fair share of arguments with my parents growing up and there were times I wanted nothing to do with them. Usually it was whenever they were trying to help moderate my constant rivalry with Twilight, giving us gold stars whenever we did something truly special. And more often than not, no matter how hard I tried it seemed like Twily always beat me in all the places it mattered most," Then he added. "However, even when I was just a little foal there were things going on in my family that made my relationship with my parents difficult."

The unicorn reluctantly inquired. "What do you mean?"

The prince let out a sigh. "I only found out a lot of this years after the fact, Mom and Dad still don't like to talk about it because they're really ashamed of it," He adopted a somber tone as he spoke. "When my mom was giving birth to me, medical care wasn't quite as advanced as it is now. Heck, even by the time Twilight was born it had definitely come a lot further than it had at the time of my birth. Not only did I arrive sooner than expected, but there were all kinds of complications during and after the delivery. My mom internalized it all, she thought it was her ancestors punishing her, especially because she'd wanted a filly and not a colt."

Starlight gulped. "Wow, I'm... sorry I asked."

"It's okay, kind of helps to talk about it sometimes," Shining replied to Starlight. "Anyway, it took her a really long time to recover from the whole ordeal. Physically and mentally, especially the mentally part. For the first couple of years it was a constant struggle for her, sometimes she'd have good days and sometimes she'd have bad days. My dad was always there to keep her from acting out on some of her beliefs, but he could only do so much to help her. On her good days my mom would always be there for me, giving me lots of love and affection, playing with me, and taking care of my needs. But on her bad days, she would often have to force herself just to get out of bad and take care of me. And if it wasn't something urgent she would lock herself away in her room, all but strapping herself to her writing desk. Dad would try to help on those days by either staying home from work to help raise me, or taking me to a daycare center so I wouldn't have to witness what was going on. But I don't think Mom truly overcame her mental anguish until Twilight was born. And I think that was part of why she and my dad didn't discourage my rivalry with Twilight."

"I never would've imagined that was the case, that your mom ever used to be so... strange," Starlight remarked as the information was slowly absorbed by her. "I suppose that would explain why she has such a love of adventure and why your dad seems to encourage it. I still don't see how that helps me, though."

"Well, Starlight, I'm just trying to show you that no two ponies will have exactly the same parental dilemma growing up. In my case it was easy to forgive my parents, they handled things better than I think anypony would've expected and they came out of it with a stronger understanding of each other," Shining said to Starlight. "But I wasn't there when you were growing up with your dad. I wasn't there when you decided to run away from home and cut him off from your life. However, if even Rainbow Dash could reconnect with her parents despite their delicate relationship, there's no reason why you can't at least try to do the same thing."

Starlight reluctantly sighed once again. "I guess you're right, Shining. Besides, if I'm going to continue to be a guidance counselor at Twilight's school, I have to be willing to set a good example for others and practice what I preach. That means I have to face my problems instead of ignoring them or running away from them."

"Speaking of the students, where are they? And how come it's just the three of them?" Shining inquired.

"I left the students with Cadence, figured she'd be able to keep them out of trouble," Starlight explained. "And if you must know: Yona's already seen the Crystal Empire and the Crystal Heart, something about a summit between ponies and yaks in the Crystal Empire a long while back. Ocellus heard about the changeling scare with Thorax, and she just didn't feel like chancing it in case ponies panicked. Sandbar decided to stay behind to support Ocellus, and Yona agreed to do the same. Plus, they all agreed to help Pinkie Pie plan a party because they heard Twilight's potentially going to be welcoming a new student. Can't remember her name, though," Then she got up as she returned to the original subject. "But for now, I've got a dad to find and have a talk with. A very long and hopefully productive talk."

* * *

Starlight had actually not wandered too far from Firelight's current location, mostly because he was occupying himself with every single sight that his eyes could concentrate on. "Ah, there you are, honey bun," His tone of voice conveyed a sense that he didn't appear to be at all upset. Or if he was he was doing an incredible job of hiding it. "You just took off all of a sudden and didn't say where you were going. Your old stallion can't run as fast as he used to, you know."

" _That's what I was counting on, Dad._ " Starlight thought to herself but didn't bother saying it out loud. There were more important things to discuss. "Sorry if I left you like that, Dad. But as you can clearly see I'm just fine. I don't need you knowing where I am at every hour of every day."

"My my, someone's being a grumpy pants today," Firelight appeared to coo as he trotted up to Starlight. "I think somepony's cranky because they didn't take their nap. Well that's okay, you can have one when I take you back to Sire's Hollow. Oh, just wait until Stellar Flare gets a look at you!"

A sigh escaped Starlight's lips as she thought back her urge to blush. "Look, Dad, this kind of behavior needs to stop. I appreciate what you're trying to do, really. But I'm not the same little filly who used to wait up for you every night when you came home from work. I'm a grown mare with grown up responsibilities. And I wish to be treated as such."

Firelight stepped back a bit, surprised by the amount of authority contained with his daughter's tone of voice. "That's definitely not the sweet little filly I remember raising. Just what happened to you, Starlight? I've spent years trying to track you down after you ran off. And now I find here, working as a guidance counselor after having been a former student of Equestria's newest prince," A look of horror crossed his face! "Did something horrible happen to you because I couldn't be there to protect you?!"

"No, Dad," Starlight coldly retorted as her eyes narrowed. "You wanna know the truth? I ran away because I couldn't stand how you were treating me, trying desperately to preserve this much younger version of who I was. It was because of you that I never learned how to cope with Sunburst's departure and never tried to make another friend. Yet all you did was try to get me into kite flying or offer to be at my tea parties with my stuffed animals. And that was whenever you were around, which wasn't very often. You kept treating me like somepony I used to be, and you couldn't see what kind of horrible pony I was turning into," Her stern facade began to crumble a little as her lips trembled. "I... became a monster, Dad! I stripped ponies of their cutie marks and fed them a bunch of lies! And when I was exposed as a liar and a hypocrite, I snapped! I tried to rewrite history just so I could come out on top!"

Firelight's mouth dropped open in shock! He could hardly believe what he was hearing!

By now, tears were starting to form in Starlight's eyes and she was forcing herself not to cry. "Yet despite all of that, despite the horrible things I said and done, Shining Armor took me in. His family became my family. I was able to make amends and patch things up with Sunburst. I made more new friends than I knew what to do with. And I helped save Equestria at least twice. All the while though, I kept thinking of you. Like there was a hole in my heart that could never be closed or filled in no matter what I tried."

"Why didn't you just write to me hon... er, Starlight?" Firelight inquired, his tone sounding less like a patronizing comment and more like that of a concerned parent who'd learned their child had been badly injured.

The next words were slow to leave Starlight's mouth. "Because... I couldn't do it. Every time I wanted to do so, I kept thinking back to how you'd treated me. I knew it was selfish, I knew avoiding you and pretending you didn't exist wouldn't solve the problem, but I let myself believe that was the best way to ease my pain. And until today, it worked. I should've known you would find me eventually, though," At this point the tears had finally broken free, streaming down her cheeks. "I'm a horrible daughter!"

And in that moment, Firelight did the only thing he could think of. He lit up his horn and pulled his sobbing daughter close, letting him bury her face into his jacket. All the while he delicately stroked her mane with a hoof, just like he used to do when she was younger. "Starlight, don't say such silly things," He reassured her. "You're not a horrible daughter and don't you dare say otherwise. You've clearly made some bad decisions in your past, and you regret them."

"That's putting it mildly." Starlight sniffled.

"If anyone's to blame for the pony you became, it would be me," Firelight insisted. "I haven't been fully truthful with you. Surely you've always wondered what happened to your mother. Why she was never around and why Sunburst's parents spent so much time raising you," He waited for his daughter's sobs to stop before he went on to explain. "Your mother was a beautiful mare. I wish more than anything she'd been able to see what a fine young mare you've turned into," He wiped a lone tear from his eye before he continued. "When it was time for her to have you we weren't worried. The doctors told us there might be complications, but they also said the first pregnancy always was the hardest and complications were usually nothing to worry about. If only we'd known what was going to happen, maybe we would've done something differently. Your mother brought you into this world, but it took every ounce of strength she had. The doctors tried everything, but they... they..." He trailed off, unable to bring himself to say what came next.

He needn't have bothered, Starlight was able to finish his sentence. "They couldn't save her, could they?" Her confirmation came in the form of a head shake from her father.

Now it was Firelight's turn to look and sound unhappy. "It devastated me to lose her at such a young age. For a time the doctors weren't sure if you would survive either. When I was finally able to bring you home, you were all that mattered. I took as much time off from my job as I possibly could to be with you, to change your diapers, give you baths, and feed you. But I couldn't keep doing it, it was destroying me. That was when Stellar Flare stepped in," His tone became slightly more upbeat. "Because of her I was able to finally pull myself together and go back to work. But the whole time I kept feeling like I was missing out on your life, like you were Stellar Flare's kid more than mine. And I saw how much it tore you up inside when Sunburst left without even saying goodbye. I made the wrong call, I thought I could just be there to protect you and everything would be good. But all I really did was push you away."

"And yet in the end, we ended up here and met each other again," Starlight realized. "Everything happens for a reason."

Firelight nodded as he helped his daughter to stand. "Well, I hope it's not too late for us to start over. If I promise not to treat you like such a little filly all the time, and more like a friend, do you promise you'll come home and visit more often? I really meant it when I said your old room was just like you left it. I tried to clean it up but I couldn't, too many memories."

Starlight nodded back. "I'd like that very much, Dad. But is it okay if I invite Sunburst to come along as well? I think he could use a break from being Flurry Heart's crystaller."

Firelight smiled. "Why absolutely. In fact, Stellar Flare's been itching for the chance to see her son now that he's made such a big name for himself. She's become obsessed with making up plans for him, and between you and me I think it drives him crazy." Starlight just chuckled.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Ponyville, Twilight was currently going over the files for a potential new student at her school. Said student was a pony, more specifically a pegasus filly who had a pinkish gray coat, eyes a moderate scarlet in color, a beautifully curly mane and tail that was a pale, light grayish arctic blue and light arctic bluish gray in color, and a cutie mark depicting a rook.

"So, Cozy Glow was it?" Twilight inquired of the filly. "Your special talent has to do with 'convincing', you've just moved here to Ponyville, and yet you really wanna learn about friendship. Is that all correct?"

Cozy Glow nodded her head. "Golly, it's just such an honor to be in the presence of Twilight Sparkle, the very pony who used to be Princess Celestia's student. Not to mention the younger sister of Prince Shining Armor, the very prince of friendship himself."

Twilight nodded. "Yes, yes, that's all quite true," Then she cleared her throat. "However, there's small or rather I should say _big_ detail that you've left out."

Cozy Glow's happy mood suddenly faded as she gulped. "W-what's that?" She stammered.

Twilight held up the file and pointed to a spot that had been left blank near the bottom of the paper. "This is where you were supposed to have a parent or legal guardian or caretaker sign, giving their explicit permission for you to attend the school. But I see you didn't do that."

The pegasus filly seemed to break out into a cold sweat. "W-well, that's a... m-minor detail, really," She insisted with a nervous smile on her face. "Surely you can overlook that, right?"

"Unfortunately, Cozy, I cannot," Twilight explained with a shake of her head. "This school may not be EEA accredited but that doesn't mean I can just do whatever I want. If I bent the rules for anyone who wanted to come here, there wouldn't be any rules. I don't wanna get into any trouble. Unless I have a valid signature from whoever's responsible for looking after you, I can't let you into my school. Simple as that."

"But... but..." Cozy stuttered in protest.

"No buts, Cozy," Twilight firmly insisted to the filly. "I need somepony to sign off on you. I'm sure whoever it is that watches over you won't object to attending this school. I know for a fact Miss. Cheerilee didn't enroll you in her newest class, odd now that I think about it since she's always been good at spotting new students and has been a good sport about me taking in some of her more advanced ones."

"Please, you can't do that!" Cozy pleaded with Twilight. "I promise I'll behave! I'll do anything you ask of me."

Twilight wasn't swayed for a second. "Rules are rules, Cozy. Now stop playing around. You have to have parents or some form of legal guardians. I've seen everything, even Scootaloo who had to get her aunts involved because her parents were out of town."

" _Come on, Cozy, think! You can't let her know the truth!_ " Cozy thought to herself and started to panic! But then all of a sudden, an idea came to her. A half truth of sorts, and one that would hopefully be enough to fool Twilight. She wasn't even sure where she came up with it, but she was all too happy to roll with it. "If you must know," She tearfully confessed. "I don't have any parents. I don't even have a family. I'm an orphan."

"Well, I'll still need the head caretaker of your orphanage to give permission," Twilight explained. "Just point me in the direction of the orphanage and I'll take care of the rest."

But Cozy added amidst sobs. "No, you can't! I ran away from my orphanage! Please, you have to understand. It was a terrible place! Everypony there always told me I was worthless, that nopony would bother with a pathetic little filly like me. I wanted to go to school, any kind of school, but they wouldn't let me," She pleaded as she threw up her hooves. "You can't tell anypony there that I'm here. They'll just show up and drag me away kicking and screaming. I don't want that! I wanna have a chance to understand the magic of friendship and to make some friends."

Twilight wasn't exactly sure what it was that moved her upon hearing Cozy's story. But she knew at that moment that in her heart she couldn't possibly turn away such a troubled young pony. Not when she had a chance to help shape her young mind and give said pony a chance to prove all the naysayers wrong. "Alright, alright," She said to Cozy. "Just this once I suppose I'll let the lack of approval from a parent or guardian slide. But you can't tell anypony about it. The less ponies that know about this, the less likely your orphanage will come looking for you."

Cozy Glow flew up and hugged Twilight! "Oh thank you, Headmare Twilight! I won't disappoint you! I promise, I'll be the bestest friendship student ever!"

Twilight just smiled. "I don't doubt that. Oh, I can hardly wait for my brother to meet you. I just know there's something special about you, Cozy Glow."


	182. Chapter 182: Spike's New Wings

Shining Armor hadn't anticipated his trip back to Ponyville would be at all surprising. It had only been about a week since Starlight had patched things up with her father, and was now staying in touch with his through the occasional letter.

The reason for his visit to Ponyville was simple, Twilight had offered him the chance to meet Cozy Glow, the filly who was already showing surprising signs of progress. Considering how many ponies she'd overseen and tutored (including the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She still occasionally held "Twilight Time" sessions with them, mostly to see how they were progressing in their studies), for her to take a direct interest in one definitely something that warranted checking out.

However, when Shining arrived at the school he found that Twilight wasn't there. Starlight informed him that Twilight had gone off to Zecora's to pick up a cream, but she hadn't ellaborated further on that point.

So Shining headed into the Everfree Forest and straight to Zecora's hut. When he arrived, he was surprised to find Twilight, Zecora, Rarity, and Spike all on the ground and looking like they'd just seen a ghost. What was even more surprising was that Spike had apparently gotten taller and sprouted a pair of wings.

Naturally, Shining couldn't resist inquiring about them and thus choose to make his presence known. "Spike, is that really you? You look... different."

Spike (or at least the dragon who looked like him) nodded as he walked towards Shining. "Yup, it's me alright," He spoke, his voice sounding noticeably deeper now. "Like my new wings? I just sprouted them not even half an hour ago."

"Really?" Shining asked of the dragon. "What exactly caused all of this? The last time you got big it was because you were hoarding stuff. But I never remembered seeing wings."

"That's because what I had before was totally different. This is something called 'The Molt', Smolder told me all about it." Spike explained.

"It turns out there's an entire 'molting process' that all dragons go through at around Spike's age. At least, that's what Smolder said," Twilight commented as she trotted up. "Kind of funny how she didn't mention the wings. Still, they certainly came in handy to fend off a nasty roc."

Zecora nodded her head. "Yes indeed, that roc was quite nasty. I think to it we must look rather tasty," Then she gestured a hoof to Spike. "I could tell his molt would produce some strange things, but I'm grateful that the last one was a pair of new wings. It also seems the smell has left, and for that I am quite glad. When he was here earlier, he made my hut smell pretty bad."

Spike blushed. "I couldn't help it. Besides, your hut could probably use an airing out anyway with all those strong smelling concoctions you brew," Then he turned back to Twilight and Shining, and sighed. "It's great that I was able to put my new wings to good use and save Rarity and Zecora, but it turns out there's one last thing about the molt that hasn't come true yet. There's already the bad smell, attracting predators, and the stone scales."

"Don't forget the lack of volume control," Rarity commented as she used a cotton swab to clean out her ears. "You were always either so soft I couldn't hear, or so loud I couldn't think. Which is not a good thing when one is working around phoenix feathers, it turns out they can affect a pony's hearing. And I talk to myself while I sew, so you can imagine how that might be a problem."

"Yeah, that was the worst. Even the fiery indigestion wasn't all bad once I got out into the open," Spike sighed again. "But in the dragon lands, when a dragon starts molting, their parents kick them out of the nest and leave them to fend for themselves. So I guess the time has come for this dragon to truly strike out on his own. It sure was nice getting to know all of you, I won't forget you all, I promise."

However, Twilight immediately spoke up. "And who says you're going anywhere, Spike? Maybe you haven't noticed, but this _isn't_ the dragon lands," She trotted up and put a hoof around him. "You may be getting older and bigger, but you're still the same Spike I hatched at my entrance exam. The Spike I'm proud to consider my son, even if at times you can be more like an annoying little brother. I wouldn't be the pony I was today if you weren't part of my life."

Shining smiled. "I can personally vouch for that, Spike. I can attest to how much you changed my sister for the better. In many ways, you were the first friend she ever had. And you gave me plenty of experience with babies long before I ever had Flurry Heart. Though I should be grateful at that least she can't set her toys on fire, or poke holes in her diaper with her claws."

Spike blushed anew. "Stop it, Shining! You're embarrassing me!"

The prince simply laughed and giggled. "Hey, it's what uncles do," And then he cooed. "Oh, just wait 'til I tell Cadence about this. It's totally gonna freak her frizz!"

"It's natural to grow up, Spikey Wikey," Rarity added. "I must admit, your new wings look quite fetching. But just because you grow up doesn't mean those who love you no longer have a place in their hearts for you. Even I didn't move out of my parents' house the moment I got my cutie mark. It took me years before I was ready to strike out on my own and try my hoof in the fashion business. And even now that Sweetie Belle and her friends are starting to tackle more and more adult responsibilities, they still live with their families. The same can be true with you."

"Whatever it is that you may still have to go through, you won't have to go through it alone," Twilight reassured Spike. "Although that _does_ mean you won't be getting anymore piggyback rides."

"Ah, come on, Twilight," Spike playfully whined. "Just one more? I just got my wings, and I don't wanna wear 'em out. Especially since I don't think Uncle Shiny's ready to give me flying lessons just yet."

"Probably better to ask Smolder about that," Shining suggested. "I'm no expert, but something tells me pony wings don't function the same way dragon wings do," Then the prince noticed something, or rather someone. Someone who had apparently been hiding behind Twilight without being noticed, until now. It was a pegasus filly who had a pinkish gray coat, eyes an moderate scarlet in color, a beautifully curly mane and tail that was a pale, light grayish arctic blue and light arctic bluish gray in color, and a cutie mark depicting a rook. "Say, who are you?" He inquired of the filly.

The filly let out a faint eep, opting to cower even further behind Twilight! "I-I-I..." She stuttered, unable to bring herself to say anything more.

Twilight ushered the frightened filly forward. "There's no need to be shy," She reassured the young one. "This is my big brother, Shining Armor," And to Shining she said. "B.B.B.F.F, this is Cozy Glow."

Shining offered a hoof to the filly. "Nice to meet you, Cozy Glow."

Cozy Glow reluctantly extended her hoof towards the prince to shake it. "P-pleasure to meet you. I've heard so much about you. And someday, I wanna be just like you."

When the two hoofs met for the shake, something most unusual happened. Shining felt a rather powerful surge course through his body, almost like an electrical shock! " _Hm, that's odd. That's never happened before._ " He thought to himself.

Cozy Glow looked at the prince. "Golly, are you okay? Did I do something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, no no no, don't be silly. Probably just static electricity or something." Shining quickly replied, not wanting to attract attention. He couldn't be sure what had caused that shocking feeling, and it probably wasn't fair to accuse a filly without knowing for sure. Still, that was definitely not normal. To say nothing of how she had somehow not been noticed by him until just a moment ago.

Well, that was a pondering for another time and place. For right now, all the attention seemed to be on Spike's new wings and change in appearance. And that was definitely more important, at least until Shining could determine just what exactly was up with Cozy. Why had she seemed so nervous around him?


	183. Chapter 183: My Shadow and I

Having mostly settled into her role as a guidance counselor at Twilight's school, Starlight was convinced that she was prepared for anything. After all, she had the Cutie Mark Crusaders to rely on (including their honorary members, one of whom was a former baddy herself though on a smaller scale).

But nothing could've prepared her for the unexpected presence of Tempest Shadow. The hornless, scarred unicorn was still clad in her "Nightmare Knights" armor as she strolled somewhat nervously into Starlight's office. "I was told you were a guidance counselor?"

Starlight nodded and tried to keep a smile on her face. "You heard right. What uh... brings you this way? You looking to apply for a job here? Twilight's more the one to talk to about that sort of thing."

Tempest shook her head, before locking the door with her hooves. "No, it's nothing like that. I came to talk. There's some... things I need to get off my chest. Things I thought I'd put behind me long ago."

"Would you maybe like some empathy coco?" Starlight suggested as she floated over some hot chocolate in a brightly colored mug, smiling somewhat nervously. "Made it myself. I would use tea or cider, but not everypony drinks the former and the latter's not meant for children."

Tempest rejected the beverage, clumsily using her hooves to set it aside. Not having a horn could be quite problematic, and even though she'd mostly gotten used to it the unicorn still had times when she longed to have it back or have something that would at least allow her to use magic again. She moved to sit down on the couch, locking eyes with Starlight. "You and I... we're a lot alike, aren't we?"

Starlight gulped. "I only saw you when you were invading Canterlot during the Friendship Festival. I've only got Shining Armor's word to go on for what you've been up to since the Storm King's defeat. And first impressions can be hard to shake off. Trust me, I know."

"That's kind of what I'm getting at," Tempest unhappily sighed as she kept her gaze directed at Starlight. "It feels like there's a hole inside me. Now that I'm not this horrible monster willing to make others suffer to ease my pain, there's a part of me that's wondering 'Who am I, really? For what purpose do I exist?' Obviously, I can't just throw myself back into the military, the royal guards certainly aren't going to accept a pony who attacked her own country. Never mind the fact that I basically was the reason why the Storm King was defeated."

"And I guess nopony really knows about this whole 'Nightmare Knights' thing you were a part of. Even Trixie says she can't talk much about it. And normally she's pretty talkative." Starlight replied, wishing more than anything that she'd been part of that group of former villains. Alas, she had declined due to having no desire to revisit her past again.

The hornless unicorn appeared to grumble, but her expressions were proving difficult to read. It was clear that Tempest was a tough nut to crack. Like she had her own set of defenses to hide her true feelings. "I guess what I'm saying is, it doesn't feel like I've really changed all that much. Even just patching things up with Glitter Drops and the rest of my old friends hasn't been able to fill that void in my heart. Sometimes, when I look in the mirror, I feel like I'm staring back at a total stranger. I knew it wasn't going to be easy to make the switch to good, I expected it to be difficult and for ponies to not trust me. I never imagined that I'd be the one having trouble," She let out another sigh. "I'm not even sure if you can really help me on this. I just didn't know who else to turn to. I couldn't tell Shining Armor. After he stuck his neck out for me, I don't want to burden him further."

"And what about his sister, Twilight? I think she'd love having you work for her. Even if she seems to have found a student of her own in the form of that mysterious Cozy Glow," Starlight commented. "I swear, there's something off about that filly, but I can't put my hoof on it."

Tempest turned away. "I thought about it, but do you really think _I'm_ the kind of pony who should be trusted to be around children? Especially children of other nations? Queen Novo may trust Shining Armor, but I doubt that trust is enough to let the former second in command of the Storm King be in the same room as her niece. To say nothing of how the yaks might react, considering the Storm King used to terrorize them a lot. And did I mention we roughed up the griffons once? The Storm King lost interest when he found out they weren't as glorious as they used to be, nothing to steal or destroy."

"I've done some pretty bad things in the past myself, but everyone trusts me. I've even committed crimes that could count as treason," Starlight replied to Tempest. "If not for Shining Armor taking me under his wing, I'd probably be in a jail cell in the dungeons right now. I actually tried to rewrite history so I'd come out on top, and stripped ponies of their cutie marks so I could control them."

"But nopony ever actually found out about them. The same isn't true for my crimes," Tempest answered. "They don't have to say it, because I know what they're thinking: 'I shouldn't be free'. So what do you do when you start to believe all the things others say about you? What do you do when no matter how much you may want to believe you've changed and that you're one of the good guys, deep down you don't feel it? Like it's only a matter of time before you regress?"

"Sounds a lot like Princess Luna. I'm surprised you haven't spoken to her about this," Starlight giggled. "I hear that she used to beat herself up a lot over Nightmare Moon, to the point where she actually created this creature in her dreams to punish her. Luckily, she had ponies like her sister to help her snap out of it. And even Shining Armor himself has had doubts, he tends to internalize things often. I suppose it's partially related to his upbringing."

Tempest just gazed up at the ceiling, deep in thought. It was easier for her if she just avoided looking at anything in particular. "I guess maybe I'm just not sure who or what I really am. What I'm supposed to be. I'm done working for someone like the Storm King, letting a monster like him control my life and making me his puppet. That's the only thing I know for sure. Everything else is a mystery. Like my whole life is just beginning anew."

Starlight smiled. "Probably because it is. I even hear that Tempest isn't your real name, it's a name that you gave to yourself after you ran away from home."

"Yet even now, it feels like that name suits me more than my actual name," Tempest admitted. It looked like she was about to blush. "It's probably gonna be a long time still before I start calling myself by that old name again. When I truly know what that name means to me, and what that pony is supposed to be. Maybe it's tied to the Crystal Empire, maybe it's tied to Ponyville or Canterlot, maybe it's not even tied to any of those places or any one place at all."

Starlight stood up and trotted over to her fellow unicorn. "I think it's clear that these are problems you need to sort out for yourself on your own time. My advice: Set off on a journey of self discovery. Spend time doing things you've never done before, and try to find what comes naturally to you. Then, when you find what you're meant to do and where you're meant to be, you'll truly be a new pony. Or in this case, an old pony I suppose. It'll be like you were lost, and now you're found."

Tempest gave a firm nod as she once more looked Starlight in the eyes. "You know what? You're right! Nopony but me can determine what my purpose in life is! And the only way I'm going to figure out the answers to my questions, is to go out into the world like I did once before. This time, it won't be on behalf of someone else. For the first time in my life, I'll truly be on my own."

"But you'll still keep in touch with Shining, right?" Starlight suggested. "Even just a letter every once in a while?"

Tempest finally allowed herself to smile. "Of course, Starlight. I owe him that much."

* * *

And the very next day, Tempest set out on her journey to find herself. Before departing she made sure to write a letter, addressing to Shining Armor in the Crystal Empire. And the letter went like this:

 _Dear Shining Armor,_

 _I'm grateful to you for giving me a second chance when no one else would. I'm glad I could help you calm the rulers when Queen Chrysalis kidnapped the students for her own twisted desires for revenge._

 _But after speaking with your student, I've come to realize that I must strike out on my own. To determine who I am and what I'm meant to do. So if you come looking for me in either Ponyville or the Crystal Empire, you will not find me._

 _I don't know where I'll go exactly, what I'll do, or who I'll meet. I'll try my best to stay in contact with you, and I hope you'll write to me often with news about your life. But don't try to stop me, don't send out search parties to look for me, and most of all don't tell Glitter Drops to wait around for me to come back. I suspect that, barring an emergency call from Princess Luna, I may not even be in Equestria._

 _One day though, I'm confident that I'll be able to come back and tell you what I've learned. That I've found the answers to what I currently seek. Until that day though, this is something I must do by myself._

 _Hope to hear from you soon,_

 _Tempest "Fizzlepop Berrytwist" Shadow_

Shining was saddened slightly by the news, but at the same time he understood. "What worked for Starlight and Sunset won't work for Tempest," He said to himself as he finished reading the letter. "Tempest is much more independent. I just hope that wherever she strays, she knows that there'll always be a home for her to come back to."


	184. Chapter 184: A Hearth's Warming Prank?

After news of Tempest's departure, time flew by quickly for Shining Armor. His sister's school seemed to survive without incident, and Flurry Heart was growing up in the blink of an eye. Her first words were expected at any time, and now she could actually walk a bit on her own power (rather clumsily though).

It was no surprise when Shining was invited to bring Cadence and Flurry Heart to Ponyville to spend Hearth's Warming. It had been years since he could remember the last Sparkle family get together for the holidays.

The royal family made sure to leave for Ponyville bright and early the day before Hearth's Warming Eve (which was coincidentally the day that Twilight's school let out for holiday break). They made sure to bundle up their only daughter to protect her from the cold. She looked so cute in her protective star jacket.

However, when they arrived at Twilight's castle they were surprised to find the door unlocked and Starlight there to greet them. "Sorry, can't stay and chat," She apologized. "Dad invited me to Sire's Hollow for Hearth's Warming, and my dad is not the kind of pony who takes no for an answer."

"Sire's Hollow isn't _that_ far by train, Starlight," Shining questioned. "You should have plenty of time still, probably another day."

Starlight shook her head. "I'm not going alone, though. As it turns out, Trixie has no one to spend the holiday with and she invited me to come along. Sunburst is also gonna be coming along, but he'll be waiting at Sire's Hollow. Trixie insists on bringing her wagon, says she never goes anywhere without it."

Shining simply smiled. "I hear it's her home away from home so to speak. And if that's the case, you probably shouldn't keep her waiting. Still, I suppose that's one way to beat the holiday travelers."

"Before you go," Cadence inquired of the unicorn. "Do you know where we can find Twilight? She was supposed to meet us here."

"Probably finishing up some last minute errands around the school. Classes just got dismissed for the holidays a short while ago and some students are still packing," Starlight answered to Cadence. "Hope that helps." And then, lighting up her horn, the unicorn brought over some winter attire and disappeared.

Shining just sighed as a knowing, teasing smirk spread across his face. "If I know my sister, she's probably on the verge of one of her pre-holiday freak outs. She did mention she was getting behind because of the school. I'll just head up to the school and see if I'm not too late to bring her back down to Equestria."

Cadence nodded. "You do that, dear. It'll give me time to finish wrapping the presents for you and Twilight. And don't get any ideas about peaking."

The prince chuckled. "Wouldn't dream of it, honey. See you soon." Then lighting up his horn, he teleported away.

The princess of love simply turned to her daughter, still bundled up in the jacket. "Let's see if we can get a fire going in this place. You probably can't wait to take off that stuffy jacket in favor of something more comfortable."

Flurry Heart just cooed. She was looking forward to sledding with her Auntie Twily.

* * *

Shining arrived at the school and made his way in just as an excited crowd of students swept past him, nearly knocking him over! " _I remember how excited I was for Hearth's Warming as a kid. Even Twilight couldn't stay one hundred percent focused,_ " He thought to himself. " _How far away those old memories seem. Of course, I'm not turning myself back into a school colt just for that. Flurry needs to start making friends in her own age group._ "

The prince made his way toward the main hall, hoping to perhaps run into his sister. But what he saw when he arrived, was a sight that he almost couldn't believe.

Huge blobs of some kind of purple goo lay all over the floor and the walls. Some of it had even gotten onto the tree that made up the traditional Hearth's Warming display. And it seemed that even Twilight and Spike were coated in the stuff, or at least Spike still was as Twilight was currently trying to get it off his scales.

"What's all this?!" Shining exclaimed in shock. "What in the world happened here?!"

Twilight groaned as she was finally able to remove the goo from Spike. "Some prankster decided to sabotage the Hearth's Warming display, that's what. Everything is ruined!"

"Did you see who did it?" Shining asked.

Twilight shook her head. "No I didn't, it all happened so fast. And it was just a few moments ago."

Shining stomped a hoof down. "Well don't just stand there, you've got to track down the prankster! Whoever it was, they're sure to have left some clue behind."

"Hey, look out there!" Spike pointed a claw. "I see something, in the snow!"

Amidst the blinding and blowing snow, it was possible to make out a hooded figure running across the school grounds. It took but a moment to realize the figure's destination! "The students' quarters!" Spike realized.

"But there's no one there." Shining commented.

Twilight shook her head. "There might still be a few students packing, especially our transfer students."

"That hooded figure might be the prankster! We can't let them get away!" The alicorn vowed. "Quickly, after 'em!"

Shining, Twilight, and Spike all rose to their hooves (and legs in Spike's case) and chased after the hooded figure as it rushed right into the students' quarters. But inside, the figure seemed to suddenly vanish without a trace.

"I'll check the back door! That prankster's not getting away!" Shining declared and rushed to the back.

Meanwhile, Twilight called out. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

A series of doors swung open as several students still packing stumbled out. Among them was Silverstream, who was both confused and excited. "What's going on? Ooh! Is this part of the pony festivities?! Is it a surprise party or something?!"

"Sorry to intrude, but did anycreature happen to come in here?" Twilight asked the students. "Anycreature suspicious?"

Smolder shook her head. "We all came in here to pack, like you told us to. And why would there be anycreature suspicious in here?"

"We were chasing a prankster who ruined the Hearth's Warming display. We think whoever it was came here, perhaps hoping to blend in," Spike explained. "By any chance, did any of you happen to spot a figure wearing a dark, hooded robe that covered their whole body?"

"Nope." The students all answered one by one.

Just then, Shining came around to the front, holding the robe with his magic. "Well, I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is, the figure wearing this robe got away. The good news is, there's no way they could've gotten out of here after coming in here. The back door is locked, as are all the windows. And the front door would've been out of the question, they would've been spotted."

"So, maybe it was teleportation? I mean, unicorns can do that, can't they?" Sandbar speculated.

"I'm afraid that's impossible. If teleportation were involved, there'd be a magical residue left on the robe. But there isn't one," Shining declared with a serious glare. "And the figure's prints in the snow lead from the quarters to the main hall and back. So that means our little Hearth's Warming prankster is still here, still among us."

Just then, Ocellus emerged from her room. "What's going on? I was packing up my things, and I had trouble fitting a pillow into my suitcase. Did I miss something?"

Gallus just yawned and put a claw to his beak. "Just the prince thinking one of us sabotaged the Hearth's Warming display. Not sure why he'd think that, can't speak for the rest of you but I haven't done a thing all day."

"So you all wish to deny it?" Shining questioned the students. "You all wish to insist that it couldn't have been you who ruined the Hearth's Warming display?" All the students nodded one by one, some even looked noticeably intimidated. "Very well then, please come with me." The prince instructed.

* * *

The students were brought back to the main hall, and their eyes collectively fell upon the ruined remaints of what had been a Hearth's Warming flaming heart not unlike the one that was said to have driven away the windigos so long ago.

Yona was the first one to speak up. "How display get like this? How prankster not be noticed?"

"We suspect whoever it was climbed up on the ceiling," Twilight explained. "Though that doesn't mean the culprit could fly. If you were skilled enough or had a ladder, one of you could've easily climbed up while no one was looking away."

Gallus then added. "And that stuff you're seeing is goo powder, Yona. Though it's not unlike changeling slime."

Ocellus firmly insisted. "I'm innocent! I would never sabotage something so beautiful!"

"I never said it was you, Ocellus. Honestly, out of everycreature here, you're the one with the least likely motive." Gallus replied to the changeling.

"But it could still very well be her. It could be any one of you six," Shining declared as he trotted over to them. "Yet you still want to insist you're innocent? I wouldn't blame you if you did, but know that if you _are_ the culprit and don't fess up, you'll only make it worse for yourself and for others."

Twilight was quick to break up the tension. "I wanna be fair and give whoever did this a chance to come clean and confess. If the culprit does, they'll only have to write a report on why messing with the Hearth's Warming display was wrong. Now, this is your chance to tell the truth. All of you shut your eyes!" The students did as they were instructed. "Now, if you did this, please raise your hoof. Or claw. Or whatever extremity you've got."

A moment of silence passed, but none of the students said or did anything. Twilight reluctantly sighed. "Okay, you can all open your eyes now," Then she explained. "None of you confessed. So I'm going to have to assume you're all somehow responsible for the time being."

"What?! That's not fair! You can't do this to us!" Sandbar pouted and protested.

"I'm your headmare, I most certainly _can_ punish you for something like this," Twilight firmly declared. "Your little prank caused quite a mess. And someone could've gotten hurt if you had done it earlier when the whole school was here. My punishment for now is simple. You're all going to have to clean up the mess together."

Shining then spoke up. "In the meantime, the school is officially quarantined. No one comes, no one goes until we find out who did this! We'll be calling each of you in one at a time. You'll each have a chance to tell my sister, my nephew, and I where you were after classes were dismissed until the time when we all found you in the students' quarters. The true culprit or culprits need only confess to free the others."

"And if we do?" Ocellus asked with concern.

"He or she who does so will stay over the break for extra friendship lessons, particularly on laughter since it's clear that you'll need a refresher course on what is and isn't acceptable pranking," Twilight informed the students. "If necessary, we'll clear it up with your leaders first. Something tells me they wouldn't be pleased to learn their student misbehaved and caused a mess. _Especially_ Thorax or Queen Novo."

Not only did Ocellus gulp, but Silverstream did too. "W-what happens if none of us confesses?" The hippogriff plucked up the courage to say what everyone else had been afraid to ask.

"Then I'm afraid _none_ of you will be going home for the holidays. You'll _all_ remain here," Twilight informed the students. "Hopefully it won't come to that."

Shining looked over the students as they set to work on mopping up the mess. "Do we have any volunteers willing to go first? If not, we'll do it at random."

Gallus immediately put down his mop. "What the heck, guess I'll give it a shot. Maybe the mess'll be cleaned up by the time I get back."

"Very well then, this way please. And remember, we want the truth. But whatever you say doesn't have to leave the room," Shining instructed to Gallus. "Cooperate, and this will all be over soon."

Gallus left the room, following Shining as he led the young griffon away to talk to Twilight.

* * *

As the rest of the students began mopping, Silverstream had an interesting idea. "Hey, I know! Why don't we make a game out of it?! Make it fun! First one to finish cleaning up wins!"

Yona nodded her head in agreement. "Yona accept Silverstream's terms! Yak win! Yaks always best at cleaning up!"

Smolder rolled her eyes. "This isn't a game, you know! This is serious. It's time to cut the nonsense and get straight to business. One of you obviously did it because you thought it'd be funny, and now you just wanna make the rest of us suffer. Well congratulations, it worked! Now talk so I can turn you over to Headmare Twilight!"

"And you're saying _you_ didn't do it? I mean, for all we know it could be you. You're a flyer, so it'd be easier." Sandbar suggested.

"I know I didn't do it! Why would I have any reason to lie about it?!" Smolder insisted. "And no way am I taking the fall for someone's else prank. If you ask me, it was probably Ocellus. She's been acting weird ever since it was announced classes were letting out for Hearth's Warming. I think she wants to be in school more."

Ocellus let out a horrified gasp! "That is so not true, Smolder! I'm ashamed you'd think that!"

"I know you too well, Ocellus. I know how much of a bookworm you are, figuratively and literally." The young dragon answered as she blew smoke from her nostrils.

The changeling buzzed her wings in protest. "Then you also know I would never do something this horrible! Yes, I like being in school, but I also like going home to my family for Hearth's Warming. There is no way I'm going to miss going home for it."

Sandbar turned and eyed Ocellus. "I didn't realize the changelings celebrated Hearth's Warming, Ocellus."

Ocellus blushed. "Well, even after Thorax took over the throne we didn't. Headmare Twilight sent instructions last year to our hive. Although, we kind of had to improvise and I don't think we did it exactly right."

Sandbar giggled. "Come on, there's no wrong way to celebrate."

"Well, we kind of swam in the punch, and since there's so much wood and moss around we couldn't exactly build a proper fire. Too risky, Pharynx wouldn't allow it." Ocellus admitted.

"Who?" Sandbar asked.

Ocellus answered. "Thorax's brother. He's head of security in the new hive, and very overprotective."

"Hey, at least you made the traditions you're own. It's the thought that counts, right?" Sandbar questioned. "The most exciting my Hearth's Warming ever been is the one time my doll almost fell into the fire."

"Ooh! What happened?!" Silverstream curiously inquired.

Sandbar just shrugged his hooves. "It just fell on the floor, that was it."

"So, it's just a doll. You could buy another one." Smolder retorted.

The earth pony colt shook his head. "Not this one, it was special. My grandmother made it for me when I was really little. It's a one of a kind gift, and I'll always cherish it."

"Your stories are no fun at all! They don't even have a depressing ending!" Smolder grumbled. "We dragons don't do Hearth's Warming, we have our own special occasion. Every dragon gathers in a cave and tells stories while we all snack on gems. Whoever tells the best story gets to spend the day with Dragon Lord Ember. And guess who's been storytelling champion for three years running?"

Just then, the door swung open. "Ocellus, you're next." Spike declared.

Ocellus gulped as she set down her mop and followed Spike out of the main hallway and down to Twilight's office.

* * *

Gallus just sighed as he grabbed a mop. "I talked for as long as they would allow me. Should've figured you guys wouldn't get it cleaned up by that point. Oh well, can't blame a griffon for trying."

"So, what did you tell them?" Smolder inquired. "Did you confess?"

The griffon laughed. "Of course not, I told them I didn't do it! Why in the world would I lie?"

"Didn't you once mention something about a festival involving a moon?" Smolder questioned.

Gallus shook his head. "That's not important. Griffons have their traditions, just like ponies do."

Yona stomped her hoof down in furious protest. "Ugh! Yak tired of waiting. Yona just want culprit to confess. Yak always home in time for holidays, Yona not want to miss them."

"Yaks celebrate Hearth's Warming too?" Sandbar asked the yak.

Yona shook her head. "No, yaks no need to adopt pony holiday. Yaks have holiday all their own. Snilldar Fest. Night before, yaks gather things to smash and put them in big pile. Then in morning, we smash them! In afternoon, we smash them again! In evening—"

Gallus rolled his eyes. "It's always about smashing with you yaks, isn't it?"

"Because yaks love to destroy and rebuild, nothing lasts forever," Yona explained to Gallus. "Besides, Snilldar Fest about so much more. It about family. Last year, for example. Most perfect Snilldar ever. Whole family – grandpa, grandma yak, Yona's brother, sister, mother, father yak – all go to woods singing yak song. Did Yona mention Yona's hair used to be much longer?"

"You mean, even longer than before Professor Fancy Pants had Rarity style your hair so you wouldn't trip over it?" Sandbar questioned. "I have to say, I kind of like you with shorter hair."

Yona giggled. "Yona get that all the time from pony. But that okay, yak not judge. Anyway, yaks hang perfect things on perfect moss pile and—"

"Let me guess, you smash it?" Smolder remarked.

At that Yona replied with a huff. "No. What you think yaks are, barbarians? Moss pile is not for smashing but for special family rituals. Last year, ritual was for Yona. All yak family gather around Yona and braid Yona hair for first time. Prince Rutherford show up later, Yona work for prince on scouting party once before. Prince say thanks."

"So it's all about family... and smashing?" Gallus pondered.

Yona nodded. "Absolutely! Two most perfect things in history of forever, put together!"

Silverstream smiled, imitating Yona's efforts to smash a bucket. "Oh Yona, you're so full of energy. And you're really strong. But it's so much fun to learn new traditions from friends. Maybe I should come to Yakyakistan for Snilldar Fest?"

"If we ever get out of here," Smolder grumbled. "Which would be a lot easier if one of our friends would just confess already."

Just then, Ocellus came back and nervously spoke up. "Uh, Sandbar, they want you to go in next."

"You didn't confess, did you?" Sandbar questioned.

"No. I didn't do it, and that's exactly what I told them." Ocellus answered.

Sandbar just shrugged his hooves. "Guess I'll have to do the same. See you all soon."

* * *

Once Sandbar had left, the students went back to cleaning as Silverstream took notice of something that no one else seemed to be aware of. "You're in an awfully big hurry to leave, Smolder. But it doesn't sound like you really have a holiday."

"The Festival of Fire counts as one as far as I'm concerned," Smolder replied. "We all gather around, tell stories, and share gems to snack on. That's all there is to it. There's plenty of things dragons can do to pass the time otherwise."

"Aren't you at least gonna tell us one of your famous stories?" Silverstream asked. "It's been fun to learn new things."

Smolder just sighed. "Well if you want a story with a happy ending, why don't I tell you all about how Spike went through his molting phase? You should've seen it, the guy was so determined to stay hidden."

"We know how it ends, he got a cool pair of wings, and now he's much taller," Gallus retorted to Smolder. "Maybe you're just trying not to talk because you _did_ do it and you're trying not to get caught."

"Wait, I thought we were supposed to suspect Sandbar because he's so close to his idols here?" Silverstream suspected.

Just then, Sandbar peaked his head into the room. "Why would I do that? I've got plenty of better ways to meet our professors. And I'm kind of done with the whole 'Idol Worship' thing after the Tree of Harmony's test," Then he looked at Silverstream. "Silverstream, they want you to be next."

The hippogriff gulped, wishing more than anything she could turn into a seapony and hide underwater. But she couldn't. "Well, wish me luck, everycreature. I hope I can make it back in time for the Three Days of Freedom Celebration." She then departed without another word.

Gallus immediately approached Sandbar. "Come on, dude. One guy to another, you can totally tell me."

"Tell you what? If it's about Yona, there's nothing to say." Sandbar defensively retorted.

Yona shot a puzzled look at the colt. "Wait, why Sandbar mention Yona? Yona not said anything, Yona not suspect Sandbar of anything. Yona believe Sandbar innocent."

At that, Sandbar just replied. "O-oh, nothing. And there's nothing to say about the prank, because I didn't do it." He breathed a sigh of relief as he thought to himself. " _That was too close. Almost blabbed how I really feel about Yona. I'm still trying to work it out, it's my first crush after all._ "

* * *

The students went back to cleaning after that and didn't bother to say much else. Sandbar, Gallus, and Smolder had all already shared their stories of Hearth's Warming and the holidays as they experienced them (what parts they were willing to share anyway).

It wasn't until Silverstream came back that there was any sort of development. "Yona, you're to report to Shining Armor and Twilight. And Smolder, you can have a separate talk with Spike, dragon to dragon."

The two obeyed without hesitation, but as they left there was a growing feeling of concern that started to linger in the rest of the students' minds. "If neither of them confesses..." Ocellus began but trailed off, unable to bring herself to say it.

Fortunately, Silverstream finished it for the changeling. "We're never going home!" Her lips started to quiver. "It's not fair! This can't happen to me! I can't miss the Three Days of Freedom Celebration, it's the only time of the year my whole family gets to be together. Terramar's already probably worrying himself sick at the train station about where I am."

"What's all this about 'Three Days of Freedom'?" Gallus questioned Silverstream. "You haven't mentioned anything like that before. Is this another one of your ceremonies your species is so fond of holding?"

The young hippogriff nodded. "It used to be only one day back when we had to live underwater all the time, but now to commemorate our escape from the Storm King, we're adding two more days of awesome! See?" She pulled out a brightly colored book.

"There's a book on all that stuff?" The griffon questioned.

Silverstream happily nodded, showing off the pictures inside. "Aunt Novo made them for the Mount Aris Board of Tourism, to explain it all to guests. I got one of the first copies on my way to Ponyville with Terramar," She flipped through the pages and explained. "For the first night we'll be down in Seaquestria as seaponies, thanking the ocean for protecting us from the wrath of the Storm King. All sorts of great underwater activities, whale singing, shell stringing, you name it. Day two has everyone go up to Mount Aris to celebrate our triumphant return to our homeland after the Storm King's defeat. There'll be sky dancing and a wind song. But the third day is the best day of all!"

"Why?" Gallus wondered.

Silverstream grinned. "Because on that day, land and sea alike celebrate together. It doesn't matter where you go or what you wanna be. Everyone can join in as whoever or whatever they want to be! Grandparents and parents and sisters, uncles, brothers, acquaintances, neighbors, and cousins. And then at the end of the night, Queen Novo is gonna give out presents to all the hippogriffs and seaponies! She's gonna be a 'Santa Hoof' or 'Santa Claws' as the case may be, whatever that is."

Gallus shot a puzzled look at Silverstream as the young hippogriff closed the book. "H-hold on a second. 'Cousins'? Just what are those things?"

"Your aunts and uncles' children. You know, part of your family." Ocellus explained.

"Oh!" Gallus realized, and then sighed. "Well, that's all fine and dandy for the rest of you. But I don't have a family."

"Not even Grandpa Gruff?" Sandbar questioned.

Gallus shook his head. "Especially not him. Grandpa's just a name everygriff gives him, he's not actually related to anyone as far as I know. And he barely tells me anything about my parents. Just says they dumped me on him as an egg and took off. No note, no goodbyes, nothing."

"Oh you poor thing! No one should be sad and alone on the holidays!" Silverstream comforted the griffon. "You could totally come with me to Mount Aris! You could be part of my family, I think Terramar would love to have a little brother."

But before Gallus could reply to the offer, the door suddenly swung open and in trotted a very unhappy looking Yona and Smolder.

"Let me guess, you two didn't confess?" Sandbar questioned, and got a reply in two head shakes.

"Headmare Twilight said wait here, then shoo yak away," Yona grumbled. "Say they need to discuss something."

"Probably trying to think of how they'll punish us," Smolder added. "Looks like we're all stuck here for the holidays. So whoever _really_ did this, congratulations! I hope you're proud of yourself!"

* * *

But then suddenly, the door swung open again as Shining Armor, Spike, and Twilight entered the room! Shining appeared to have a smile upon his face. "I know who the culprit is!" He declared. "They're in this very room as we speak, and it most definitely _was_ just one of you."

"Who is it?!" The students all asked, except for Gallus who remained suspiciously silent.

The prince trotted toward the students, sizing them up not unlike he would do for recruits into the royal guard. "Well, I'm about to tell you. But I wanna give the guilty party one last chance to confess. It's not too late to save yourself, but if you remain silent there's nothing I can do to help you. We're even talking about a possible detention after school resumes," No one spoke a word. "Very well then, that's your choice," And he turned to Ocellus. "Ocellus... I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you'll have to come with me. You'll be staying over the break, and the rest of your friends are free to go."

Ocellus gasped! "What?! But I didn't do it! I'm serious! You've got the wrong creature!"

"Yeah!" Gallus suddenly spoke. "Ocellus couldn't have done it!"

"Why is that, Gallus?" Twilight appeared to innocently inquire. "Is there something you'd like to say?"

The griffon swallowed a lump in his throat. "Y...yes. I did it! I'm the sabotager!" He confessed. "It was me, and only me!"

All the other students let out a gasp! "No way, dude!" Sandbar exclaimed with shock. "What in the name of Celestia were you thinking?"

"Well I was thinking: Since I don't have any sort of holidays back home to look forward to, it'd be nice to spend some time with all of you before we went back to our homes," Gallus reluctantly explained. "I didn't mean to cause so much of a mess. I just figured if I dumped some goo powder on the flaming heart, we'd have to stay to clean it up."

"Then why didn't you confess earlier?" Smolder questioned. "You almost got us all stuck here!"

"Actually, that was a bluff on my part," Shining explained to the students. "If none of you had confessed, without solid evidence it would've been impossible to prove that any of you did it. And it wouldn't have justified holding you here against your will. However, had I told you that, none of you would've felt compelled to confess. It was necessary to keep such a thing secret to ensure the culprit couldn't get away."

Spike added. "Truth be told, Gallus, we already suspected it was you anyway. And when you were the only one who mentioned goo powder, even though we never said that's what it was, we had a good feeling you were behind it."

Twilight finished. "But we wanted to see if you would make your friends take the fall for something you did. I'm proud to see that you've been paying attention in Applejack's honesty classes. And I think it's safe to say that you don't need extra friendship lessons."

"However," Shining cautioned. "You're still going to have to clean up the mess, Gallus. Your friends are welcome to help you if they want to. And you're welcome to spend the holidays with whoever you want."

Gallus smiled. "Fine by me," Then he apologized. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused. I didn't mean for things to get so out of control."

"Well next time, don't be afraid to just ask straight up. I would've said yes," Twilight explained. "Don't forget that Gilda's the one you need to convince now, not Grandpa Gruff. And Rainbow Dash is on very good terms with Gilda now, not to mention the fact that Gabby befriended two of Shining Armor's friends and still works as the mail carrier for Griffonstone. I'm sure both of them won't be bothered if you don't come home to Griffonstone since you instead wanna spend the holidays with a friend."

The young griffon felt his heart flutter ever so slightly. "Thank you, Headmare Twilight," Then he turned to his friends. "Well, you heard her, we've still got a mess to clean up! Last one to finish is a rotten egg!"

* * *

Shining watched the students as they went back to work on cleaning up the mess, then he turned to his sister. "You haven't even started putting up decorations yet, have you?" He teased.

Twilight tensed up ever so slightly, as if she'd been pinched unexpectedly. "N-no! W-why would you think that?!"

Shining just laughed, ribbing his sister a little. "Come on, sis, there's no need to lie. I know you too well. It's okay. I'll help you put up the decorations, it's probably easier with two sets of hooves. And you probably haven't gotten a gift yet."

"I've been busy!" Twilight protested. "And you're one to talk! Cadence has been sending me letters telling me how crazy you've been driving yourself to find the perfect present for Flurry Heart!"

Spike only shook his head and sighed. "It's amazing I ever had time to be a part of your family when you two were always fighting like this. No wonder your parents set up the whole 'Sibling Supreme' thing."

"When you have a family of your own, Spike, you'll understand." Shining replied.


	185. Chapter 185: Starlight on the Road?

It seemed like it would be just another typical day for Starlight, as she sat at attention at her counselor's desk and listened attentively to whatever the students needed to tell her. With school back in session after the Winter break, it seemed like Starlight's office had become busier than ever.

But to her surprise, at the end of the day as she was getting ready to close down the office and head home, who should come trotting in but Trixie? The magician had an exceptionally bright smile on her face. "Great news, Starlight!" She beamed with pride. "The Great and Powerful Trixie's skills have finally been recognized! She's going to Saddle Arabia!"

"All by yourself?" Starlight questioned. "Saddle Arabia's pretty far away."

Trixie shook her head. "Of course not all by herself, Starlight. For the Great and Powerful Trixie would be nothing without her best friend and great and powerful assistant," She flashed a knowing smile. "And we both know who I'm talking about."

At that Starlight gulped. "W-wait, you want _me_ to come with you on your road trip?"

The magician nodded again. "We'll be performing all over Equestria on our way to Saddle Arabia! You're as much a part of the act as everything else, Trixie couldn't do this without you."

"B-but where would we spend the nights?" Starlight nervously inquired.

Trixie grinned. "Starlight, you silly filly, you know the answer to that. In my wagon of course! It'll be just like our trip to Sire's Hollow on Hearth's Warming. Remember how much fun we had then?"

"If by fun you mean having to sleep in a hammock in a drafty wagon that was anything but cozy," Starlight grumbled. "I'm not sure I'm ready for another road trip so soon. Besides, I can't just up and leave, I've got guidance counselor responsibilities now."

As if on cue, the familiar form of Silverstream came flying into Starlight's office. "Counselor Starlight, could I talk to you for a minute or two? Maybe three? I'm kind of having issues with Gallus, he seems to be in a bad mood and doesn't wanna talk to me," Then she noticed Trixie and blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something? I can probably just come back tomorrow."

"N-no, don't be silly," Starlight nervously laughed and gestured the young hippogriff to come in. "As a guidance counselor, my students come first. I can squeeze you in really quick," She turned to Trixie. "Can we... discuss the er... road trip at a later date? Like maybe tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that?"

The magician grumbled and snorted, turning her head. "Fine, I'll let you off the hook this time, Starlight. But the Great and Powerful Trixie isn't taking no for an answer," Under her breath she added. "And don't even think about trading away my wagon." Then she departed Starlight's office.

Even as Starlight occupied herself with Silverstream's problem, an unhappy sigh escaped her lips. " _This student counselor needs some counseling herself,_ " She thought with a frown on her face. " _And there's only one pony to talk to about that._ "

* * *

Shining Armor had just gotten off of day court in the Crystal Empire and was looking forward to a relaxing evening with his family (about as relaxing as it could be with Flurry Heart anyway, she was still often full of energy). But as he made his way down the halls to the private study, he felt a faint tingling sensation on his front left hoof.

The prince looked down, eyeing a glowing blue band that flashed on and off rapidly. He recognized at once what it meant. It was his way of staying in touch with Starlight and Twilight while they were in Ponyville, and he was in the Crystal Empire. So he could tell them apart, he had assigned them both special signals for an enchanted band. Starlight's was a rapid on and off flash, whereas Twilight's was a slower and more constant display.

Checking to make sure the hallways were empty, the prince touched a hoof to the band. A small magic bubble appeared, with Starlight's face poking through it. "Starlight, can you hear me?" He spoke up, trying to draw her attention.

Starlight blinked back and for a moment she was silent, but then she answered. "Yeah, I read you loud and clear. Looks like this communication system works."

Shining smiled. "Thank Twilight, it was her idea. Speaking of which, how is she? Everything going okay at the School of Friendship?"

"For the most part," Starlight replied with a quick nod, before she sighed and her posture took on a bit of a slump. "But there's something I wanted to talk to you about. Something really troubling."

The prince tried to keep a straight face. "Starlight, did you do something you're not supposed to again? Please tell me it's not another magic mishap."

The mare shook her head in quick succession. "No, no magical mayhem to report here. Everything's been quiet. And there's been no sightings of Neighsay either," She paused, her lips seeming to quiver a little. "But today I learned that Trixie plans to go out on the road, all the way to Saddle Arabia. And she wants me to go with her."

"Well, congratulations," Shining smiled back at Starlight. "Sounds like a dream come true."

"For Trixie, maybe. But not for me. I don't do well on the road," Starlight frowned again. "I couldn't stand sleeping in Trixie's wagon, even though it was just for one night," Then she added in a glum tone of voice. "I actually tried to trade Trixie's wagon away for something more... comfortable."

"You did what?!" Shining exclaimed as his eyes widened.

Starlight hung her head in shame. "Yeah, I'm not exactly proud of that. Trixie really blew up on me for it. But we just couldn't make it work out, I kept snoring and Trixie kept talking in her sleep. If not for the fact that it was so cold outside, I would've slept under the stars."

"And you're worried about the same things happening on the road to Saddle Arabia?" Shining concluded, to which Starlight nodded. "Well, have you brought it up around Trixie at all?"

"I don't wanna be a burden to her, especially because my job as a guidance counselor keeps cutting into the time we used to spend just hanging out together," Starlight explained. "I've tried to set up office times, but it seems like I keep having more students than I know what to do with. I don't wanna make Trixie feel like I'm placing even more demands on her when she already has to sacrifice so much. This is the longest she's ever been in Ponyville, and now she's finally got a chance to live her dream, make herself known to all of Equestria."

The prince paused for a moment, before he told his former student. "I think I know what the problem is. Trixie is so used to life on the road, her wagon in particular is like a home away from home. But you've taken up root in Ponyville, you're afraid of being alone again."

The mare hung her head again. "After all the terrible things I did to that village, after almost completely giving up on friendship, I never wanted to feel left out again. Being on the road, it feels like I'm learning all over again. But to Trixie it's like it's no big deal, like second nature to her. I enjoy spending time with her when she's in Ponyville, and I'm sure she's proud to consider me her assistant. But maybe ours is a friendship that's not meant to last? Maybe we're just too different to truly make it work? Perhaps our lives are meant to take us in different directions."

"Starlight, you need to talk to Trixie about these sort of things. You know she's not a mind reader, and it doesn't do you any good to keep your worries bottled up," Shining advised. "From what I've seen of Trixie, she values your happiness enough to at least listen when you have concerns. But what works for her may not work for you, maybe you two need to work something out together, if you really want to go on the road with her."

"And what if I don't? I don't want our friendship to end over something like that." Starlight protested.

"Even if Trixie does go on the road alone, it doesn't mean your friendship has to end," Shining encouraged as he looked at Starlight. "You thought the same of Sunburst after he moved away, and we both know how that it turned out to not be the case. If Trixie truly is your friend, she'll try her best to accommodate your lifestyle. But even if she can't make you happy enough to go on the road with her, it doesn't mean she'll stop being your friend. I'm sure even she understands that someponies are fine being alone, and others not so much."

Starlight seemed to grow slightly happier, before she nervously inquired. "B-but what about my responsibilities as a guidance counselor? I can't just up and leave my office unattended, who would take my place?! And don't you dare say Tempest Shadow or Sunset Shimmer, I haven't heard from the former in weeks and we both know Sunset's far too busy in that other world to come back to Equestria on short notice."

The prince flashed a knowing smile as he gestured a hoof. "I'd be more than happy to fill in for you. This gives me an opportunity to support my sister's dream and ensure its success," Then he added. "Flurry Heart will love the chance to be with her favorite auntie, and she'll have some actual playmates now."

"W-well, that sounds lovely. But I'll have to talk with Trixie before I make any plans," Starlight cautioned. "And you should probably check with Cadence to make sure she's okay with you leaving the Crystal Empire."

"Will do!" Shining saluted. "You focus on Trixie, and I'll worry about Cadence. Hope to talk to you again soon."

* * *

A week later, Twilight, the teachers, and the students from the School of Friendship all gathered to see Trixie and Starlight off. "Don't forget to write!" Pinkie Pie called out to them. "We wanna hear all about your travels on 'The Road to Friendship Tour'!"

Starlight just nervously waved back as Trixie winked. "We will, we'll be sure to do that first thing after every pit stop and hotel check-in."

"Have fun, you two," Twilight encouraged. "And don't worry, Starlight. Shining Armor will take good care of the students while you're gone."

"As long as Flurry Heart behaves anyway." Shining laughed, looking at his young daughter who was currently perched atop his head.


	186. Chapter 186: Seeds of Doubt

Sandbar, Gallus, Smolder, Silverstream, Ocellus, and Yona were all gathered in the school library after class. They'd just learned that Headmare Twilight's class on the Magic of Friendship was going to have a big test the next day. And with the exception of Sandbar and Ocellus, everyone in the group was worried about their chances. Gallus in particular was really worried since his grades were the lowest among his peers in that class.

Sandbar had proposed a group study project and an emergency cram session. And the library seemed like the most suitable place to conduct it. But with how much was at stake on the test the next day, and with the students themselves under pressure as finals were lurking around the corner, it didn't take much for arguments to break out and tensions to flare up.

It was hardly a surprise when Gallus snapped first, glaring directly at Silverstream. "Would you please cut it out?"

"Cut what out, Gallus?" Silverstream innocently replied as she tapped her paw on the desk.

"That!" Gallus gestured a claw to Silverstream's paw. "That constant 'Tap, tap, tapping'! It's getting on my nerves!"

"Well how do you think I feel with you constantly tapping your claw?" Smolder remarked as she turned toward Gallus.

Yona stomped a hoof down. "Friends not fight! Yona want friends to get along so Yona can go back to studying."

Gallus just groaned. "Easy for you to say, you're not the one whose entire academic future is riding on this! And I don't know a thing about pillars, or elements, or anything like that," He put his claws to his face. "Ugh, I'm so gonna fail. I'm gonna have to be held back."

"Well, that wouldn't be such a bad thing, would it?" Silverstream innocently questioned. "I mean, if you failed, wouldn't that mean you'd have to stay for summer school? You wouldn't have to go back to Griffonstone."

"I'd come and visit you if I could find the time." Sandbar encouraged.

But the young griffon only shook his head. "Knowing Headmare Twilight, she'll just make me do an essay I can take back to Griffonstone. But I'll be stuck in the same class while all of you move on."

Ocellus blushed. "Actually, I might end up in a more advanced class. Headmare Twilight says I'm so smart that I may not need the basics. The only reason I'm staying in this class is because I want to be with all of you."

Smolder snorted. "Not all of us are so lucky, you know. I'm in kind of the same boat as Gallus here, I need a decent grade on that test tomorrow, or I'm probably gonna flunk Headmare Twilight's class. Dragon Lady Ember won't like that at all, I'll never hear the end of it."

"Yona want friends to pass, Yona want to be with friends," Yona pleaded. "Yona not wanna have to be in different class from friends. But yaks not fail on purpose, yaks always give one hundred percent in everything!"

Sandbar smiled as he scooted closer to Yona. "That's actually a pretty good motto to live by, Yona. It's something we could all strive to do. Even I haven't always been giving this class my all, I guess sometimes even a pony like me can take friendship for granted," Then he took a deep breath. "But for now, let's just chill. It's only one test, it's not the end of the world. I'm sure Headmare Twilight will give us plenty of extra credit opportunities so we can catch up."

Just then there came a familiar giggle, and the six students turned to spot the familiar figure of Cozy Glow as she was perched high above on a ladder. "Golly, that's so sweet of you to think that way, Sandbar. It's almost heartbreaking how you're spending so much time with these other creatures, trying to help them understand friendship."

"Says you, Cozy," Sandbar frowned. "I heard you weren't doing so hot in friendship class either. You had to get help from the Cutie Mark Crusaders."

"Exactly, because ponies help other ponies. That's what friendship is all about," Cozy Glow replied with a sickeningly sweet grin. "It's nice of you to try and extend it to the other creatures, but let's be honest they don't have what it takes. Who could blame them? Given their upbringings, how could anyone expect them to understand friendship at all? It doesn't come naturally to them like it does to us ponies."

Gallus and Smolder turned their attention towards Sandbar, and even Ocellus, Silverstream, and Yona were all starting to look unsettled. Sandbar fought back a lump in his throat. "Don't listen to her, guys, she's just jealous."

Cozy threw back her head at that statement and gave a hearty laugh. "That's a good one, Sandbar. Me? Jealous of the likes of you? I have all the friends I need, and I can make more whenever I want. You think you're something special just because you made friends with transfer students."

"I don't think I'm special because of that. Our friendship is what makes us special!" Sandbar retorted with an angry glare. Even he was starting to get annoyed by Cozy Glow's behavior.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that. Whatever helps you sleep better at night," The little pegasus remarked with a rather devious smirk upon her face. "It's just so inspiring to see you try. Heck, it's so inspiring to see you all try to understand friendship, even though it just isn't in your nature. If not for Sandbar, no one would ever associate with the likes of you and you'd be forgotten. But by all means, tell me I'm wrong. I'm just a kid too, I'm still learning about friendship. Even if I must say I'm doing a better job at it than all of you at the current moment."

Cozy's words were like venom, slow to seep in but once they did they hurt like nothing else. And naturally when one was hurt, one reacted to it according to his or her own nature. In Yona's case, that involved a rather up front approach. Smoke billowing from her nostrils, the young yak stomped right up to Cozy Glow (who had landed a short time earlier) and pushed her down. "Pony is getting on yak's nerves! Why pony have to be so cruel?!"

"You know what, Yona's right," Smolder questioned. "Why are you picking on us? You sound just like that Chancellor Neighsay, and anyone who gets under Ember's skin can't be very nice."

"Cozy, don't tell me you're secretly in cahoots with that disgraced chancellor!" Sandbar exclaimed. "Headmare Twilight and Prince Shining Armor say he's misguided and nothing but trouble. We're not even supposed to speak about him."

Cozy stood up, brushing off the dirt from her coat as if nothing had happened at all. She seemed completely oblivious to the ice cold stares she was being subjected to. "Trust me, I have no connections to that chancellor. He was dumb enough to flap that big mouth of his until it got him into trouble. And I know it's not right to speak ill of somepony after they've already destroyed their reputation," She paused, before adding. "I'm simply a realist. I deal simply with facts. And here's a fact for the six of you. You think you'll be friends forever? That your bond will last the ages? Don't kid yourselves, you'll all be lucky if you remember each other even five years from now, let alone when you're all old and wrinkly."

"Liar!" Silverstream bellowed at the top of her lungs which made everyone step back. It was rare to see someone as bubbly and cheerful as her get so mad, and only Gallus had ever seen this side of her before. The hippogriff flew right up to Cozy Glow so the two were face to face. "You don't know what any of us have been through! If you had to fly or swim a mile in my steps you wouldn't last five minutes! I thought ponies were nice, nothing like that nasty Storm King who tried to rule over us with fear. But I guess any species is capable of cruelty under the right circumstances! Ponies like you make a part of me wish I'd never left Mount Aris with my brother!"

Ocellus was quick to add. "My nation's former ruler tried to make an example out of me, she tried to brainwash me into being her loyal servant! Not a day goes by where I don't dread her coming back, fearing that everything I've enjoyed under King Thorax could be taken away!"

"You may be an orphan, but that doesn't give you the right to be so cruel to us! Don't act like you're the only one who's ever had it rough!" Smolder declared. "You may not think our friendship is so special, but it doesn't matter what you think. We're here, together, and we're gonna prove you wrong!"

"Well, suit yourselves then," Cozy Glow replied as she climbed back onto the ladder. "I've got shelf stacking duties to tend to anyway. Go ahead and spend all your time trying to understand friendship. You'll see, someday you'll admit that I was right and you were wrong."

Sandbar only shook his head. "That day will never come, Cozy! Prince Shining Armor believes in us, and we've been tested in a way you'll never understand."

At that, Cozy's ears pricked up. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, but if we told you you'd think we're crazy," Sandbar replied with what seemed like a knowing grin. "Now if you wouldn't mind, some of us are trying to study. And we _don't_ want to be interrupted."

With a humph, the little pegasus reluctantly obliged the request. " _Those six are a problem,_ " She thought to herself. " _If I'm to truly to stand a chance, they'll need to be taken care of somehow,_ " But if anyone had been watching closely, they might have seen her lips quiver ever so slightly. " _Maybe they can help me? Maybe there's something to their bond after all?_ " But as quickly as the thought entered her mind it was dismissed. " _No, they wouldn't understand. None of them could! I don't have a choice in the matter! I've been biding my time for long enough! All I need now is a way to ensure that all potential threats have been 'taken care of' as the instructions were. Sorry, guys, but this time friendship_ _ **isn't**_ _going to save you. And neither is that pesky prince._ "

* * *

But the very next day, Cozy found herself being called into the guidance counselor's office. And she knew that could only mean trouble, for by now it was no secret that Shining Armor had taken the place of the original counselor (who remained on the road).

The only thing more terrifying than meeting the prince face to face for Cozy, was meeting his young daughter, Flurry Heart. Despite having less magical surges now, the young alicorn was still unpredictable.

Shining Armor sat in a desk chair, staring directly at Cozy as she entered the office. "You know why you're here, right? I don't need to name names, several students informed me of your... less than friendly nature the other day."

Cozy gulped. "L-look, I-I can explain, honestly. I mean, golly, I don't know what came over me."

Shining Armor frowned. "I'm not buying it, Cozy. You can't play innocent with me. I've had plenty of experience from raising my daughter to know when somepony's got something they're trying to hide."

Cozy seemed to break out into a nervous sweat. "W-who me? What would I have to hide? I'm a cute, innocent, orphan filly. That's all there is to it."

"Then why does it seem that I can't find any record of you in any sort of orphanage?" Shining questioned the filly. "And why is it that you're trying to sew doubts among your fellow students? Even my sister's starting to become concerned, she's worried that she may have made the wrong call choosing you to be her teaching assistant."

Cozy gulped again. "So maybe I sort of... forged some documents and told a few tall tales. No harm no foul, right? You're not gonna turn away a cute and helpless little filly like me on a whim, are you?"

Shining shook his head. "Of course not, Cozy. I'm not heartless. Which is why you're only going to get a week's worth of after school detention, and you're going to be cleaning all the chalkboards in all the classrooms."

The little filly nearly gasped. "What?! You can't expect me to do all of that by myself! This school is so big, there's more classrooms here than anywhere else in Equestria!"

"Well perhaps you should've considered that before you decided to be a brat," The prince scolded Cozy. "The students you were picking on the other day were very concerned, your words cut deeper than you realized. And in an environment that is supposed to teach the values of friendship, the last thing this school needs is for anyone to be lecturing others about whether or not friendship is in their nature. You leave me no choice but to take these harsh measures. Is that clear?"

Cozy reluctantly nodded her head. "Y-yes sir, Prince Shining Armor, sir. I... understand."

"Good, at least we understand each other," Shining smiled and then offered. "If there's ever anything you want to ask me about, I'm right here. I don't want you to think you need to keep secrets, but at the same time I don't want you to think I'm forcing you to talk."

"No thank you, I'm good!" Cozy insisted and quickly sped away without saying another word.

* * *

Flurry Heart had witnessed the whole displayed, and the gears in her tiny little head were turning. Something was definitely off about that pony her daddy had been talking with.

Shining Armor seemed to know what his daughter was thinking as he lightly stroked her mane. "I know, Flurry. Cozy is definitely not normal. There's something very strange about her," He commented as he put a hoof to his chin. "Ever since I first made contact with her she's felt 'off'. For the life of me, I wish I knew why."

Unknown to the prince or his daughter, a very anxious Cozy was breathing a sigh of relief in a closet not far from the guidance counselor's office. "That was too close," She commented to herself. "He might be on to me," Then she looked down at her hooves, which seemed to briefly flicker and fade before they became solid once again. "I can't wait much longer! I need to find a way to get that nosy prince out of the picture soon!"


	187. Chapter 187: Into Thin Air

It had been a few weeks since Starlight Glimmer had left to travel with Trixie, things had been peaceful in Equestria and Twilight's School of Friendship was running smoothly and without incident.

So it was that Rainbow Dash had taken the liberty of hosting a field trip to Cloudsdale, which Twilight had approved of. Many of the students were seeing the majestic city in the sky for the very first time. To say they were impressed would be an understatement.

"Wow! This is like a dream come true!" Sandbar happily exclaimed as he bounced from cloud to cloud. "I always wanted to visit Cloudsdale, but my parents said it was impossible."

Twilight beamed a bright smile. "It would be for most of you if not for the cloud walking spell I discovered. You wouldn't believe how often it comes in handy."

Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, was happily showing off all the sights and sounds of Cloudsdale to all the eager students. "And thanks to that you all get to say what makes Cloudsdale awesome!" She gestured a hoof to a nearby sports stadium. "That there's the Cloudsiuem, the place where only the finest pegasi athletes compete. It's where yours truly won the Best Young Flyer's Competition a few years back, and where you can often see me and the rest of the Wonderbolts quite often," She trotted past it while flapping her wings, soon turning her attention to another building. "And over there, in the distance, you can see the weather factory. It's where the weather for all of Equestria gets made: Rain, snow, rainbows, you name it. I'd love to take you all inside, but there's lots of machinery and delicate weather making that could be quite dangerous." A few groans of disappointment escaped the lips of most of the students.

But Gallus didn't care, he had something much better in mind. He was currently standing on the edge of a cloud bank, peering down at the ground below and how tiny everything seemed from up here. Being the naughty griffon that he was, Gallus' face morphed into a teasing smirk as he turned his attention to one of his friends: The somewhat unsettled Yona. "Hey, Yona," He called while trying to keep a straight tone of voice. "Why don't you come over here and check out the view? Or are you too scared?"

Yona trotted forward one hoof at a time, trying to keep her teeth from chattering. "Y-Yona not scared," She insisted as she made her way towards Gallus' location. But then suddenly, something unexpected happened! One of Yona's hooves went right through the cloud as if it wasn't there to begin with! And the rest of Yona's hooves sank through the cloud as well! Yona barely had time to react! "Now Yona scared!" She screamed as she began her descent!

"Yona!" Sandbar screamed, before suddenly he found himself sinking through the clouds as well! And several other creatures who couldn't fly were doing the same!

"What the-" Rainbow began as her eyes widened! But she had little time to finish her sentence, she had to act fast to save everyone before they hit the ground. So she gave a whistle to the few flyers that remained. "Everyone who can fly, follow me and grab hold of someone who can't! Quickly! Go, go, go!"

The flyers didn't need to be told twice, they all sprang into action! Silverstream and Ocellus were able to catch Twilight and Sandbar respectively, and Gallus and Smolder were able to work together to hold up Yona and lower her carefully to the ground. "It's alright, Yona, we've got you." Gallus encouraged the yak.

"And you love flying, remember?" Smolder pointed out.

Once on solid ground Yona immediately frowned and folded her hooves in a pout. "Yak love flying! Yak not love falling, especially to yak's doom!"

Even Sandbar seemed shaken up by what had happened. "This was a nightmare! I thought for sure we were going to die!"

All eyes quickly fell on Twilight, who looked quite concerned. "I... don't understand! I know I didn't mess up on casting the spell. There should be no reason why it failed."

"What are we gonna do now, Headmare Twilight?" Silverstream questioned the mare. "Should we be hysterical?"

Twilight shook her head and quickly tried to regain control of the situation. "Everyone, just calm down! I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation for all of this, this is not the time to panic. Let's just... get back to the school and see if we can figure out what's going on. The field trip has been cancelled."

* * *

Twilight and the students returned to the school a short time later. Twilight was quite exhausted since her magic wasn't working, and thus she had been forced to make the trip on hoof on short notice.

Shining Armor happened to be watching over the headmare's office, so he was more than a little surprised to see his sister and the students come barging in unexpectedly. "What are you all doing back here so soon? Aren't you supposed to be on a field trip?"

"Well we were," Twilight began as she tried not to break out into a nervous sweat. If her brother could see how troubled she was he would surely suspect that something was wrong, and she didn't want to alarm him when she didn't yet know if it was something worth worrying about. "But uh... we kind of ran into an unexpected situation and had to cut it short."

But a chatterbox like Silverstream couldn't stay quiet, she immediately blurted out! "It was the strangest thing! Suddenly everyone who couldn't fly started falling through the clouds!"

At that Shining's eyes grew wide! "What?!" He gasped in alarm and immediately locked eyes on Twilight! "Twilight, how could you let that happen?!"

"I didn't! I swear, I have no idea what happened!" Twilight insisted to her brother. "One moment the cloud walking spell was working just fine, and the next it just suddenly fizzled out without warning. Like all of a sudden my magic just... vanished."

"But that can't be. Magic can't just disappear." Shining commented.

Twilight gulped. "Well apparently mine did. I know my spells, I know there's no way I could've cast that spell the wrong way or misread it. I've done it so many times before it's like second nature to me."

At that the prince let out a deep sigh. "I was afraid you'd say that," He rose from the headmare's desk and trotted towards Twilight and the students. "Believe it or not, you're not the first one to come to me with word that magic just suddenly stopped working. Fancy Pants said his horn stopped working all of a sudden too, and so did Rarity's. And now that your horn stopped working too, that can't be coincidence. I've got a very bad feeling about this."

* * *

Just then, who should come rushing into the office but Spike?! He appeared to have something lodged in his throat and appeared to be trying hard to either spit it out or swallow it! His face seemed to be turning blue from a lack of oxygen!

Twilight immediately rushed to the dragon's side, even if he was no longer her baby dragon she still felt a motherly attachment to him. "Spike, what's wrong?! Come on, spit it out!"

But Spike couldn't, his face grew bluer and bluer by the second! Pretty soon it looked like he might pass out!

Thinking quickly, Twilight put her hooves around the dragon's scale and made a few quick thrusting motions! That did the trick, Spike spat out a scroll that landed on the floor. Spike breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I've never gotten a letter stuck in my throat before."

"You send letters?" Smolder questioned Spike.

Spike nodded. "It's not natural dragon magic, it's something Princess Celestia taught me. Which means even her magic must be affected by whatever's going on."

As if in conformation of Spike's hypothesis, Shining struggled to pick up the scroll with his magic. He was able to eventually get his horn to spark though, and he immediately scanned over the scroll. "Well, it looks like Princess Celestia _is_ aware of what's going on," He commented. "She wants my friends and I to all come to Canterlot at once."

"What?! Now?!" Twilight gasped in surprise and shock! "But... who's going to watch Flurry Heart?! You can't just leave her!"

"I'm sorry, Twilight, but this is an emergency," Shining declared. "You'll have to take my place until whatever it is Celestia needs for me is taken care of. We need to get to the bottom of this sudden disappearance of magic, 'cause if we don't there's no telling what might happen!" And then he rushed away to gather up his friends!


	188. Chapter 188: Off to Tartarus

When Shining had rounded up all his friends they immediately set off for Canterlot, and when they arrived they were immediately escorted to the castle. Not only were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna waiting in the throne room for them, but Princess Cadence was as well. And if the expressions on their faces were anything to go by they were quite concerned, almost to the point of being stricken with panic.

Celestia was the first of them to speak up, and she did so with a tone of urgency that had rarely been seen before. "You're all aware of what's happening all over Equestria, are you not?" The stallions firmly nodded and the sun princesses replied. "Good, because time is of the essence! I have just received a letter from Starswirl the Bearded himself, he says that we have but three days before all magic in Equestria shall vanish forever!"

"What?!" The stallions all gasped in collective shock!

Luna spoke next. "Indeed, this is quite disturbing news. Already, unicorn magic is beginning to fade away. Spells are becoming useless to even the most powerful of unicorns. And it isn't long until pegasi and earth pony magic will also be affected, for they will start to vanish on the second day. If Starswirl's letter is correct, the third day shall see even magical artifacts lose their power, and by sundown on that day all magic in Equestria will be gone."

"But if Starswirl knows about this, why is he sending a letter to you? Shouldn't he be rounding up the pillars to track down the evil force that's behind all of this?" Soarin questioned. "If there was ever a time to act it would be now!"

Luna shook her head. "Unfortunately, the pillars are quite spread out and many have returned to their villages. Without magic it could take days to recruit them all, by which point it may already be too late."

"What about the Crystal Empire?" Shining Armor immediately inquired out of concern.

"So far the Crystal Heart doesn't seem to be afflicted at all, though I dare not venture outside the empire in case the heart should fail," Cadence informed her husband. "I'm sorry, Shining, but it looks like you'll be without my help on this one. Not that you'd need it, you seem to have quite a knack for solving problems with your friends."

Shining did his best not to blush. "Thank you for the vote of confidence, Cadence. Though this is one time I wish you _could_ help me. We alicorns will be the last to lose our magic, meaning we'll have more time than anypony else to find who or what is responsible for this sudden theft of magic."

"Theft? You think somepony's stealin' all our magic?" Braeburn questioned. "How is that even possible?"

"Think about it, magic can't just vanish into thin air! Not even alicorn magic can do that!" Shining firmly declared as he pounded a hoof. "That means something or someone has to be deliberately draining it all away, though for what reason I have no idea yet."

Fancy Pants eyed the princesses. "Well, surely if you summoned us here you must have some kind of lead. Somepony's sure to have seen or heard something suspicious, right?"

Princess Celestia only shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Just like before my visions have become clouded, I can no longer see the future. And even if I could, I doubt they'd be much use to us, they are always unfortunately vague as I'm sure Shining will attest to from the Tirek incident."

"Speaking of Tirek," Shining suddenly spoke. "Has anypony checked on him in Tartarus recently? This has all the hallmarks of his doing: Magic disappearing, ponies not being able to do their jobs, Celestia's visions becoming clouded, and this all happening very suddenly and without warning."

Thunderlane let out a gulp. "But he's still trapped in Tartarus with Chrysalis and those other horrible villains, isn't he?" An uncomfortable silence fell over the throne room.

The silence wasn't broken until finally Princess Luna cleared her throat and reluctantly confessed. "I must admit that the idea of inspecting Tartarus hadn't crossed my mind until now, even though it's usually my jurisdiction. The last time I checked was weeks ago, Tirek was still there. But it's possible he found some way to escape since then. We don't know how he got out the first time," An unhappy sigh escaped her lips. "I better prepare a task force at once to go there and inspect again."

* * *

But Shining Armor stepped forward and declared. "No, I'll go! As Captain of the Royal Guard, checking up on prisoners is my responsibility, at least for the ones like Tirek that I put there personally."

"Out of the question, Shining Armor!" Big Macintosh protested with a shake of his head. "You ain't goin' anywhere! We need you here!"

"Cousin Big Mac's right," Braeburn interjected. "There's no need to put yourself in danger when any of the princesses could do this job. Without you we can't access the Elements of Harmony in case we need them."

Shining shook his head. "I appreciate your concern, but this is something I must do. As captain I make it a policy never to ask others to do what I wouldn't be willing to do myself. And if Tirek _isn't_ in Tartarus, I know someone who could probably tell me where he might have gone."

"But don't you get it, Shining Armor? Tirek probably _wants_ you to go off on your own," Thunderlane protested. "It's a trap, he's luring you there to trap you!"

"The thought of that had crossed my mind, but assuming it _is_ a trap it's likely be to sprung no matter who goes there," Shining declared. "But for all I know Tartarus might be a dead end, Tirek might not be the culprit. It's possible that Tirek is just meant to throw us off the trail, perhaps even to leave someplace unattended. Celestia and Luna will be needed to control the sun and the moon and protect Canterlot, and Cadence has to make sure the Crystal Empire is protected from the Frozen North. At least if I go and get stuck, Ponyville will still be safe. My sister and all of you can make sure of that."

"Shining, please, for once think about somepony besides yourself!" Cadence pleaded. "You've made this mistake before, thinking you have to prove something or that if you don't do this you're not living up to your responsibilities. A royal guard could easily do what you want to do."

But the prince shook his head. "It could take days to travel to Tartarus without magic, which is time we don't have!" He turned to face his friends. "I don't like it anymore than the rest of you do, I wish this burden didn't fall onto me. But I'm the least expendable of our options on such short notice. I owe to you and to all of Equestria to do what must be done! If Tirek is the culprit, I might be able to get him to stop. And if he's not I may be able to wring some information out of him and/or Chrysalis."

Thunderlane then commented. "How are you planning to get to Tartarus anyway? Even if you could teleport there, it'd probably take a lot of magic. You may not have enough to make a return trip if it turns out to be a dead end."

Shining simply smirked. "Oh, I have my ways." He proceeded to pull out a whistle and blew into it!

* * *

Suddenly, in a cloud of smoke, Discord appeared wearing a dark blue hat and matching colored button coat. He shook his suit, causing a few faint flecks of golden dust to fall off. "Hey, Shining! How's about a little heads up the next time you 'borrow' that whistle from Fluttershy?" The spirit commented. "This had better be important, I don't like being summoned against my will."

"Do you know the way to Tartarus?" Shining questioned Discord.

Discord rolled his eyes, eyeballs and everything. "What a ridiculous question, of _course_ I know the way. I can go anywhere at any time. You just name the time and place!"

The prince smiled. "Good. So I can count on you to take me directly to Tartarus, I think it's time I checked up on a few 'outstanding' prisoners."

"Ooh, you've certainly got guts, prince!" Discord commented in astonishment. "You do know I won't be going into that wretched place with you, right? I don't think Tirek or Queen Cheeselegs would be very happy to see me."

Shining nodded his head. "I don't expect you to go in with me, I just need you to get me to the front gate and keep watch outside. I may need you to take me somewhere else on short notice too, so stay sharp."

Discord gave a salute. "You can count on me, oh prince!" With a snap of his talons he changed into an attendant you might see on a zeppelin cruise. "Now, shall we set off? The clock is ticking so to speak." He held out a pocket watch as the hands inside it spun around and around.

Shining trotted towards the spirit, though not without turning back to his friends and to his wife. "Hopefully this won't take long, but I can't make any promises. I just want you all to know that, if something happens to me, promise me that you'll keep fighting. We've faced crises like this before and have prevailed, and together we'll do it again!"

"I sure hope you're right, for all our sakes," Soarin commented. "And don't go talking about how you may not come back, we don't need a scare."

"It never hurts to prepare for the worst, even as I hope for the best. And I want you all to do the same," Shining declared. "Make sure Twilight knows that too." And with that, he and Discord vanished in a puff of smoke, bound for Tartarus!


	189. Chapter 189: (Very) Unexpected Guests

With Shining's departure to Tartarus there was nothing the other stallions could do aside from return to Ponyville and wait for news. Although this was hardly the first time they'd been without their friend they were still most uncomfortable with his decision this time around. None dared to say it out loud but they were more than a little concerned that this time their friend might have erred.

Thunderlane in particular was quite frustrated by this situation, because of an experience from not too long ago (a little over a year to be exact). "It really ticks me off how he could just run off like that. He was the one who told me not to try to rush into things when Rumble came down with swamp fever, and he was right. If I'd listened to his advice I wouldn't have collapsed and gotten sick myself."

Fancy Pants couldn't help but sigh. "He tends to personalize these things more than he should. I understand taking your job seriously, and I get not wanting to treat yourself as more important than others. But that doesn't mean you throw yourself into danger the moment you get the chance. Could he really not have just let Princess Luna go instead? In a situation like this his help would be most appreciated, he always seems to know how to take command in these situations."

But Braeburn interjected with a hint of positivity in his voice. "Now hold on there, let's not go shootin' off in all directions. Shining ain't perfect, but it ain't like he ran off to Tartarus all by himself without a plan. He's got Discord to back him up."

"I suppose that's true. But even Discord will be affected by the magic drain, eventually even his powers will run out. And if that happens before Shining finds out the truth he'll be stuck," Soarin commented. "He really should have back up for a situation like this."

"What are we supposed to do about that though? None of us have the magical abilities he has as an alicorn, and all the other princesses have their responsibilities too." Big Macintosh pointed out.

Thunderlane reluctantly concluded. "Well there's nothing we can do about it now. We just have to have faith that Shining will come through like he often does in these situations. And we'll need to keep our own eyes peeled in case anything comes up around here."

"Not to mention inform Twilight of where her brother is before she starts to panic. I just hope she doesn't lash out at us for not stopping him." Fancy Pants glumly commented, already he dreaded the conversation that would have to be had.

* * *

Twilight seemed to take the news of Shining Armor's plan quite well all things considered. She took a few deep breaths and her eyes went wide, but unlike some of her more infamous cases she didn't start to freak out and pace nervously. "That's my big brother for you, he always did like being the hero. Sometimes I think our mom rubbed off on him too much, though she certainly influenced me in more than a few ways."

"You're not mad with us for not stopping him? Or mad with him for rushing off without saying goodbye?" Thunderlane questioned.

Twilight confirmed with a shake of her head. "When he left for Ponyville it was quite abrupt, and before that he left to join the royal guard with barely a goodbye. By now I've come to expect him to come and go as he pleases, he has his life and I have mine. It just means the time we _do_ get to spend with each other is all the sweeter because of that."

"Well, I guess that's it then. There's not much we can really do without a lead," Soarin commented with a puzzled expression upon his face. "You haven't told the students about the disappearing magic yet, have you?"

Twilight shook her head again. "There's no need to cause a panic, though I suspect some of the students already suspect something's going on. And there's Cozy Glow, she's been acting awfully strange. Ever since my brother told me about what she said to some of the students I've been keeping an eye on her, but I can't monitor everything she says or does."

"You think she's behind all of us? She's just a filly you know." Braeburn commented with concern.

Twilight sighed, her shoulders slouching a bit as she did so. "I have no idea what she might be up to. I want to believe with all my heart she's innocent, but unfortunately I have more urgent matters to tend to. Let's just say I wasn't expecting company."

At that moment there came a knock at the doors of the headmare's office. "Speaking of..." Twilight began as she rose from her desk.

The doors swung open and two very familiar ponies trotted in: The first was a very recognizable pegasus stallion clad in royal guard armor. And the other was a unicorn stallion with a flowing red robe with golden trim around the cuffs, and a medallion with a horseshoe emblazoned into the center. It didn't take a genius to figure out who these ponies were: Flash Sentry and Chancellor (or rather Ex-Chancellor as the case was) Neighsay.

The presence of Neighsay came as a shock to everyone in the room, but especially to Twilight! Immediately her brows narrowed as she glared at the stallion who had given her so much trouble before. "What are you doing here, Neighsay?! I thought I made it perfectly clear that this isn't an EEA school, therefore it's not under your jurisdiction! You can't do anything!"

But the disgruntled chancellor only shook his head. "Now now, princess, there's no need for such harsh words. We've had our... 'disagreements' in the past," The pause and the malice in his tone of voice did not go unnoticed. "But even if this isn't an EEA school it doesn't mean I can't still observe it and take notes on it. Despite what you may think of me, I assure you my goal is to protect Equestria."

"Are you implying that one of my students is responsible for the magic theft?" Twilight eyed the chancellor with suspicion. "I'll have you know I won't tolerate baseless accusations around here. If you go after my students without reason you'll answer to me!"

Neighsay simply waved a hoof. "Relax, princess, I now know better than to allow my emotions to control my actions. And given the dire circumstances Equestria is in right now, I mean it when I say that you need me."

"Yeah, like I need fur rash!" Twilight grumbled and stomped a hoof. "Why should I trust you after the stunt you pulled last time?"

"Because, Princess Twilight Sparkle," Neighsay answered as he used the full name. "I have reason to believe the cause or culprit behind the magic theft is here at this school. And the sooner I can conduct my search to confirm whether that's true, the sooner I can leave and be out of your mane."

Twilight pondered this proposal for a moment, putting a hoof to her chin. Then, very reluctantly she told the chancellor. "Oh, alright. I suppose there's little harm in letting you investigate, so long as you don't try anything funny."

"Princess, it's like you don't even know me. If I tried _anything_ it wouldn't be funny. But I assure you that we're on the same side. For security reasons I can't give exact details, but I'm here not on behalf of the EEA but on behalf of a much higher authority." Neighsay explained.

"Whatever, just make sure that if you find anything at all you run it by me. And if you give me any reason to think you're targeting my students for no reason I won't hesitate to kick you out. Is that clear?!" Twilight told Neighsay as she looked into his eyes.

Neighsay nodded his head. "Crystal. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be making my rounds. You'll know by tomorrow if I've found anything." And without waiting for another reply he turned around and departed.

* * *

"I don't trust that guy as far as I can throw him. I just know he's up to no good." Soarin commented with a glare.

"Maybe, but I think even he would know better than to try any tricks. Since this isn't an EEA school he has no authority," Fancy Pants replied. "And I doubt _he's_ behind all of this. He's many things, but a traitor isn't one of them."

Meanwhile, Thunderlane was eyeing Flash Sentry with the most perplexed look on his face. "But that doesn't explain what you're doing here, Flash. Ain't you supposed to be in the Crystal Empire, keeping watch over Flurry Heart? Shining sent her back before we left for Canterlot."

Flash waved a hoof. "Sunburst and Cadence have everything under control, they've got far more experience with little ones than I do. Security is my specialty, not foalsitting."

"And you're sure you're not just here to be close to Twilight?" Soarin teased the pegasus. "What will Shining Armor say if he finds out you're here and not in the Crystal Empire?"

Flash struggled to keep from blushing and losing his composure. "What Captain Armor doesn't know what hurt him. And as for Twilight I have no idea what you're talking about," He coughed into a hoof, desperate to change the subject. "If you don't mind, I would like to do my own security sweep, princess. At least that way somepony can keep an eye on Neighsay and hopefully reign him if he goes too far."

"You're welcome to look around if you like, Flash," Twilight sincerely smiled. "But I'm going to have to ask you to keep your hooves off Neighsay. I don't know who he's working for now and we can't risk getting swept up in it. Best if we stay out of his way until this all blows over or we find out who or what is behind all of this."

"As you wish, your highness," Flash bowed his head. "If I find anything though, I promise I'll inform you ASAP. I will not let you down!"

"I know you won't, Flash. Now you'd better get on out there." Twilight encouraged. She then watched as the pegasus stallion trotted away too.

* * *

Hours passed with no developments, no news of any sort reached the ponies ears and the students remained in the dark about the disappearance of magic from Equestria. All the students knew was that classes had been postponed for the foreseeable future.

But after Twilight had left the headmare's office for the evening and retired to the castle for a good night's sleep, said office became the sight of a most unusual meeting between two very unlikely ponies: Chancellor Neighsay and Cozy Glow.

Cozy closed the doors behind her just as Neighsay spun around in the chair to see her. His exact expression was hard to read but it appeared that he had something akin to a half smile on his face. Or at least that's what Cozy thought of it given the weird half upturned, half neutral appearance of his face. "You... wanted to see me?" She asked the chancellor in the most innocent tone of voice she could muster up.

"Indeed I did, Cozy Glow. If that is your actual name. You're surprisingly vague about a lot of things," Neighsay immediately questioned of the filly. "I heard right, you told Princess Twilight that you have no family?"

"None that she'd want to know about." Cozy declared as the tears welled up in her eyes.

Neighsay stomped a hoof down. "Quit it with the crocodile tears, they won't work on me! I've been subjected to them more times than I dare to count, I've learned when to recognize them," He glared at Cozy further. "I'm not stupid! You asked me to come here and to meet you in the headmare's office after hours. I know a set up when I see one. You're up to something, young filly! I wanna know what it is and I wanna know now! Do you understand?!"

Cozy trembled and shuddered. "W-who me? W-what would I have to hide? I-I mean... I'm just a filly, an innocent little filly. What makes you think I have anything to do with Prince Shining Armor's disappearance?"

At that Neighsay's left eyebrow arched up ever so slightly. "Funny, that sort of information hasn't been made public yet. How could you know about such a thing?"

"Because you just told me, chancellor, duh!" Cozy retorted and stuck out her tongue in protest.

Neighsay growled, growing steadily more frustrated as he continued to talk with the filly. "The point still stands that you couldn't have possibly known or guessed about that without inside knowledge. You may have everyone else here fooled but not me! One way or another, I'll find out what it is you're trying to hide! After Princess Twilight deceived me with the purpose of this school, I swore to myself I'd never be blindsided by that again! And that's a promise I intend to keep. So are you going to tell what you _really_ know, or are you going to force my hoof?"

"You can't do anything to me! This is Twilight's school, and I'm practically her right hoof pony." Cozy bragged to the chancellor.

"So that's the way you want to play it, little filly? I offered you a sensible solution, you really don't want me as your enemy," Neighsay warned in an ominous tone of voice. "I won't ask again: What _do_ you know about the recent developments concerning Equestria's safety, and what is your role in them?"

Cozy Glow only replied in a taunting, childish tone of voice. "That's for me to know and you to never find out, _Ex_ -Chancellor."

Unknown to either Cozy Glow or Neighsay, the conversation was being overheard by another pony. From the other side of the doors Flash Sentry was keeping silent, watchful tabs on the back and forth between the two. " _Those two, what are they planning?_ " He thought to himself. " _It sounds like they might be in cahoots, but if that's the case why are they at each other's throats and trying to hide things from each other?_ " Then and there he made up his mind. He was going to get to the bottom of this, no matter how deep the rabbit hole might go. " _It sounds like Captain Armor's not going to be much help this time around,_ " He barely resisted the urge to gasp as realization struck him! " _Wait a second! That means he's charging right into a trap! And there's no way I can warn him! Whoa! I'm in it now!_ "


	190. Chapter 190: Set A Trap!

A thick cloud of magic smoke signaled the arrival of Shining Armor and Discord to the outskirts just before the gates of Tartarus. "Thank you for flying Air Discord," Discord spoke in an exaggerated tone of voice. "Please remember to grab your valuables from the overhead compartment, and watch your step as you depart."

Shining said nothing, he just clutched his saddle bag tightly as it hung across his chest and under his wings.

Discord returned to his normal state of appearance but a second later with a snap of his talons. Just up ahead he and the prince could both make out the worn columns that served as the marker for the gates of Tartarus. Said gates were actually a giant door with a strange, otherworldly symbol carved on it in an ominous shade of dark purple. Two guards stood at attention outside, one wearing the golden armor often associated with Celestia's guards, while the other had dark blue armor that was more in line with what Princess Luna often used for _her_ private security forces (some of which even had fangs like bats). Neither spoke a word, they just clutched their spears and stood at attention.

"Well, here we are. Tartarus. You'll truly never find a more spine tingling place than this maximum security prison," Discord commented as he observed the surroundings. "Kind of makes you wonder why the princesses didn't throw me into there, although with my powers I probably could've broken out in a heart beat or two," He turned to the prince. "This is as far as I'll go. I have my own safety to think about you understand. After all, I don't think Tirek would be very happy to see me."

Shining just nodded his head. "It's alright, Discord. You've been a big help already. Without you it would be a hop, skip, and a jump and then some just to get here. And that's time we don't have."

"But how, may I ask, are you going to get into Tartarus? Even if you're captain of the Royal Guard I doubt they'll just open the door for you because you say so." Discord nervously commented.

"Not to worry, I came prepared," Shining explained as he dug into his saddle bag and pulled out a rather large crystal. On the top of it was a small circle. The whole thing looked almost like a telescope. "Princess Luna was kind enough to give me the key to Tartarus before we left. It's the only way anyone ever gets in or out, well except for Tirek," He turned to Discord. "You stay here and keep watch. If Tirek, Chrysalis, or anyone else imprisoned here tries to make a run for it stop them at all costs! And be ready to teleport somewhere else at a moment's notice in case Tirek's already busted out."

"What about the guards? Wouldn't they know?" Discord questioned.

Shining shook his head. "Depending on how Tirek escaped they may have seen nothing. Tirek's method from last time remains a mystery, all we know is that he escaped during the brief period of time when Cerberus left his post." And then with that, he trotted forward towards the gates.

The guards remained alert and did not alter their expression in the least as Shining approached them. Not even when he flashed his badge to show authority and obtain authorization did the guards say anything. They simply stood by and let him pass.

Using what magic he had, Shining lifted the heavy key up and inserted it into the lock. The click echoed everywhere, punctuating the silence of the surrounding valley. The door swung wide open and Shining didn't hesitate for a second as he trotted inside. If he had, he might have seen what appeared to be a timer appear on top of the key, and already it was counting down!

Discord gulped. "I don't think that was part of the plan. It looks like you may have less time than you think, Shining Armor." But Shining was too far to hear Discord properly.

* * *

The interior of Tartarus was dimly lit, a series of caves with cages surrounding both sides. What space wasn't taken up by cages or steps consisted of columns similar to the ones he'd seen outside, and they looked to be even older. The entire place looked older than time itself. To say nothing of the strange creatures who could be seen only as ominous shadows as the prince trotted past.

Eventually the rows of cages ended, a series of stairs built into a surrounding cliff led to the rear of the prison complex where the truly worst offenders were kept: Those deemed too dangerous to be lined up with the other prisoners. And Shining knew there were only two occupants there, one of which he had put there himself.

Shining made his way up the winding stairs, without magic it was quite a journey and although he wasn't out of shape by means he was still panting considerably by the time he'd reached the top. He couldn't stop for more than a few seconds to catch his breath, however. Looking around, the lighting prevented him from being able to see whether Tirek was still in his cage as he should be. But the other cage _was_ occupied.

Steadying himself, the prince trotted up to the cage Chrysalis was imprisoned in and called out to her. "Hey, Chrysalis."

The disgraced former queen slowly emerged, and when her eyes fell upon the sight before her she threw back her head and laughed. "My my, if it isn't Prince Shining Armor himself. Did you miss me?"

"Absolutely not!" Shining coldly hissed.

Chrysalis only laughed harder. "Oh that's too bad, because I most certainly missed you. Even though you threw me into this wretched, forsaken place, I never stopped thinking about you. And now here you are. So, what are you in for? You must've done something pretty awful to get the princesses mad enough to throw you into Tartarus with the likes of me."

Shining stomped a hoof down and snorted. "Can it, Chrysalis! I'm in no mood for your games! I want information and you're going to give it to me."

"Oh really? And what sort of information would _that_ be, oh prince?" The changeling snickered a bit.

"Tirek. I wanna know if he's still here, or if he already bolted from this place," Shining demanded of Chrysalis. "I'm only going to ask nicely once: Do you know if he's here?"

Chrysalis just rolled her eyes. "Oh you're no fun, Shining Armor. I do so miss the times I would wind you up and get under your fur. Don't act like you didn't miss it too."

"Don't try to change the subject! Either tell me what I want to know, or stop wasting my time!" Shining demanded as a few sparks escaped from his horn.

Chrysalis reluctantly sighed. "Well when you put it like that, I suppose I have no choice. Yes, Tirek is indeed here. Not sure what _you_ would want with him though."

"What I want with him is none of your concern. Now call him out so I can see him, you'll forgive me if I don't just take you at face value." Shining demanded of the former queen.

"If that's really the way you want to play," Chrysalis remarked, her voice dripping with malice and hatred towards the pony she was currently talking to. She turned her head so as not to have to keep looking at him and called out. "Tirek, we have a visitor. One I think you're _very_ well acquainted with."

"Chrysalis, I'm not falling for that again," The voice of Tirek coldly answered. "Don't you have better things to do than make a fool of me?"

But Shining spoke up. "I'm right here, Tirek! Chrysalis isn't lying this time! So come out and talk to me, unless you're afraid!"

* * *

That did the trick, two sets of red paws grasped the bars on a nearby cage and soon the familiar face of Tirek showed itself. But Shining hadn't seen the centaur in the state he now was, compared to the last encounter Tirek no longer had dark red fur or long, black horns. No longer did Tirek stand tall enough to tower over the prince but instead seemed to about on level with him, and instead of horns he had two little black stubs on the top of his head.

If not for the description given to him by Celestia, Shining would've assumed he was looking at an entirely different pony all together. "So this is what you look like when you have no magic of your own? Color me not impressed." Shining snickered a bit.

Tirek just hissed. "You've got a lot of nerve showing your face in my presence again, Shining Armor. I assume you're not here because you too have been branded a criminal and thrown in here without a bit to your name?"

Shining shook his head. "Drop the act, Tirek! You've gotten my attention. So just what kind of diabolical scheme could you possibly have cooked up from the confines of your cell?"

The centaur innocently answered. "Schemes? Me? Why, whatever do you mean?"

"You know what I'm talking about, don't try to play innocent!" Shining demanded as he glared at Tirek directly. "You're behind the disappearance of all the magic in Equestria. This has got your grubby paws written all over it."

"Oh yes, the magic theft. How unfortunate to see all that _delicious_ magic go to waste," Tirek commented as he licked his lips. "It would be far better suited if it were inside of me. The maker knows I haven't had a decent meal since I was thrown in here by the likes of you."

Shining shuddered as though a sudden chill had swept past him. "Honestly, Tirek, do you _practice_ being creepy?!" He then shook his head to regain his composure. "But are you saying that you're _not_ behind the magic theft? That silver tongue of yours won't help you with me, I won't be taken in by your lies."

Tirek just laughed in his throat, his voice sounded noticeably hoarse. "Prince, it's like you don't even know me at all. You really think I'd go to all the trouble of draining the magic from Equestria, and not make absolutely sure you knew it was me?"

The prince tried hard not to groan. "Oh, so that's the way you wanna play it, huh? Well okay, I'll humor you for a bit, Tirek. If you really aren't behind the magic theft, then at least you must know something about who or what is. So out with it, what do you know?!"

But Tirek only laughed harder and harder, his hoarse laugh drowning out even the sounds of the other inmates from far away. "I don't see why not, it's not like you'll be escaping to tell anyone the truth."

"What do you mean? That's exactly what I'm going to do when I wring the truth out of you! So you'd better start talking right now, mister!" Shining bellowed with a glare.

Tirek paused for a moment to catch his breath and regain his composure. But a smirk still crept across his face as he declared. "Oh, didn't your fellow princesses tell you?"

"Tell me what, Tirek? Enough of your games!" Shining growled. He was rapidly losing patience with Tirek's non-answers.

Tirek's smirk grew bigger. "That key to Tartarus? It's on a time limit, a very strict one at that. And I'm afraid it's about to expire very soon. Without magic, that key is as useless as every other artifact in Equestria will be. All I had to do was stall you long enough for the clock to run out, which should be any moment now."

Shining's eyes grew wide with horror! "What?! No, no, no!" He immediately dashed down the steps and to the door! Alas, without enough magic to teleport he was unable to reach the front before the door slammed shut in his face with a loud thud!

Tirek cackled with fiendish glee! "You're far too easily tricked, prince! And now you're stuck here with me, forever!"


	191. Chapter 191: Flash Sentry's Discovery

Cozy Glow didn't appear to notice Flash Sentry when she departed the headmare's office. She just trotted away while commenting to herself. "That chancellor is going to ruin everything! Does he know? I can't risk him finding out, I must find some way to stop him like I did the prince!"

Those comments were enough to get Flash Sentry interested. He remembered having heard in passing from his captain that Cozy Glow had been rather unusual from the day she first arrived at the school. Was her strange behavior a ruse to keep ponies in the dark?

Well there was no way to know for sure, but Flash immediately took it upon himself to get to the bottom of the mystery that presented itself before him. " _Whatever twisted scheme you're planning, Cozy Glow, I'll stop you,_ " He thought to himself, and then sighed. " _Kids these days. Why can't they be more like my niece, Scootaloo? There's a filly who knows how to keep herself out of trouble, most of the time anyway._ "

But after only a little bit of tailing, Flash found that Cozy Glow seemed to have given him the slip for the time being. He was just about to consider calling it a night, when he happened to hear a muffled sound coming from the library. He couldn't be sure but the pegasus thought it sounded like somepony opening a grate.

As fast as his namesake might imply, Flash bolted to the library without a second's hesitation! The door was unlocked, Cozy Glow had to have come this way.

Making his way past the bookshelves, the pegasus stallion scanned back and forth across the isles for any sign of Cozy Glow or anything else that might be unusual. When he reached the back of the library, his left eye happened to spot what appeared to be an open grate. He rushed toward it. It looked like he could fit down there if he squeezed himself in. So that's what he did, tucking his wings to either side of himself as he slowly forced his way down through the grate.

Once safely below, Flash had little time to get his bearings before a most unusual sight greeted him. A series of strange, glowing crystal catacombs greeted his vivid cornflower blue eyes, which widened in shock! "What is this place?! It's like nothing I've ever seen before." He commented.

The stallion trotted forward, taking in the sights and sounds of his surroundings. Did Cozy Glow know about this place? Was she the one who had left the open grate that had allowed Flash to gain access? And if so, why would she do such a thing? Why leave a trail for somepony to follow?

Then Flash's ponderings were interrupted when up ahead, what should he see but the familiar outline of Shining Armor?! It looked like something had happened to him, he appeared to be glowing ever so faintly! "Captain!" Flash shouted at the top of his lungs and rushed towards his superior at once! "It's okay, Captain Armor. I'm here now. What happened?! How did you get out of Tartarus?!"

"Shining Armor" spoke very slowly and weakly, as though every second he existed something was sapping all of his strength. "I... could not stop this from happening. It is... too late for me."

Flash shook what he believed to his captain quite hard! "What are you talking about?! That's crazy! You're gonna be okay, Captain!" Then he narrowed his eyes and growled. "Who did this to you?!"

The alicorn spoke slowly once again. "A force unlike anything I have ever encountered. You must stop... her... before it is too late for any of us. Alas, my time grows short." And he faded into a series of glowing specks.

Flash was horrified! It took him a moment to realize that what he had seen was not in fact his captain! "Whoever that was, I won't let you down! I'll avenge you!" He vowed, and boldly trotted forward once again!

* * *

Flash Sentry soon discovered a clearing. When he entered it his eyes were momentarily blinded by the brilliant light that emerged. Once he had regained his vision he could hardly believe what he saw!

A series of six artifacts were placed around a circle. Said circle had carvings and engravings like the kind you would see in high level spells. They held up some kind of bubble which was suspended over a huge pit glowing and swirling with magic. And the artifacts themselves were each surrounded by an energy field. When Flash reached a hoof out to touch one of them, he received a nasty shock and was thrown back!

Shaking himself off, the pegasus stallion suddenly realized what the objects were: Clover the Clever's Cloak, the Crown of Grover, the Helm of Yksler, the Amulet of Aurora, the Talisman of Mirage and Knuckerbocker's Shell! " _These artifacts were in the Canterlot archives the last time I saw them! How did they end up here?!_ " He thought to himself.

Just then the sound of hoofsteps caught the stallion's attention. Spinning around he found himself face to face with none other than Cozy Glow herself. "Golly, Mr. Flash Sentry. What a... surprise to see you here."

"Funny, I could say the same to you, Cozy Glow," Flash growled as he locked eyes with the filly. "It's no use playing innocent with me. I know you're up to something, I heard what you told Chancellor Neighsay!"

Cozy Glow gulped and back away slowly. "P-please, Mr. Flash Sentry, this is all a big misunderstanding. Neighsay's the bad guy, not me. I'm just a filly."

"You expect me to believe that?! I doubt even Neighsay could've set all this up without anypony being any the wiser," Flash snarled as he trotted towards Cozy. "It's your fault my captain's stuck in Tartarus with no way out! You _knew_ he'd go rushing off to there the moment the magic in Equestria started to fade! I don't know why you'd want him out of the way, but your plan ends here! You're going to undo whatever it is you've done this instant, Missy!"

However, Cozy's eyes suddenly glowed as she slumped to her knees and put her hooves to her head. "No, Master! Please, not now! I just need more time!" She let out an ear piercing scream as her eyes suddenly glowed lime green.

"Cozy Glow?" Flash commented as he stepped back in surprise.

But a deep, raspy voice spoke through the filly. "Not exactly. Cozy Glow can't hear you anymore. She is my puppet now, a puppet I regret giving free will to. She does as I say."

"That voice!" Flash realized in an instant! "Lord Tirek! So you _are_ behind all of this!"

Through the body of Cozy Glow Tirek cackled with sadistic glee. "Guilty as charged. But I'm afraid I can't allow you to interfere. There's been enough mucking up of my plans as it is with this disobedient young one! You're not getting out of here to warn the others!"

"Just try and stop me!" Flash declared as he unfolded his wings. "There might not be much magic left in Equestria, but I've still got enough left in the tank to outrun you!"

But the moment Flash tried to flap his wings he felt himself be struck by a bolt of dark magic that paralyzed him and rendered him helpless! Tirek's voice ominously echoed. "You pathetic ponies always love to play the hero, don't you? But this time there is no hope for any of you. I'm going to get my revenge, and there's nothing any of you can do to stop me!" Cozy Glow's body then picked up Flash, tossing him effortlessly into the bubble as though he were made of paper.

However, just a moment later Cozy blinked and the green glow to her eyes faded. She panted quite heavily. "Sorry it had to be that way, Mr. Flash Sentry. But Tirek is my master and I will do as he commands. Now you'll pay the price for your interference," With a smirk she added. "Don't worry though, you may get some company in there soon. Besides, in another day or two that bubble will sink into another dimension. And with it will go all your precious Equestrian magic. All will bow before Lord Tirek!"

Flash Sentry could only watch helplessly from the bubble as Cozy Glow trotted away. " _I'm sorry, Captain Armor. I failed._ " He thought and became rather forlorn. It truly seemed like this time, the bad guys had won.


	192. Chapter 192: The Truth about Cozy Glow

For a moment or two all Shining could do was stare at the door that was locked shut and refused to open. Trying to light up his horn was a futile effort, he had no magic left (and even if he'd had some he doubted it would've been enough to get him out). Frustration boiling over inside of him, he rammed his horn into the door and tried not to wince at the ensuing headache when it made contact. "How could I have been such a brainless idiot?! This set up was so obvious, and like a fool I charged right into it!"

From far away the familiar, echoey tone of Chrysalis taunted the stallion. "Oh come now, Shining Armor. Look on the bright side. At least now we'll finally be together, forever. Just as I've always wanted."

"Only in your sick and twisted mind, Chrysalis!" Shining growled in reply. "The thought of being with you makes me sick!"

Chrysalis' voice only purred back. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Shining sighed, sinking to his hooves. "Why do I even bother with you? No wonder you're a lost cause."

"You have no one but yourself to blame," Chrysalis snarled. "But then, you always did enjoy playing the hero. That seems to be a thing with you ponies. I only wish I had thought of what Tirek planned myself. Alas, I must reluctantly give credit where credit is due. His plan worked to perfection."

The prince rose slowly, his ears having perked up. "Plan? What plan?!"

Chrysalis vaguely answered. "Why not ask Tirek himself? He's the one with the answers you seek. He never tells me anything anyways."

"Somehow I doubt you know as little as you let on, but I'm in no mood to deal with your games," Shining hissed as he stood up and trotted back towards Tirek's location. "I'm done talking to you, Chrysalis!" Once he reached Tirek's cell, he noticed that the crafty centaur had now turned his back and appeared to be talking to himself. Growling under his breath, the alicorn rapped a hoof against the bars to get Tirek's attention.

Tirek spun around very slowly, once again face to face with the prince. "Oh, it's you again. My apologies, oh prince. I was simply tending to urgent matters in Ponyville."

Shining's suspicions were immediately aroused. "I thought you said you _weren't_ behind all of this?"

Tirek cackled with fiendish glee and rubbed his paws together. "Well, let's just say that what I told you _was_ true, from a certain point of view anyways."

"So you lied to me?! Why am I not surprised?" Shining rolled his eyes. "I knew you couldn't be trusted."

Tirek just stuck up a paw and shook it at his foe. "Patience, Shining Armor, you didn't let me finish. I did tell you the truth, it just wasn't the whole truth if you know what I mean."

Shining stomped a hoof down and snorted! "Enough of your games, Tirek! I told you I'm in no mood for them! Either tell me what I want to hear, or stop wasting my time and leave me alone!"

The crafty centaur just smiled as his eyes seemed to glow. "Well, I suppose there's no harm in it. You're stuck in this wretched place, so there's no way you could tell anyone even if you wanted to," He cleared his throat. "It's funny, really. You ponies are so gullible. Who would've guessed that all it would take to bring your precious kingdom to its knees, was to use one of your own against you?"

"You mean Cozy Glow?!" Shining realized and gasped in horror when Tirek confirmed it with a nod! "What did you do to her?! She never did anything to you, Tirek!"

"Oh but she has, she's the most ungrateful little filly I've ever had the displeasure of knowing," Tirek coldly replied. "And to think I was nice enough to bring her into this world."

At that Shining stepped back a bit. "You _created_ her?"

Tirek nodded once more. "It was pretty easy, actually. Even though I remained stuck in Tartarus I had enough magic left to create small projections. That alone wouldn't have been enough to bring Cozy Glow to life as she is now, but once the mighty Queen Chrysalis over there got thrown into a cell next to me, the gears in my head started to turn. She told me about the Tree of Harmony and the elements that powered it. But she also told me how heavily guarded it was. So the only way I could ever hope to take over Equestria, was if I found a way to render even the tree itself powerless. And after I 'borrowed' some magic from all the other creatures in here, my plan was set into motion."

"I don't believe it! Cozy Glow of all ponies," The prince shook his head in disbelief. "How did I not see the writing on the wall? I suspected something was off about her, I should've realized it was because she wasn't a random pony. She was just your puppet."

But Tirek's mood turned from one of glee to one of anger and frustration. "That was the plan all along, but it seems I made one fatal mistake. I foolishly decided to give Cozy Glow a mind of her own, free will so to speak. The plan was simple: She would infiltrate your sister's school, learn the source of your power, and when the time was right and she had everypony fooled she would conduct the magic draining ritual. The power was supposed to go to me, allowing me to break out and take over. Alas, little Cozy decided to betray her master! She wants all the magic for herself, and she's even been scheming with Chancellor Neighsay, a pony I understand you and your sister have a personal history with."

"But he doesn't realize the truth about Cozy Glow, does he?" Shining realized. "Even he's in the dark about this. You and I are the only ones who know."

The centaur just cackled anew. "Well, not exactly. There _is_ one pony who found out. None other than the goody two horseshoes himself: Flash Sentry. And I'm afraid that because of that, I had to take charge of the situation again," He paused briefly as he smiled. "Though I can only take control of Cozy Glow for short periods of time from here, I needed only a minute or two to ensure that nosy pegasus wouldn't be a threat to my plans. And you can be sure the same fate awaits anyone else who's foolish enough to get in my way! I'm thinking I'll start by making sure that annoying Chancellor Neighsay learns just who he's messing with."

* * *

When Tirek's speech had finished, the prince remained silent for a while as realization slowly sank in. "Why tell me all this? You're not doing it just to rub in your apparent victory."

The centaur simply answered. "You assume I want something?"

"I _know_ you do! This is sounding a lot like when you tricked Discord into siding with you against Equestria!" Shining stomped a hoof down. "So out with it, what is that you want of me?! Name your price."

Tirek smirked as his eyes narrowed and he rubbed his paws together. "Well if you really must know... there _is_ a little something I'm hoping to get. Though your compliance is not expected if I'm being completely honest."

"What do you mea..." Shining began, before it hit him hard! A gasp escaped his lips! "No way! Never in a million years, Tirek! I'd sooner be trapped in Tartarus for all eternity!"

"Oh but prince, that's where you are already." Tirek cackled with delight.

The prince shook his head. "I don't care! You're _never_ getting out again!"

But Tirek simply replied with a fiendish smirk. "Think about, prince. I already escaped once before. What makes you so sure I won't do it again? You have no idea how I did the last time and I'm certainly not going to tell you."

"So what? I help you break out and you help me stop Cozy Glow?" The alicorn slowly realized.

"Something like that," Tirek replied again. "By all means, take your time and think it over. But I'd come to a decision quickly if I were you, you don't have much time you know. In another day or two all of the magic in Equestria will be gone forever," Then he added. "But why don't you spend a few minutes thinking about your choices? Right now, I think it's time that a certain chancellor learned not to stick his nose into places where it doesn't belong!"


	193. Chapter 193: The Enemy of My Enemy

As a new day was dawning in Equestria things looked pretty bleak for the ponies. The source of the magic theft hadn't been discovered, and neither had any leads about who might be behind surfaced. No one dared to say it out loud but many already feared the worst, feared that the magic in Equestria would be lost forever.

And at the School of Friendship, a startling development was complicating matters further. An alarmed looking Sandbar came rushing into the headmare's office, panting heavily as his eyes appeared to have grown several sizes. "Headmare Twilight! Headmare Twilight!"

"What is it, Sandbar?" Twilight inquired of the earth pony colt.

Sandbar paused briefly to catch his breath. "Well, since your brother hasn't come back from... wherever it is he went off to, and since Counselor Starlight's still on the road, you were the first pony I could think of to talk to about this," After taking a deep breath he blurted out. "It's Flash Sentry, he's gone!"

"Gone?! What do you mean gone?! That doesn't seem like him at all." Twilight questioned.

The colt frantically explained. "I saw him last night just briefly. It looked like he was heading to the library, but when I looked again he was already gone."

"I've looked all over the school and the castle," Spike added as he came fluttering in. "When he wasn't at his post this morning I started to worry. But I thought he might have just gotten lost. Now I think something happened to him."

"Or more likely, someone got to him," A familiar voice called out. And then who should come trotting into the room but Chancellor Neighsay himself? "I'm afraid you won't find Flash Sentry anywhere. If my hunch is correct, then the one who silenced him is one of your students. None other than Cozy Glow."

Twilight rose from her desk and pounded a hoof. "Neighsay, what did I tell you about baseless accusations?! I don't know where you got the idea that Cozy Glow could have anything to do with this, but I won't stand for it!"

But Sandbar nervously shuffled his hooves. "Cozy Glow's been acting kind of weird these past few weeks, Headmare Twilight. She's been really rude to my friends and keeps hanging around the library. Every time I approach her she says she's busy with re-shelving or book stacking."

"I'm well aware of that, Sandbar. My brother told me about the horrible things she said. It is odd that she's so elusive, but that could mean anything," Twilight commented. "What would Cozy Glow possibly be up to? And more importantly, how could she possibly be behind something like this?"

Neighsay spoke up. "Please, Princess. I've been gathering intel per the orders of my superiors. Cozy's behavior has certainly attracted my attention," Then he cleared his throat. "I didn't want to tell you this, but she tried to meet with me in secret last night after you were gone. She admitted to nothing, but it was clear from our conversations that she knew more about the magic theft than should be possible. You never told her about it or where your brother galavanted off to when this all began, yet somehow she knew everything."

"So you've been scheming with her?!" Twilight glared at the chancellor. "And spying on my school even though my brother specifically warned you not to?! Give me one good reason why I should trust you after all of that. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't turn you over to Princess Celestia and expose you. I already have half a mind to do that just now."

The chancellor bowed his head and pleaded. "If you'll allow me, Headmare Twilight. I think there's a way to get Cozy Glow to confess, to reveal what she's been trying to hide. Despite what you may think of me, I would never betray Equestria willingly."

Twilight eyed Neighsay with suspicion. "And what exactly does your plan involve?"

"It's quite simple, actually," Neighsay began. "Though it will require you to stand aside temporarily."

Sometime later, an unaware Cozy Glow happened to trot past the headmare's office and was shocked to see Neighsay sitting at the desk that had belonged to Twilight! "No no no! He's going to ruin everything!" She growled. "I've got to stop him before my master takes over again!"

Neighsay didn't seem the least bit surprised or unnerved as Cozy Glow rushed into the office and closed the door loudly behind him. "Miss Cozy Glow, how nice to see you again. As you can probably guess from the looks of things, I am now running this school. Headmare Twilight apologizes for her absence, but owing to the state of emergency we're in and in the absence of her brother, her assistance is needed in Canterlot to prepare for the worst."

Cozy stepped back a bit and growled, her hooves shaking. "You... you can't do that, Chancellor Dunderhead! This is Headmare Twilight's school, not yours! You just want to turn it into another EEA school so you can get revenge on her for humiliating you!"

"Perhaps, or perhaps I desire something greater. Something beyond your comprehension," Neighsay coldly answered. "No more games, no more excuses! You're hiding something and I want to know what it is! You can either tell me, or you can explain yourselves to the entire student body when I expose you as the traitor. I'd make up my mind quickly if I were you."

Cozy gulped and started to tremble, a nervous sweat trickled down her face. "It's... it's not what you think. I don't have a choice. I have to do what he wants me to do."

"He?" Neighsay questioned as his eyebrows arched upward. But then an awful thought struck him and a knot formed in his stomach as he thought back a nervous gulp. "You can't possibly mean..."

But the chancellor needn't have bothered guessing. Before his very eyes he witnessed a startling change in Cozy's eyes! They seemed to roll back into her head, replaced by a sickly green glow. And it seemed like something was surging through her, making her mane flow. "Sorry, Neighsay, but I'm afraid you too must be silenced. Nopony is going to get between me and what I want. Certainly not the likes of you." Cozy spoke in a deep, raspy voice that seemed to echo throughout the room.

Neighsay did his best to keep from showing any signs of visible fear. "Lord Tirek! I didn't suspect you were involved in this. But how did you manage to trick a filly into siding with you? All communication with Tartarus is strictly forbidden."

Through Cozy's body Tirek simply spoke up. "Cozy Glow is but a means to an end. She has no free will of her own. I am her master, her creator. I brought her into this world, and all I asked in return was for her to set me free. An order that it seems she intends to disobey, thus I must take matters into my own hooves."

"So that's it!" Neighsay realized. "You're the one behind Prince Shining Armor and Flash Sentry's disappearances! You're the one draining all the magic in Equestria! And to think I believed I was just dealing with a filly led astray, or that those other creatures might be involved."

Tirek's voice just cackled as Neighsay was enveloped in a series of chains courtesy of his magic. "Well that's where you were wrong. You're not dealing with the average filly. You're dealing with the high and mighty Lord Tirek, you're soon to be ruler. The comfort of friendship will be but an illusion against the reality of my hardship!"

"You won't get away with this!" Neighsay vowed even as he struggled in vain to break free of his chains. "It may be too late for me, but I know for a fact you will never get out of Tartarus! Prince Shining Armor and his friends will see to that."

But Tirek's voice only laughed and taunted. "I wouldn't be so sure, Chancellor. Surely you must know that without all six stallions present, the Elements of Harmony are useless. And that 'Rainbow Power' they used against me will be useless as well. As for Tartarus, I'll simply tell you what I told the prince: I escaped before, so how do you know I won't do it again? Especially when you still haven't figured out how I did the first time?"

Neighsay's only response was a gulp.

Tirek's voice gave off one last laugh before it replied to the captive chancellor. "Well, I've gotta go now. I have an escape to plan. But I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again soon. For now, enjoy your prison."

All the captive Neighsay could do was watch as the mind controlled filly who had imprisoned him walked away, and as she did he swore it was possible to see her eyes return to their usual color.

The deposed former chancellor was not alone for long. Barely a minute after Cozy Glow had left, six unlikely creatures entered the headmare's office. He recognized them at once and hung his head in shame. "Oh, it's you six. I suppose you've come here to gloat and rub my imprisonment in my face. Well you might as well go ahead and have your laugh now. Quite soon none of us will have anything to laugh about."

But the six students just stared at the stallion, and Ocellus even asked. "Why would we do that? We're here to rescue you, not make fun of you."

"Really? After I treated five of you so horribly just for being different creatures, and after I briefly suspected the six of you were behind the magic theft?" Neighsay questioned as the students crept closer.

Sandbar protested. "I'm a pony, Chancellor! Why would I want to help drain all the magic from Equestria?"

Neighsay unhappily sighed. "I assume you might be an unwilling participant or that you might have been deceived about their intentions. I see now that it was short sighted and foolish of me, and it blinded me to the real threat lurking just under our noses."

Sandbar grinned. "You're talking about Cozy Glow, aren't you? Well your hunch was correct, she was the culprit. And if it's any consolation, she had us all fooled. Even I didn't think she was that evil."

"She is but a front for an even greater threat, not that it matters," The former chancellor glumly admitted. "And it still doesn't explain why you six are helping me now. You owe me nothing."

Yona answered with a hearty laugh. "Neighsay nasty pony, but now that he meet even nastier pony in Cozy Glow maybe Neighsay learn not to be nasty all the time?"

"Besides, Headmare Twilight believes everyone deserves a second chance. And as Dragon Lady Ember's always fond of saying 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'," Smolder answered as she waved a claw and then flew close to the stallion. "I think I can get those chains off you. Just hold still."

"How are you going to remove them? I doubt your claws are strong enough to break solid metal." The stallion questioned Smolder.

Smolder snorted. "Fire breathing dragon, hello? Now stop wiggling, I don't wanna accidentally torch you." She took a deep breath and concentrated her fire breath on the lock and chains that bound Neighsay captive.

But after about a moment of trying Smolder had to stop and catch her breath. The chains hadn't melted completely and the lock still held Neighsay in place. "Wow! Whatever Cozy Glow tied you up with, it's really strong stuff."

Gallus just grinned as he walked forward. "Well I think you weakened them enough for me to break 'em. You all might wanna step back a bit." He raised up his claws and brought them down hard on the weakened and partially melted chains! The impact was more than enough to shatter them! Neighsay was free once again!

"Thank you, all of you. I know nothing I say can begin to make up for our past misunderstanding, but I hope you'll at least hear me out," Neighsay told the students as he stood up. "Cozy Glow isn't who she seems. You need help."

"What do you mean? She's just a filly. We can totally take her!" Gallus insisted as he put his claws together. "Just give us five minutes with her and we'll make her stop."

Neighsay shook his head. "You don't understand. Cozy Glow is but an extension of Tirek, a puppet with little free will of her own. Her entire purpose was to drain all the magic from Equestria so that Tirek could escape from Tartarus and take over. As we speak the centaur is already hatching a plan to do just that."

Ocellus gulped and began to shudder. "S-so what are we supposed to do?"

Sandbar just grinned. "There's no need to fret, guys! I'm sure Prince Shining Armor and his friends are already on top of it like they always are. They defeated Tirek once and I'm sure they can do it again!"

But Neighsay ominously replied. "I'm afraid that won't be the case this time. It's time you were told the truth. The reason behind the prince's absence..." He paused considerably, as though hesitant to bring himself to say what came next. "...Is because he was tricked into going to Tartarus, and now he's stuck there."

"What?!" The six students all collectively gasped at the same time!

The stallion nodded his head very slowly. "Without the prince the Elements of Harmony are useless. Even if the magic drain can be stopped, it would take an army to stop Tirek from getting what he wants. An army that the princesses will need to recruit."

"But they're in Canterlot! It could take a whole day just to get there on hoof!" Sandbar realized.

However, Neighsay looked down at his robe, more specifically at the medallion that was still around the collar of his outfit. "There is still a way to get word to the princesses in time. I've been using this medallion's powers to keep an eye on the school per Princess Celestia's orders. It was either that or be terminated from my post," He brought a hoof up to the medallion. "Hopefully there should still be enough magic left for one last trip. A trip to warn the princesses and get help."

"And what are we supposed to do?" Gallus questioned.

"I'm afraid I can't help you six with that. You and your headmare, along with your professors and their friends will have to figure out what you'll do without Prince Shining Armor," Neighsay explained. "Even if I can quickly make my case, it will still take a day to bring the army here. By then it may be too late. I'm not sure what you'll do, but you must find a way to at least stall for time." And with that, he conjured up a portal surrounded by a flaming blue aura and disappeared through it as it slammed shut behind him.

Sandbar quickly settled on a course of action. "We've gotta tell Headmare Twilight about this! She's our next best option."


	194. Chapter 194: An Uneasy Alliance

In the depths of Tartarus, Shining could only watch as Tirek controlled Cozy with the greatest of ease: Dictating her thoughts and actions to the point where you would've never believed Cozy had ever had an ounce of free will. It sickened the prince greatly, his stomach twisted itself into knots he never thought possible. He wanted desperately to do something, anything. But deep down he knew he couldn't, his magic had left him and while he remained in Tartarus there was no chance of him warning his friends.

" _Is this it?_ " He thought to himself as he sat there, alone with his thoughts. " _Is this how it all ends? With me powerless to do anything, and everyone and everything I care about left to the mercy of a creature without a shred of empathy or compassion?_ "

With the time he had to think, Shining Armor came around to the conclusion that there was only one thing he could do. He would have to accept Tirek's offer. At least if he escaped with Tirek he could try to slow the centaur down long enough to pass warning along to Equestria. Even if the Elements of Harmony and Rainbow Power couldn't be used without him, Equestria could be ready for the fight of its life.

Tirek ended his control of Cozy Glow just a few moments later. "Ah, we're back. Pardon the... interruption as it were," The crafty centaur delivered in his cold, calculating, scheming tone. The kind of voice that reflected his confidence and certainty that for once his plan could not be beaten. "So, oh mighty prince, what's it going to be? Have you had time to think over my offer?"

The alicorn nodded very slowly as he bowed his head in shame. "I don't like it for a second, but it seems I have no other options. Though if you're planning to double cross me that would end poorly for both of us."

Tirek just grinned, flashing a toothy smile. "Serve me fatefully and that won't be a problem, we'll both get what we want: I'll be free to deal with Cozy Glow, and you can chase after me to your heart's content. Though in the end, only one of us will _truly_ come out on top. And I think we both know who that will be."

"You don't have to rub it in, Tirek. Let's just get this over with so that hopefully someday, I can look at myself in a mirror without feeling shame." Shining glumly commented.

"Excellent!" Tirek clapped his paws together. "I knew you were smart, oh prince. Now there's just one little thing I need to do and then we can get out of here."

Shining turned his head. "You need more magic, don't you? Well if you were hoping to take it from me, tough luck. The magic drain has left even me powerless."

The centaur only hissed in reply. "I see, how unfortunate for your sake. But no matter, your magic alone wouldn't have been enough. I'll just have to 'borrow' some from all the other creatures of Tartarus."

Chrysalis hissed from her cage. "You won't get a drop of my magic, Tirek! It's not for you!"

Tirek just opened his mouth as an orange glow surrounded his target. "As if you had a choice," It didn't take long for him to drain every last ounce of glowing green magic from Chrysalis, and with it surging through his body he began to grow ever so slightly. "Well, that was... satisfactory," He turned to Chrysalis. "Don't feel bad, Chrysalis. Your magic's going to a good cause. Me!"

Shining Armor turned his head, unable to watch what happened next. Of course he could still hear it. Hear the slurps and gulps as Tirek took every drop of magic from every creature in Tartarus, whether they wanted to give it up or not. Even if they were all criminals who had threatened Equestria, it was still wrong to know they were losing a part of their being for someone else's selfish benefit. And the fact that he was enabling it only made the sickening sensation in his stomach grow stronger. " _If I ever make out of this in one piece, I'm going to have nightmares for the rest of my life._ " He thought to himself.

At last the draining was complete, Tirek was as tall and brooding as he had been when Shining had last encountered him. His body was an unmistakable shade of red and he sported two tall, black horns on the top of his head. Even the chains around his arms had vanished. "Yes!" Tirek roared in delight! "I'm whole once again! And this time, I'm going to keep it that way!"

"Then the time has come for us to escape!" Shining declared as he approached the centaur. "Once we're through that gate though, this little truce of ours is over!"

Tirek just grinned. "Suit yourself, but good luck trying to get back to Equestria on your own two hooves." He proceeded to scoop up the prince, holding him tightly in his grasp as he stomped down the winding staircase and the centaur made his way towards the front gate.

* * *

Outside Tartarus was all quiet, but not for long. Suddenly the ground shook with several vibrations, and then suddenly the gate was destroyed by a magical fireball that seemed to materialize from nowhere!

The guards jumped to their hooves, but they could only watch in helplessness as Tirek rushed past with Shining Armor in tow. "I'm free!" He shouted, promptly tossing Shining Armor onto the ground. "There, I kept my end of the bargain. But you'll get no more freebies, you bad boy! Equestria is mine!" And he stomped away, laughing and rubbing his paws together with glee.

Discord immediately rushed over to Shining Armor, horrified by what he'd seen! "Shining! Oh thank goodness you're okay! What did Tirek do to get the best of you?!"

But Shining just looked at the ground in shame. "Nothing. We made a deal."

"You what?!" Discord gasped in surprise, literally falling to pieces! "You actually made a deal with... with..."

Shining weakly replied. "I saw no other options. And I hate that I did what I did. This is all my fault. Why did I have to play the big darn hero? If I'd let somepony else go to Tartarus, none of this would be happening."

Discord pulled himself back together and donned a general's outfit, a bubble pipe sticking out from his mouth. "That's enough of feeling sorry for yourself, soldier! You pick yourself up this instant! You knew the risks when you signed on, and it's too late to be having second thoughts now! There's no room for quitters in _my_ army! And you're no quitter, are you?!"

The prince weakly answered. "No. But at this point what does it matter? I'll never catch Tirek now, I barely have any magic to spare."

"But you're forgetting about me," Discord said with a grin. "And so did Tirek for that matter. The magic drain hasn't depleted my powers just yet. I've still got enough left in the tank for one more teleport."

A faint glimmer of hope came into Shining's eyes. "Then maybe all is not lost for Equestria just yet. _If_ you can get where I need to go."

"And where would that be? It'd better be good, now's not the time for galavanting all over Equestria to chase a raging centaur!" Discord cautioned. "The name is Discord: Not miracle worker."

Shining rose slowly. "Could you bring me back to my sister's school? Tirek's coming for Cozy Glow, but I'm not giving up on that filly without a fight."

The spirit cautioned. "Be more specific, that school is a big place."

Shining turned to the spirit and aimed his horn at him. "I'll give you what magic I have left, I hope it will be enough to make this work. Now here's what I want you to do." He whispered something into Discord's ear.

Discord's expression seemed to become concerned, it looked like he was hesitant to do what was asked of him. "I'm... not sure if your magic will give me enough power to pull off something like. It's a very big risk."

"It's one we'll have to take!" Shining declared. "There's only one thing I can think of that'll stop Cozy Glow _and_ Tirek! Now come on, Tirek's already gotten a head start!"

Discord pulled Shining close. "Well, I guess we've got nothing to lose. At least if we fail we can't say we didn't try," The spirit cautioned. "Better hold on tight though, prince. It's going to be a _very_ bumpy ride!" With a snap of his talons he and Shining disappeared from the outskirts of Tartarus!


	195. Chapter 195: School's Out!

It didn't take long for the six students to find Twilight. As it turned out she had only "pretended" to step aside as part of Neighsay's plan to expose Cozy Glow. Even so the news that Cozy Glow was indeed the traitor, as well as a pawn for Tirek, was almost more than she could handle. "I can't believe it!" She downtroddenly remarked as she stood in the headmare's office. "To think that she housed such a dark secret and hid it right under my nose this whole time. I should've suspected something when I couldn't find any information on her family, but I fell for the 'Crocodile Tears' routine hook, line and sinker!"

"She had us all fooled, Headmare Twilight," Ocellus reassured the unicorn. "Even I wouldn't have guessed she was _that_ evil."

Smolder snorted. "Speak for yourself, I knew that filly was up to no good from the day I first laid eyes on her. She was just a little too friendly. And we dragons know first claw that when something looks too good to be true, it usually is."

Meanwhile, Sandbar boldly declared. "I'll bet you anything that Cozy Glow is the one responsible for Mr. Flash Sentry's disappearance! He must've discovered the truth as well."

"So what are we gonna do, Headmare Twilight?" Gallus eagerly asked. "Come on, lay it on us. How can we defeat Cozy Glow and teach that no good filly a lesson?"

"Don't forget about Mr. Tall, Dark, and Terrifying!" Silverstream chirped. "And I don't mean the Storm King!"

"If not for Tirek being taller than yak, Yona would smash him to pieces! No one hurt Yona's friends!" Yona roared as she pounded her chest. It seemed clear that she was ready for action, possibly even war.

But Twilight only shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't know. I have no idea how Cozy Glow set this all up or where she might be now. And even if we can find her, there's no way to stop her. With my brother trapped in Tartarus the Elements of Harmony won't work even if all of his friends are gathered here. And as far as I know, they never figured out how to tap into that mysterious power they used against Tirek."

Gallus gulped. "So that's it, then? We're just supposed to give up? There's gotta be something we can do!"

It was then that a thought came to Sandbar. "Hey, you guys, I just realized something! You know how Cozy Glow was always hanging around the library, right?"

Ocellus and the other students nodded. "Yes, but what does that have to do with..." Ocellus began, before she gasped as she deduced what Sandbar was saying! "Of course! Where else could she hide while she set everything into motion, not to mention keep Flash Sentry prisoner without anyone finding out?!"

Twilight eyed her students with a look of confusion as she scratched her head. "I don't follow."

Ocellus's eyebrows arched upward. "Your brother never told you about the crystal catacombs beneath the school? The ones connected to the Tree of Harmony?"

"No," Twilight commented in surprised. "It's certainly news to me. Sounds like something my brother 'conveniently' left out of his discussion about where you all disappeared to. I guess I can understand why he'd do that, if no one but you six and him knew about them then no one could ever find them and threaten the Tree of Harmony. Cozy Glow must've either stumbled upon them by accident, or Tirek detected their presence while controlling her."

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's get down there and put a stop to... whatever it is Cozy Glow's got planned!" Gallus vowed. "The time for talk is over!"

"Now time for action!" Yona declared as she stomped her hooves down and led the charge out of the headmare's office!

But Yona didn't get far before Ocellus flew in front of the yak and blocked her! "Wait a minute, Yona! Cozy Glow might still be roaming the school now that she thinks Neighsay and Headmare Twilight are gone. We can't risk running into her! If we get caught there's not gonna be time for a back up plan. We need a distraction."

"A distraction, you say? Leave that to us." A familiar male voice commented. A short time later, who should show up but the Cutie Mark Crusaders and their honorary member (and close friend) Diamond Tiara?

Sandbar smiled. "You five are gonna distract Cozy Glow for us? That'll be so great! We'll totally owe you one if you can pull it off!"

But Smolder questioned. "What could you five possibly do to distract Cozy Glow?"

Diamond Tiara just flashed a knowing grin as she rubbed her hooves together. "Let's just say: Mother's lessons on making the right connections are _finally_ going to be put to good use," She blinked a bit. "Wow, I never imagined there'd come a day when I'd say that with a straight face."

Rumble just commented. "You know, it's kind of funny. I always said Cozy Glow reminded me of how you used to be, Diamond Tiara."

The rich filly sighed. "Oh, don't I know it. Now it really is like looking in a mirror."

"Enough talk! You guys need a distraction, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders are on the job!" Scootaloo declared. "And don't worry, this won't cost you a thing. Just a simple 'You're Welcome" will do."

Sweetie Belle then commented. "I think I saw Cozy Glow out front, like she was getting ready to make a big announcement or something."

"Great! What are we waitin' for? Cutie Mark Crusaders Distractors is officially a go!" Apple Bloom declared at the top of her lungs. "You leave her to us, and do whatever you gotta do to bring back the magic to Equestria!" Then she and the other Crusaders rushed out of the headmare's office.

Twilight gulped a bit. "I hope they know what they're getting themselves into. They're not dealing with the average filly."

"Hey, the Crusaders can handle anything! I should know, they've told me all about their adventures," Sandbar declared with a grin. "Now come on, let's make sure their efforts aren't for nothing. We've gotta get down to the catacombs!"

* * *

It took some effort to pray the grate leading down to the catacombs open, largely because Sandbar's earth pony strength was no longer a factor and the grate resisted Smolder's fire breath. But with a little assistance from Yona, the students were able to lift the grate. One by one they descended into the catacombs (though Yona had to be pushed through because of her large stature) and Twilight followed them, struggling to wedge herself through.

The catacombs seemed to have changed considerably. The glow they had displayed from the previous visit was non-existent now, the crystals seemed to have dulled and all but cast the catacombs into darkness.

"The Tree of Harmony's in trouble!" Ocellus gasped in horror! "We must have less time than we thought!"

"Then we've gotta figure out what's weakening it and put a stop to it!" Gallus declared. "It helped us, now we're gonna help it!"

The six students and their headmare rushed through the catacombs, their eyes soon drawn to a faint but glowing light that appeared to indicate the presence of some kind of clearing. They reached it in a matter of seconds and briefly had to shield their eyes from the almost blinding light that greeted them!

There was indeed a clearing, and six powerful artifacts occupied positions around a glowing circle. Said circle had all kinds of strange symbols on it, each of the artifacts seemed to be encased in some kind of protective force field, and above it all rested a huge, magic bubble! Inside said bubble was none other than Flash Sentry!

Flash was more surprised than relieved to see others in the clearing with him. "What are you doing here?! You shouldn't be here, this is too dangerous!" He spoke from inside of his bubble.

Meanwhile, Ocellus glanced at the objects and gasped! "Hey, I remember those! Headmare Twilight showed them off to us: Clover the Clever's Cloak, the Crown of Grover, the Helm of Yksler, the Amulet of Aurora, the Talisman of Mirage and Knuckerbocker's Shell!

Twilight tried not to blush. "Princess Celestia agreed to loan them to me for my class on pre-Equestrian friendships. I was going to use them for a magical scavenger hunt: A spellvenger hunt if you will."

"Well it looks like somepony else got their hooves on them," Flash Sentry explained. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I guess I wasn't much of a help after all."

Twilight shook her head. "You couldn't have known, none of us did. But we know now, we know about Cozy Glow and Tirek."

"And we're going to put a stop to them!" Gallus heroically declared as he raised his claws in dramatic fashion. He lowered them a second later. "Just as soon as we can figure out what the heck is going on here."

Twilight scanned the circle and the artifacts with her eyes, she blinked briefly as the gears in her head started to turn. "I think I know what's going on. It's some kind of ritual. The artifacts are being used as keys to open a portal to another dimension, and all the magic in Equestria is being concentrated into that bubble."

"I'm guessing if it sinks into the ground, all the magic is lost forever?" Silverstream pondered. "Like when the Storm King tried to steal the Pearl of Transformation's powers for himself?"

Ocellus nodded her head. "And if that happens Equestria is doomed! We need to stop this ceremony, now!"

"Any ideas, Headmare Twilight?" Sandbar questioned.

"I'm not sure. I've never seen a magical ritual ceremony like this before," The unicorn glumly commented. "I think if you could somehow remove the artifacts from the circle, the portal would close and the magic drain would stop."

Flash Sentry spoke up. "I'm afraid that won't work. I tried to touch one of those artifacts the night before, and all I got was the shock of my life. I seem to remember a prophecy written in the section of the Canterlot Archives that stored them: Something about how 'Only the worthy six may wield'," He unhappily sighed. "It's too bad Captain Armor and his friends aren't here. I'm sure they'd be considered worthy."

"Well they're not here, and prophecy or no Equestria is doomed if we do nothing!" Sandbar declared. "If we can pull those artifacts out of the circle, it'll also free you, Mr. Flash Sentry!" He trotted forward, preparing to grab Clover the Clever's Cloak.

Flash screamed in protest! "Don't do it, kid! You're gonna get hurt!"

But strangely enough, when the earth pony colt reached out a hoof to grab hold of the cloak he was not shocked or thrown back. Instead he began to glow quite mysteriously, a red colored aura surrounded him.

"Sandbar! You're glowing!" Silverstream shouted in excitement! "Too bad you're not all sparkly like when the Tree of Harmony revealed itself to us!"

"What are you talking about? You're glowing too, all of you!" Sandbar pointed a hoof to each of his friends! Sure enough, each of them were glowing albeit in a different color than Sandbar's. Ocellus glowed orange, Yona glowed yellow, Silverstream glowed blue, Smolder glowed purple, and Gallus glowed pink.

Flash Sentry and Twilight could hardly believe their eyes! "What the heck's going on?!" They both wondered aloud!

* * *

At that very same moment, a series of flashes suddenly illuminated the clearing! When the flashes faded, Shining Armor stood there, wearing the tiara that held the Element of Friendship atop his head. And each of his friends had their Element of Harmony necklaces as well.

"Shining, what's the meaning of this?!" Soarin demanded. "One moment I'm trying to keep Cloudsdale from sinking further, and the next I'm in this strange clearing I've never seen before!"

"And why are the students from your sister's school here too? And how come they're glowing the same colors as our elements?" Fancy Pants wondered. "Heck, how did you manage to get out of Tartarus?"

But Shining protested. "There's no time to explain! Tirek's on his way here and he wants Cozy Glow! Quickly, each of you go help the student with the same colored aura as your Element of Harmony, and yank out whatever artifact considers them worthy of wielding! Then we'll all pull together!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Braeburn shouted in obligement and galloped over to Silverstream who had placed her claws around the Amulet of Aurora! To the other stallions he shouted. "You heard him! Go help the students! I'm sure he knows what he's doin'! Ain't like the rest of us have a better plan at the moment."

The other stallions reluctantly obeyed even though they were confused. Soarin went over to Sandbar as the colt was touching Clover the Clever's Cloak, Big Macintosh approached Ocellus who had grabbed hold of the Talisman of Mirage, Thunderlane assisted Yona who was touching the Helm of Yksler, and Fancy Pants stood by Smolder as the dragon was preparing to take Knuckerbocker's Shell. All the while, Shining Armor had managed to fly over to Gallus and aid the griffon in wielding the Crown of Grover.

But before the two groups could do anything, there came the sounds of a struggle that was growing closer and closer with each passing second. Said struggle involved the Cutie Mark Crusaders trying in vain to hold back a surging Cozy Glow, whose eyes were flickering on and off from a sickly green color! "She's... too strong!" Diamond Tiara exclaimed as the Crusaders were being pushed back!

"You fools! Nothing is going to get between me and what I want!" The voice of Tirek bellowed as it echoed through the catacombs and the clearing! "Equestria is finished! The reign of Tirek is nigh!"

"Cozy!" Shining shouted at the filly, his own eyes starting to glow. "You've gotta fight! Don't let Tirek control you! Please, let us help you!"

Cozy Glow briefly stepped back before reaching the clearing, putting her hooves to her head as she started to shake and shudder violently! "Can't stop myself! I can feel him, he's trying to take control for good!" She frantically exclaimed! "And he wants me to..." She collapsed on the ground before suddenly standing up as though possessed by a force beyond explanation! "Wants me to... help! Help... P-please! Don't... let him win!"

The Crusaders jumped out of the filly's way rather than risk her pushing them into the bubble! And even Twilight could only watch as Cozy surged past her without stopping for even a second!

"Now our's chance!" Shining Armor shouted to his friends and to the students! "We must pull together on my signal, now!"

"Now!" Everyone shouted at once, and all six pairs yanked out their artifacts simultaneously! Several trendils of magic wrapped around the bubble, yanking Flash Sentry free and tossing him onto the ground!

The ground started to shake ominously as the bubble began to crack, waves of magic spilling out from it and surging through the catacombs in every direction!

"Twilight!" The voice of Shining Armor called above the commotion! "Get Flash Sentry and the Crusaders and get out of here! Evacuate the school, now! This whole place could go up!"

"What?! We'll be destroying the school?!" Ocellus gasped in horror!

But Twilight nodded her head. "If that's the case then it's a sacrifice that must be made. Better the school than our magic, it can be rebuilt and restored. If our magic goes there's no hope for any of us," She began to light up her horn. "You can count on me, B.B.B.F.F! But please be careful, I don't wanna lose you too!"

The voice of Shining replied in reassurance. "The Elements of Harmony and their magic will protect us, but I don't wanna risk the same for the others! Go, quickly!"

Twilight nodded again, her horn sparking back to life! "You got it!" After giving a quick whistle to summon Flash Sentry and the Crusaders to her she declared. "We're out of here!" She disappeared in a flash of magic!

Meanwhile, several rainbow beams shot out towards Cozy Glow as she tried to run away! They enveloped her completely as the ground shook with increased intensity, threatening to open a fissure that could swallow everything whole! Then there was a great big flash!

* * *

Twilight quickly spread word about what was happening, and everyone still at the school either teleported out, flew out, or rushed towards the nearest exit they could find! Twilight stayed until she was sure everyone was safe, then she, Flash, and the Crusaders all bailed out as well!

A blinding flash and then what felt like a wave of magical energy washed over everyone! A loud boom shook the ground and made everyone cover their ears!

When the ringing had stopped and the flash faded, everyone opened their eyes. Shining and his friends stood outside what had been the entrance to the school, except now a huge hole had opened up right in the middle of it. Part of the roof had collapsed, the spire had toppled over as the flagpole was cracked, and several windows were broken as shards of glass littered the ground. The stallions and the students were unharmed though, a protective barrier disappeared from around them but a second later.

"Did we do it?!" Gallus questioned as he looked around. "Did we save Equestria?!"

"And what about Cozy Glow?" Ocellus wondered.

Suddenly, a familiar voice choked out. "Over here!" All eyes turned and there, standing amidst a small pile of rubble and debris, stood none other than Cozy Glow. Her mane looked like it had specs of dust in it and her coat colored had been dulled a bit by dirt and bruise marks, but otherwise she seemed none the worse for wear.

Shining was at the filly's side in an instant, checking her over. "How do you feel, Cozy Glow?" He asked her. "Is Tirek still in your mind or are your thoughts yours and yours alone?"

Cozy answered very slowly. "I think he's gone for good. But I don't feel any different, aside from that weird tingling sensation inside," She reluctantly asked. "Does this mean I'm..."

But before Cozy could finish her sentence the ground started to shake again, faintly at first but then with increased intensity. A noise began to fill the air, filling many hearts with dread.

Shining gulped and swallowed a lump in his throat, he knew what (or rather who) was coming. Tirek!

Sure enough, the familiar figure of the powerful, brooding centaur soon appeared over the horizon. And with his narrowed eyes and clenched paws it was clear to everyone that he didn't look happy at all. Many ponies panicked and ran for whatever nearby shelter they could find! But Shining stood firm in his tracks as Cozy ducked behind him, hoping for protection.

Tirek's booming voice rang clear for those brave enough to stay by the school. "How very sneaky of you, prince. Holding onto some of the magic I drained from those worthless creatures and giving it to Discord for an emergency teleport."

"You didn't _really_ think I'd just let you get away that easy, did you?" Shining scoffed. "You really should've seen that coming. I'd have been a fool not to do what I did, even though I despise the fact that I _ever_ had to work with you."

"Too late to be having second thoughts now," Tirek taunted. "But it doesn't matter. I can already sense the magic of Equestria has returned, and there's no way you'll just part with it. I made my point though, I made you stoop to _my_ level, and that's something you'll never be able to forget," Then his eyes drifted slightly. "Oh, and what's this? It seems your sister's beloved school has been leveled quite considerably. How sad. Why, it would move me to tears. You know, if I still had tears left to shed."

Shining lit up his horn, eyeing the centaur as he growled. "Enough is enough, Tirek! The princesses are on their way here as we speak! And this time I'll make sure you don't get out of Tartarus, even if I have to throw away the key!"

"Oh come now, prince," Tirek scoffed in reply. "Must this all end in violence? Besides, I'm doing you a favor. There's a certain pesky filly who tried to double cross me. And if there's one thing I hate, it's those who have the gall to betray me and think they can get away with it!" His eyes fell upon the frightened filly cowering behind the prince. So the centaur stomped a hoof down. "Cozy Glow! I know you're here, stop hiding and face your master!"

Cozy Glow whimpered. "You're not my master anymore, Tirek!"

The centaur growled. "What is this defiance?! I gave you life, I made you what you are, I gave simple instructions to follow or have you forgotten?! And yet _this_ is how you repay me?! By siding with my sworn enemies against me?" Then he sighed, lowering his voice a bit. "Sorry, I'm not usually this ill tempered. I'm usually more 'restrained' in my anger. Now where were we? Oh yes, I remember." His eyes glowed as he picked up Cozy Glow with the greatest of ease!

Cozy struggled in vain! "No! Please! Spare me!" She whimpered in fright! "I want to live!"

Tirek's eyes only glowed brighter as his eyes narrowed. "It's too late for that now! I never should've given you free will, a mistake I intend to correct." But when he tried to pull Cozy Glow close to him, the dark red and orange glow of his magic ceased to maintain its hold on her and dropped her.

Tirek blinked in surprise. He tried again, and the same thing happened. He opened his mouth to try and drain the magic from Cozy Glow, but he got nothing for his efforts. The centaur nervously stepped back a bit! "What is the meaning of this?! What is this defiance?!"

Without warning, a series of magical whips wrapped themselves around the crafty centaur's arms and held tight to him, thus preventing him from moving! "Cozy Glow isn't your creation anymore, Tirek," The familiar voice of Princess Celestia explained as she and Princess Luna descended from above, while down below an entire garrison worth of royal guards came marching up on the scene with their spears the ready. "She is now one of my subjects. So if you lay a paw on her, you'll answer to me. And I'll make you regret it."

"You're going back to Tartarus, where you belong! This time you'll be under 24/7 surveillance, so there'll be no chance of another escape attempt. I'll personally see to that!" Princess Luna vowed.

Tirek roared and growled as he thrashed about! But the magical grip of the princesses didn't falter or fade! "NOOOOO!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs! "My own creation, turned against me! My perfectly crafted plan, ruined!" His eyes narrowed as he looked at Shining Armor. "You! Once again you've taken away my victory! You just can't let me win, can you?!"

"Sorry, that's not how I roll," Shining replied with a smug smirk on his face. "Your plan backfired, Tirek! Because I know now more than ever how important it is to always be around to stop the likes of you! So long as you, Chrysalis, and any other threat to Equestria exists, I'll never stop fighting for what's right! You got a problem with that?"

* * *

Furiously, the centaur concentrated as much energy as he could in between his horns, conjuring up the biggest magic fireball he could manage on such short circumstances! Shining, fearing the worst, threw up a protective shield as he flapped his wings to stay out of Tirek's range! But when Tirek finally shot off the fireball it flew past the prince and out towards the Everfree Forest.

The prince couldn't help but taunt Tirek over his apparent misfire. "You missed me by a mile, Tirek. I gotta say, your aim is getting worse."

"On the contrary, prince. It's working perfectly," Tirek cackled with sadistic glee. "Whoever said I was aiming for you?!"

"What are you talking about? What could you possibly be trying to hit instead of me?" Shining questioned, before suddenly he felt something flash in his eyes and he winced in pain, falling to the ground amidst a series of horrified gasps!

Tirek gleefully exclaimed! "YES!" His smile grew wider by the second. "I may be going back to Tartarus, but my last act here in Equestria will leave it forever weakened! Harmony is dead!"

Luna immediately cast a spell that produced a muzzle around Tirek's mouth. "That's quite enough out of you, fiend!" She turned to a few of the guards clad in the dark blue armor with the moon emblazoned into the chest plate. "Guards! Let us escort Tirek back to Tartarus, and prepare a special cage for him. I suspect it will take a very long time to get any magic out of him."

Meanwhile, Shining's friends were at his side as they watched him shake while his horn sparked ominously and his body seemed to glow briefly! They had never seen this sort of behavior in him before!

"What's happening to you, Shining?! You okay, buddy?!" Soarin questioned, only to get no reply! "Hey, come on! Speak to me!"

Slowly, the prince rose to his hooves. "I just got a message from The Tree of Harmony, it's in danger!" He explained. "Quickly, we need to bring the elements back to it before it's too late!"


	196. Chapter 196: Farewell, Cozy Glow

Stricken with horror (and a sense of urgency) Shining immediately teleported to the Tree of Harmony's location even though he knew such a jump would take a lot out of him! His friends barely had time to follow, running (or flying) after him as fast as they could!

The prince didn't stop to get his bearings once he had teleported to the tree's general location. He wasn't sure how much time he had, it could be only seconds!

His worst fears were realized when the alicorn got a good look at the Tree of Harmony! Tirek's fireball had struck it head on, the fireball have burnt it right to the roots! Even though he wasn't an expert on the subject of biology, the prince could tell that the tree was in very bad shape. It looked like it might be dying again!

But all Shining could do was wait for several agonizing seconds and then over a minute, until his friends could finally catch up to him with their Elements of Harmony necklaces still on them. They all collectively gasped upon seeing the poor state of the tree! It looked even worse than the time they had found it covered in the plunder vines which had been slowly draining its health.

Thunderlane nervously commented. "I don't think giving the Elements of Harmony back to the tree are going to do anything for it at this rate. We may be too late."

"And Starswirl and the pillars could still be anywhere," Fancy Pants reluctantly added. "Mistmane especially would probably know what to do. The seed for the tree probably came from her."

Soarin, meanwhile, eyed Shining and asked him. "What are we gonna do, Shining? Any bright ideas? You always seem to come up with some kind of solution for things like this."

However, Shining gulped as he shook his head. "I've got nothing. But I'll... I'll think of something, just give me time!"

Big Macintosh just lowered his head. "That's one thing we don't have. I know death when I see it. It'd take a miracle to save the Tree of Harmony now."

Braeburn nervously inquired. "So, what does that mean for the elements? Will they stop workin' without the source of their power?"

Shining couldn't answer, he was writing in pain and had collapsed to the ground as his body shuddered violently while taking on a dying glow! "I'm so sorry, Harmony Me," He somberly apologized as a few tears began to well up inside him. "I couldn't protect you when you needed it most. Forgive me."

But then suddenly, as Shining continued to lay on the ground in hopelessness and helplessness, the recently liberated Cozy Glow came trotting up on the scene. She appeared to be eyeing the Tree of Harmony as she walked towards it, her body starting to take on a glow similar to that of Shining's, except the glow around her grew brighter as she drew closer and closer to the tree.

Shining looked up, and a new sense of horror crept over him! "Cozy, no! Please, we'll find another way! Don't do something we'll all regret!"

Cozy Glow only shook her head. "It's my fault the Tree of Harmony is like this. I'm the one who put in danger and left it weakened. So I'm using the magic that gave me life, so that the tree's life can be restored," Somberly she added. "Sorry I didn't come to you sooner, prince. Maybe we could've avoided all of this." Then she continued her trot forward, not looking back for a second even as the glow enveloped her whole body and she started to become transparent!

"Cozy! Get back here, now!" Shining pleaded in vain! "Please! We're not going to lose you!"

Cozy didn't answer, the filly just trotted and shut her eyes as she approached the tree's trunk. "Goodbye, everypony." She spoke briefly and those were the last words to leave her lips. A brilliant, blinding flash of pure white light washed over the crevice where the tree lay! When it had faded, nothing but a few faint, glittering specs of magic indicated that anyone had ever been there before.

"COZY GLOW! NOOOOOOOO!" Shining shouted at the top of his lungs and buried his head into the ground! Now his tears flowed without stopping. All that work to save Cozy Glow, and it was all for naught in the grand scheme of things. The Tree of Harmony had been saved, but at the cost of a filly finally free to live her own life.

Suddenly though, there came a flicker of light that drew Shining's attention. He lifted his head enough to see the familiar form of Cozy standing before him and his friends. Except now she glowed the same way as the projection of Shining Armor had before, sparkling all over. "I'm okay," She spoke as her voice echoed. "I will live on inside the tree as its guardian, working to ensure the light and harmony of the realm continues to glow bright forever."

"Cozy..." Shining struggled to find the words he wanted to say. "I never meant for any of this to happen. It didn't have to be like this."

Cozy only shook her head. "Don't beat yourself up for this, Shining Armor. There is no guarantee that without Tirek's magic my life could be sustained for long. If my time in this world was short, I'm at least glad it was for a noble purpose such as this," And she added. "And so long as the Tree of Harmony still stands, and so long as there continues to be light and hope the realm, I will live on inside the hearts of you all. Now rise up and return to those you left at the school. Those students need you to help them make sense of all that transpired down in that clearing."

"The students! I almost forgot!" Shining gasped as he slowly stumbled to his hooves.

"Guess it's back to the school, again." Soarin commented.

Shining slowly nodded his head. "We'll work on a way to honor Cozy's memory later. For now, there are creatures who need a guiding hoof." And his horn lit up once more.

* * *

When Shining returned to the school, he was relieved to see that Tirek, the princesses, and the royal guards had all departed. At least he could take some pride in knowing that Tirek was likely on his way back to Tartarus and wouldn't be getting out again. But that was the extent of what could count as "Good News" for him.

An unaware Twilight breathed a sigh of relief as she approached him. "You're back already?! That must mean the Tree of Harmony's been saved!" But Shining refused to answer, the expression on his face was a clearly registered one of sorrow. Twilight tried not to gasp. "Oh no! Don't tell me the tree died!"

Shining slowly answered. "The tree... is still alive."

"Great, you saved it!" Twilight cheered, before she took notice of something, or rather _two_ somethings: The first was the tiara that held the Element of Friendship which remained atop her brother's head. And the second was the absence of somepony important. "Where's Cozy Glow?" She inquired in an unaware tone. "She ran off before I had a chance to stop her, she wouldn't tell me where she was going but I think she wanted to be with you."

At that, Shining felt a knot form in his stomach! He knew what needed to be said, what everyone had to know about. But he couldn't bring himself to break the bad news, the words wouldn't come out. He just stood there in silence, he didn't cry, shudder, or do anything to signal a change in behavior. His face wouldn't even morph into a quivering frown. "Cozy is... is..." He trailed off, unable to say anything further.

Soarin finished for his friend, swooping in with a wing draped over his heart. "She's gone, like actually gone! She sacrificed herself to restore the Tree of Harmony and basically merged with it."

"What?!" Twilight gasped, as did those still among the gathered crowd! To say they were stunned would be an understatement!

"It's true," Fancy Pants reluctantly confirmed as he and the rest of the stallions came trotting up. "It all happened so fast. The child has become the tree's new avatar in a sense, but her physical body was unquestionably destroyed. There was nothing we could do to stop it."

"It's my fault," Shining finally spoke up in a somber tone. "I should've been there for her sooner... should've done something sooner. But I failed: Failed to save her and failed to protect the Tree of Harmony. Not to mention how I let Tirek grow much stronger than he was before," He lowered his head in shame. "I know no one's perfect, that everyone makes mistakes. But to mess up the way I did... what does that say about me? What am I supposed to have learned from all this other than I'm not a hero like I thought I was? Once again I couldn't save or protect someone who needed me."

Having heard the prince's lament, a voice familiar to many (especially the students) called out. "Wow, and I thought _I_ had it rough when I turned over a new leaf. Sounds like I got here just in time." Everyone turned to look, and there stood Starlight Glimmer in all her glory!

Twilight rushed towards her fellow unicorn, hugging her tightly! "Starlight, you're back! What a nice surprise! I thought you were still on the road with Trixie."

"Well we were. But then we could sense all the magic in Equestria disappearing, I got the feeling my help was going to be needed in Ponyville when it was all over," Starlight explained and flashed a smile. "It looks like my hunch was right."

"You really couldn't have come at a better time, Starlight," Shining commented as he eyed his former student. "After what happened with Cozy Glow, I'm not sure I can continue to serve as a guidance counselor at this school."

* * *

However, to the surprise of all it was Silverstream who fluttered her way over to the prince! The hippogriff had a look of fiery determination reflected in her eyes, a look that only Gallus had seen. And that was when he had encouraged her to stand up to what she thought was the Storm King (but was really just a pile of rocks). "You can't let yourself fall into that trap! You can't live forever in fear of the past!" She firmly declared. "If you do you're allowing yourself to be restricted, you'll be living in fear!"

"But Cozy Glow..." Shining began.

"-You don't know for sure what would've happened if you'd found out about her sooner," Silverstream interrupted. "But if she were here now, she'd want you to carry on! Living your life not in fear and regret, but dedicating yourself to living in a way that honors her memory by being the best you can be!"

Ocellus was quick to point out. "You ultimately are a big part of why we stopped the magic drain before it was too late. Without your help I don't know if we would've realized what we had to do."

"And so you couldn't help one student. She was no ordinary filly," Gallus added. "You can't let one failure control your entire life. Believe me, I messed up and let other downs all the time back in Griffonstone. You have no idea how liberating it felt to be freed from that when I got to come here!"

Yona then declared. "Know why yaks smash? Because yaks know that nothing last forever. Life is about destroying and rebuilding. When things go wrong, things get smashed. Then yaks rebuild and move on, yaks learn to be better. So prince get smashed, but now he get to rebuild and move on. Be better than he was before."

Sandbar encouraged the prince further. "Come on, Prince Shining Armor. I had to overcome my fear of disappointment. Sooner or later it happens. You can't let it get you down for long."

Smolder was the last to speak up, and she concluded. "Of course, we know it'll take time. All good things do. I had to get used to living in an entirely new world when I came here. But just like with me, you don't have to go through this new phase alone. You've got friends who care about you, and even some family to lean on for support. They'll help you get back on your hooves."

The words of the students slowly sank in, and once they had time to resonate Shining was able to bring himself to stand and wipe the tears away. "Thank you, all of you," He told the students. "I appreciate your efforts. You're right about one thing, it does me no good to dwell on what's already happened because I can't change it."

"Yeah, time travel is something I don't even want to _think_ of!" Starlight declared as she threw up her hooves. "Tried it once and once was enough."

Shining paused considerably before he spoke up again. "All the same, I'm going to need time. I don't know if I'll ever fully come to terms with Cozy Glow's untimely end. A part of me will always wonder if there was something I could've done differently. But you're also right that Cozy wouldn't want me to be sad and gloomy forever. The best way to honor her legacy, is to dedicate myself to the cause for which she lay down her life!" Eyeing the six students he added. "And you six truly deserve praise. Though you were just children, you displayed the integrity, devotion, and most of all courage of some of the finest soldiers I've seen in my time. You kind of remind me of myself when I was younger, eager to prove myself."

Twilight spoke next as she trotted close to her brother. "But all the same you six endured more than should've been asked of you. You've been put through things that no children your age should ever be faced with. So I want to offer you all the chance here and now: Do you want to continue your studies at this school? You've learned a lot about friendship since you came here, but while I could see about advancing you all to a 'higher' class it takes more than a semester or two to learn everything there is to know about friendship."

Shining added. "In some ways, you never truly stop learning. They say that life is a learning experience. But there does come a time when that experience requires you to leave a classroom and go out into the real world. If you believe that time is now, we won't blame any of you. But the choice must be yours and yours alone."

* * *

It didn't take much for Sandbar to assertively proclaim! "Are you kidding?! I've made friends here and been on so many adventures, which includes getting the chance to help save Equestria! Why would I wanna give all that up now? You bet I'm staying, Headmare Twilight! I'm staying with my friends!"

"Yona staying with friends too!" Yona declared as she stood by Sandbar. "Yona learn so much about ponies, but Yona only begun to teach ponies and other creatures about yaks, like how to play yovidaphone. Yovidaphone hard to play good."

Gallus was all but on his knees and pleading. "Please, I'd sooner go back to having no caretaker than have to spend another day in Griffonstone. No griffon there ever wanted me, here I feel like I finally belong. I don't wanna go back to Griffonstone, not until I'm certain I know everything I need to know to make sure we rebuild properly! Not clinging to the past like Grandpa Gruff wants, but by moving forward with the values of friendship."

Silverstream eagerly fluttered over to Gallus and hugged him tightly! "No way could I say no to staying with you, Gallus, or any of my friends for that matter. It seems like there's always something new about the surface world that's worth exploring: Forget stairs and plumbing, posters are where it's at! And I know I'll keep learning more with my friends by my side, not to mention go on even more crazy adventures with them."

Ocellus buzzed her wings as she said with a sincere smile. "I never would've come out of my shell and gotten over my fear of the past if not for this school and my friends. You bet I'm staying."

Smolder was the last one to make her feelings known, though not for a lack of hesitation on her part as she willing admitted. "What the heck? It's not like I'd have better things to do back in the dragon lands. If my friends are staying then so am I. Besides, I'd be lying if I said I didn't learn a few things while I'm here. And I definitely taught you all a thing or two about dragons."

Shining smiled as he stood beside Twilight. "Well that's great to hear. At least I know that if anything should ever happen to me or to my friends, the future of Equestria is in good hooves, or claws as the case may be."

"But I'm back now, refreshed and ready to be your guidance counselor again. And I have a feeling that my skills are going to be in very high demand these next few weeks," Starlight commented. "Guess I know now why they say to be careful what you wish for."

Shining put a hoof around Starlight. "Thanks for taking back the role. I really don't think I could've kept it up after what happened with Cozy Glow. It's possible I may even need you to help me."

"Well, we'll cross that bridge when and if we get to it," Starlight reluctantly declared. "For now though, it's great to be back!"


End file.
